Poll: Do traction bars help out Mopar leaf springs or not
Back in hi-school, 1970, I bought a slightly used 1970 Swinger 340/4-speed/3.55s .
We had, nearby, a brand new roadway over a dam, with a beautiful launchpad, lol, long enough that this Dart would lay two beautiful stripes on, for two full gears, using those E70-14 PolyGlass donuts. I knew right then, that this 340 didn't need more power. But it very badly needed it's traction problem sorted out.
So the first thing on was G60-15s, second was 4.10s, third was slapper bars.
For the next two years, while all the boys were hopping up their cars; from zero to 85mph across that dam, my car was the one to beat. Totally stock, except for as mentioned. Then I graduated, and never saw those DAs again..
I rarely raced over 85 mph, cuz when that Dart got into 4th gear (with the 3.55s) it sorta just stopped pulling, and me being 17/18 and still in hi-school, I didn't have a clue what to do. And if I had known, there was no money for hop-up parts. In the Qtr, on those factory tires, she only went 98@ 14.4;
but to 85mph, she regularly beat faster cars.
Everybody always asked why I had those Chevy bars on my Dodge. Do they work?
I said nah, I'm just too lazy to take them off.
I had a Chevy buddy with a 69 Chevelle SS with a 427 auto. He was after me all the time to race the Qtr.
I said nope, 85 is all I'll go, and when you see my brake lights, you'll know we're there. His car had horrendous wheelhop, and I knew he'd be feathering the throttle all thru first, so it was a no-brainer. But I'll tell ya, at 85 he was closing in fast!
Slapper bars for the win.
We all had fast cars. Mine was actually slower than a lot of them, except it jumped off the line like a champion.
Slapper bars for the winning take-off.
One buddy, in grade 12 now, in 72; had a 72 Demon/auto, that he said Qtrd at 115. That engine screamed. It was not stock, lol.
Zero to 85, I never lost to him. While he was busy spinning, I was long gone. But again, by 85, he was on my bumper.
Slapper bars for the win.
So IDK
Do slapper bars work?...................... Nah, I was just too lazy to take them off.
In 1999, I finished building a 68 Barracuda for the express purpose of melting tires. No slapper bars, no snubber, stiff enough suspension to handle modest jumps, lol. It went 93 in the Eighth, spinning, they say, all the way. She's a fine drifter.