Adrenolin

Ok so we know what they do for adding traction and better strip times. However is there any increased safety reasons to have them on a street car? I know a guy years ago in high school who killed a lady and daughter on the sidewalk. He hit the gas at a light, the car broke away and shot up onto the sidewalk. Would having traction bars installed help reduce this type of thing? I've been told it could help reduce the chance but depends on the situation.


Any comments?

lunarweasel

For that specific situation, I think being very careful about your surroundings before you really hit it will help a lot. Interesting question though.

Adrenolin

Yeah that was a general example.

Are there any safety pros for adding traction bars to a street car with street tires?

Might as well ask if there are any cons as well.

JamesW

If you don't hotrod the car on the street to the point of concern of breaking the tires loose, then there's no need for traction control.

.boB

I put shelby style traction bars on a mild '66 coupe. I was surpised at how much better the car felt. I couldn't see any disadvantage to them.

Carlos Pineiro

The way I understand traction bars, there's enough torque from the rear axel to momentarily flex the leaf spring on your drive wheel, causing wheel hop and lack of traction. Traction bars stiffen the spring enough to keep the wheel on the ground.

I have traction bars. Traction bars don't make you drive up on the sidewalk, only liquor bars will.

CP

Carlos Pineiro

Before I installed TBs, I used to get wheel hop, especially on left turns going uphill. Not hotrodding. To be fair, 69s are front heavy and I don't have a spare in the trunk, but there was a little hop even when it was an all stock car before I installed TBs.

CP

WildMustang351

Yeah, pretty much what he said,Traction bars decrease the effects of spring flex while under hard acceleration.
They will effect the car at certain times,Cornering,straight line.but always under acceleration because that is the only time there is enough force being applied to make the spring flex enough to stiffen the leaf spring.
Traction bars are most often used when you want a "softer" ride versus installing stiffer springs for better traction.

As far as safety goes I don't think they effect it either way,About the same as having stiff leaf springs versus soft leaf springs.

The only safety issue I could see is that you are adding something ford never intended your particular to have.?

I have them and have used them on a few other cars in the past,They work great and help you control your car better under hard acceleration.

In the situation you described above I think traction bars may have helped to avoid the accident,But then again not accelerating hard when people are nearby would have too,It's hard to say.

andrewmp6

I have always used the on anything i owned that had leaf springs.The hilly curvy country roads i have to drive they did help i could feel the car or truck grip better.No matter how much safety stuff a car has driving like a idiot nothing will stop that.