Frank,
Tom Hall has recommended a loose fit. LAT, and the manufacturer
recommend a tight fit. I used thin sheet rubber between clamp and
spring to prevent slippage (lots of force fore and aft), and tightened
it per manufacturer's directions. Stiff ride.
Bottom line, no matter what you do, you are taking 1/2 your rear spring
movement out of the suspension, significantly increasing stiffness, and
load on rear half of leaf spring. The weld-on types are even worse, as
the length of the spring radius and long bar welded to frame (for a
while) are different. This causes large compressive loads on the
weld-on bar, which shortly bends it, or rips the weld off, or both.
Great for stiffness, bad for life expectancy, and not as good as Dan
Walters torque tube design (which is not a factory option). The
Traction Master company is still here in Los Angeles, and still making
new bars. They say clamp them.
Steve
itswonderful@comcast.net wrote:
>Does anyone out there have the original installation instructions for the bolt
>on traction masters? I've heard reputable people on both sides of the tighten
>the clamp bolts loosely/tightly argument and I'd like to see what traction
>master had to say. Of course more undocumented opinion would be interesting
>if nothing else.
>
>Frank
>B9471116
>
>
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Steve Laifman
Editor
http://www.TigersUnited.com
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