When I bought my Camaro it had a set of nice heavy duty traction bars but I removed them and now years later considering putting them back. The car is mostly street driving but I occasionally drag race and can't launch too well with my 5spd and street tires & 450hp. I have a 12bolt posi and P275 tires but just doesn't hook all that well with any decent RPM at launch. My reason for reconsidering is:
I was reading in Car Craft where they put traciton bars on a 450hp Galaxy and it took approx. 2 tenths off of the 60-ft. time. They the article went on to say that for every tenth you can take off of the 60ft. you gain 2 tenths off the total 1/4 mile elapsed time. The proved this when they installed some $65 traction bars on the Galaxy and ran it before and after. This sounds like the the cheapest 1/2 second reduction you can buy and now I'm thinking 'bout putting my set back on. My only concern though is if traction bars have any negative impact to regular driving and suspension travel. If so, then I'll leave them off but if not then why not keep them on there.

The bolt-on traction bars are pretty good, but are a compromise to simplicity in the fact that they use the front spring eye as their lift point and the rubber snubber really has too much deflection.
They won't limit suspension travel and the only noise you'll hear is a thud during gear changes at less than WOT.

Most bolt-on traction bars have anti-wheel-hop in mind as opposed to optimum torque transfer because the front spring eye is geometrically not the best location for a lift point.

You may reinstall the traction bars as they won't affect regular driving as long as you have a little clearance between the rubber snubbers and the leaf springs....They really do work in eliminating wheel hop!

I ran homemade slappers that slap right in the bottom middle of both spring eyes w/ 1/2" bolts for snubbers along w/ coil-over, shock overload helper springs for years!!

Took me like 4 hours one Sat afternoon to T&T both sides, but once done, my car would leave like a rabbit outta the chute at a Dog Track!!

Well worth the time and trouble, plus, since I-m chea--, er, eh, "frugal", the prices are right!!

Tires were old L-60/14's that measured a modern 298/53-14 so they were by no stretch 60 series!!

Big mutha's!!

Only thing is, the slapped bolts are NOISEY!! But boy do they work!!

M-20, 3.31 posi- car...

pdq67

I was asking myself the exact oppisite question. I was wondering weather I should remove my bars. My car hooks up fine but when I go over a bump something is bottoming out. I think/hope the the front snubbers are too close. I will post a pic after the weekend. If you try to push down on the rear spoiler it is tight as a drum. I am not sure of the brand but it has gas shocks.

68 RS-SS
I would try the bars. They are bolt on. You can always pop them back off.


Thanks. Brian

My car hooks up fine but when I go over a bump something is bottoming out. I think/hope the the front snubbers are too close.


Yes, the snubbers are too close and that is what you're hearing and feeling!....You need around 1/2" clearance, measured with driver and passenger in car....If you have more than 2 people in the car then you'll start hearing and feeling it again!:yes::thumbsup:

since the topic has been brought up...does anyone have any opinions on the competition engineering slide a link...would like to know the pros and cons of them before I install...thanks in advance

since we are on the subject of traction bars...does anyone have any experience or opinions on the competition engineering slide a link kit...I am looking for the pros and cons before I install....thanks in advance

Do a search here b/c they've been discussed at length.

pdq67

Grumpy Jenkins like them on his Pro Stock '69 Camaro doing 9.50 seconds.

I like a well-made leaf spring, the Hotchkis leafs have a heavy lowest leaf that is very thick and fairly long, - it acts like a traction bar but looks like a truck "overload" leaf.
David