traction bar install

[YIK YAKS 67 SS]

Installed a set of lakewood traction bars on my 67 today. The drivers side fit fine with room for adjustment of the snubber with the square u bolt. On the pass. side the snubber is tight againt the mono leaf spring, no room for adjustment. Both snubbers are in the front hole. These are the bars that replace the bottom spring pad which the shocks bolt to. Any ideas as to why or how to correct. Thanks in advance.

[Custom Jim]

I have a set on my 73 that replace the lower shock/leaf plate and on mine they have the U bolts to go around the axle tubes. By loosening the rear nuts and tightening the fronts I can slightly raise the snubber position. If I do the opposite (loosen the front nuts and tighten the rear nuts) I can slightly lower the snubber.
If something like this doesn't work then moroso used to sell aluminum angle wedges and were made out of aluminum. These are used to adjust the angle that the traction bars sat and would go on the rear axle assembly/leaf spring mounts. I think they were about 3 degree wedge ?.

Jim

[Bscman]

Originally Posted by YIK YAKS 67 SS

The drivers side fit fine with room for adjustment of the snubber with the square u bolt.

The "square u-bolt" you reference is a safety hoop. It's not really designed to adjust the gap between the bumper and the spring eye.
I wouldn't recommend using it to get the bumper closer to the spring unless it's only a very slight amount (less than 1/4"). Doing so could put an irregular pre-load on the spring and prematurely wear it out, or damage it (or so I'm told).

Originally Posted by Custom Jim

If something like this doesn't work then moroso used to sell aluminum angle wedges and were made out of aluminum. These are used to adjust the angle that the traction bars sat and would go on the rear axle assembly/leaf spring mounts. I think they were about 3 degree wedge ?.

Lakewood and Moroso both make these shims. They can be purchased in 1* "stackable" shims, or 2, 3, and 4* shims. The can be used to either bring the bumper closer to the spring, or give you more distance.
I had to use a 4* shim for each side with my multi-leafs to get them with 1/4" of the spring eye. I like mine as tight as possible.

Another method would be to trim the bumpers...just don't get too carried away.

[Colin]

I always had better luck with slapper bars when the snubber is adjusted to the point where is slightly pressed against the spring eye. Most cars that I see that have slappers have the snubber hanging down like 2+ inches.....that never did anything for me performance wise.

[Bscman]

Originally Posted by Colin

I always had better luck with slapper bars when the snubber is adjusted to the point where is slightly pressed against the spring eye. Most cars that I see that have slappers have the snubber hanging down like 2+ inches.....that never did anything for me performance wise.

+1
My first install w/o the 4* shims had the bumper about 2.5" below the spring eye. I took it for a spin around the block and couldn't really tell they were even there. Thought I would imagine it would make a larger difference with a mono-leaf over my multi's.