Project: #becauseracejeep

[SolarBell]

I had always been under the understanding that a traction bar worked by preventing rotation of the axle. I don't see how that small attachment point, no matter how strong, will prevent the axle from rotating.

 

[MoparManiac]

I'd move the exhaust to the drivers side and then put the traction bar on the passenger side.

It's 2WD so you don't have a t-case in the way of the exhaust.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Ehh. If the cover bolts can handle ~2000lbs of jeep slamming down onto a rock and landing on the diff cover, I think they'll handle a traction bar on a street Jeep. Lmao.

LOL well I never landed directly onto my diff cover bolt but you're putting a LOT of faith in a 5/16 bolt's shear strength.

 

[bpas328xii]

I'd move the exhaust to the drivers side and then put the traction bar on the passenger side.

It's 2WD so you don't have a t-case in the way of the exhaust.

Charcoal canister is in the way on the driver's side.

 

[markw]

Why not keep the traction bar simple and come off the axle tube or leaf spring plate and go to the frame rail? Ruff stuff has all the parts to build one, they even have a traction bar kit.

Also somewhere early in the thread you mentioned that you had Tee'd the front shocks together and the rear shocks. This is BAD, when you load up the outside tires in a turn it compresses the suspension, forcing the air pressure from the compressed side to the uncompressed side, which pushes up on the body and transfers more weight to the outside, essentially it's a pro-roll bar as it will increase body roll in a corner. You should run a decent set of gas pressurized shocks that will control the springs. Ride height should be adjusted by spring rate/height not air shocks.

 

[bpas328xii]

Why not keep the traction bar simple and come off the axle tube or leaf spring plate and go to the frame rail? Ruff stuff has all the parts to build one, they even have a traction bar kit.

There isn't any room. Otherwise I would. Lol. Plus my springs are reverse arch spring over which means I can't really go off of the leaf spring plate either.

 

[markw]

How close is the frame rail to the ground?

Here's a simple setup. Not sure if it could be bent with too much traction or power, probably.

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/traction.html

 

[bpas328xii]

How close is the frame rail to the ground?

Here's a simple setup. Not sure if it could be bent with too much traction or power, probably.

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/traction.html

The other problem is that I'm mounting a custom sway bar to the axle (below the axle tube and diff). Already have the swaybar, just gotta mount it. Lol. The straight parts go right to the stock swaybar mounts on the frame with links.

 

[GSequoia]

Why the hell do you post up mock ups, ask for ideas, and all this? You think you have it all figured out and you plow forward with your bad ideas anyway. Just save yourself the grief and don't post until you have posted up your next poorly executed mod.

 

[bpas328xii]

Why the hell do you post up mock ups, ask for ideas, and all this?

Nowhere in my post did I ask for ideas/help/opinions. You act like no one else on this forum has ever posted a mock up picture...

You think you have it all figured out and you plow forward with your bad ideas anyway. Just save yourself the grief and don't post until you have posted up your next poorly executed mod.

Thank you for your opinions/concerns and I will take them under advisement.

 

[yossarian19]

Just saw the traction bar pic. It didn't show up last time I saw the thread.
If I understand correctly, you are going to get RuffStuff to build a 1/2" diff ring with a tab that you will weld the traction bar straight into. The 1/2" steel construction should mean the load is spread between all of the bolts BUT if you weld the bar into the tab, with no means of pivot, the rod will push / pull on the weld / tab as the suspension travels.
This is not going to work for long. You need some give in the design to accommodate the axle not following the traction bar's arc as the suspension cycles. The accommodation, if not designed in, will happen when shit breaks.

Also...
I haven't seen the Mustang calipers, much less mocked them up next to an XJ knuckle, but it seems to me that the best you can really accomplish with the newer style knuckle is to build a bracket that will tie into 2 of the hub bolts and the two 8mm caliper bolts just for the hell of it. This may be just fine. With a steel bracket... probably is. I think the older style knuckles, with two additional 12mm mounting points, are a better starting place. With 4 12mm threads, you don't have have to wonder. Look at Vanco's big brake kit and trust, just for a moment, that they had their reasons for starting with the older knuckle as a platform to build from.

 

[urban yan]

That traction bar project sounds like you’re building a giant pry bar/can opener for your differential cover.

 

[bpas328xii]

I'm not the first person to come up with this method of mounting an "anti-wrap bar" to an axle.

http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=products&productid=1157

 

[bpas328xii]

Getting closer to finishing my version of a "big brake kit". 14" rotor and two piston caliper.

 

[urban yan]

This is a very interesting set-up for a few reasons.

First that 2 piston caliper is way too small for that rotor. All you’ve done is waste a rotor with a large surface area just so you can brag about having a big brake set-up. You’re also going to get a large ring of rust where the pad won’t reach the rotor.

Secondly, you’ve also added more unnecessary mass to your wheels (rolling mass I believe).

Lastly, you've limited yourself to larger rims and out of the application requirements of most XJ owners. My 2 piston 300mm brake kit cleared my stock 16s (which was handy for winter tires). Yours will not.

 

[kastein]

I didn't notice what yan did, but I'm quite concerned about the washer stacking on the bolts for the adapter plate. You'll have no problems with them sliding against each other (they all have the same pressure face to face) but the extra leverage doesn't give me any warm fuzzy feelings, don't be surprised if the bolts bend and the caliper cants sideways when braking.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

Getting closer to finishing my version of a "big brake kit". 14" rotor and two piston caliper.

your version? I thought this was your dad's project.

 

[bpas328xii]

This is a very interesting set-up for a few reasons.

First that 2 piston caliper is way too small for that rotor. All you’ve done is waste a rotor with a large surface area just so you can brag about having a big brake set-up. You’re also going to get a large ring of rust where the pad won’t reach the rotor.

Secondly, you’ve also added more unnecessary mass to your wheels (rolling mass I believe).

Lastly, you've limited yourself to larger rims and out of the application requirements of most XJ owners. My 2 piston 300mm brake kit cleared my stock 16s (which was handy for winter tires). Yours will not.

This upgrade is not meant to clear smaller rims. Racejeep has 18" rims. I'm not going to limit the upgrade because other people run smaller rims. We are not making this to sell. This is for my own personal use on racejeep ONLY.

I didn't notice what yan did, but I'm quite concerned about the washer stacking on the bolts for the adapter plate. You'll have no problems with them sliding against each other (they all have the same pressure face to face) but the extra leverage doesn't give me any warm fuzzy feelings, don't be surprised if the bolts bend and the caliper cants sideways when braking.

I'd be more concerned about the plastic lmao. Gotta love PROTOTYPES. The adapter will be made out of 1/2" steel and the spacers will be machined out of steel.

your version? I thought this was your dad's project.

My project, my dad's project, same thing. He likes to post threads with a lot of info. I like to update my #becauseracejeep build thread.

oh snap. I didn't even know about that thread.
Double-posting is fun for the whole family I guess.

You say he's double posting, I say he's elaborating. To-may-toe. To-mah-toe.

 

[urban yan]

This upgrade is not meant to clear smaller rims. Racejeep has 18" rims. I'm not going to limit the upgrade because other people run smaller rims. We are not making this to sell. This is for my own personal use on racejeep ONLY.

So this is yet another one of those "show off" threads? What's the point of a thread if there's nothing worth learning from it.... unless it counts as a cautionary tale.

You say he's double posting, I say he's elaborating. To-may-toe. To-mah-toe.

No, it's double posting. Most especially since your father got banned from this section and he doesn't know how to keep quiet.

 

[bpas328xii]

The point of this thread is to document my build of racejeep that I am building specifically for autocrossing.