What is a normal install time for Caltrac traction bars on a chevy 2500 HD.
Anything to be aware of on this install ? Can the install be completed without a lift ?

Duno......mine are still sitting in the box. Some take the springs completly off the vehicle to press in the bushings with a shop press I have heard, some use a hammer with it on the truck I believe. I'm going to try to just drop the front part of the spring and remove and install the bushing with one of those Ujoint tools. OTC makes em, bout 300$, looks like a big bad assed C clamp. I might try this weekend. Leme know how it turns out if you try.

Phillip,
I received my Caltracs today, but I plan to have my son install the bars as he works for a Chevy dealership. I don't know If I could complete the bushing install. You may yours installed before mine.

Greg McCall

Caltracs still in box, but someday they will be on the truck.....

at least I aint the only one.....maybe this weekend:rolleyes:

Well....... I started the Caltronic install today. In my garage with no lift.
First off make sure someone does not torque your lug nuts too tight at the tire shop. I had to stand on the lugs wrench and bounce to remove the wheel. I have an impact wrench but it is old and would not bust the lugs loose.
Make sure you have a 1/2" 21mm deep socket and 4 jack stands and a good floor jack. You will need something to keep the axle straight. I only had two jack stands so I used wratchet straps fasten to the frame and axle. One must make do.

Problems so far have been that we had to nearly remove the factory trailer hitch to remove the bolts from the springs at the rear so the springs would come out.
Next big problem was the bolt on the drivers side spring at the front would not come out because it was hitting the fuel tank. At first it appeared the only option was to remove the fuel tank, but we ended up prying the fuel tank over with a tire tool. We twisted that spring every way possible. BTW... each spring is damn heavy.

Okay ..... all is out at the moment. Truck is on the jack stands.
I took the springs up to a local auto shop that told me they might be able to press the bushings out per instructions. They were not able to do so. It appears the whole bushing and even the thin outside metal sleeve that fits between the rubber bushing and spring frame must be removed. Tomorrow I will cut the rubber bushing out of the springs and the thin metal sleeve if necessary. Or maybe not. (May let my son do it at the Chevy dealership he works at). This install ain't going the way I planned.
:lol:

Drill out the rubber bushings and then hit them with an air chisel. It will knock them right out.

I did my caltracs this weekend. I bought em from trippin and they have been sitting for a few months. Shoulda put them on a loooong time ago. Sorry for no pics but I don’t have a digi cam. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

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I borrowed a U joint tool from a buddy of mine. It’s a big angry C clamp press thingy with different attachments and I figured it would make things real easy. It did but not as easy as I though. I also had a bud on hand to help. <o:p></o:p>

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I started by jacking up the truck and supporting the truck on its frame with jackstands and yanking the rear tires. I left the jack under the pumpkin to help raise and lower the rear. I yanked the bolts for the front eyelets. Pass side was easy, driver side required the plastic gas tank shield to be removed and part of the little square nipple to be cut off the end of the bolt. I started lowering the rear and it did take some finessing with a dead blow to get the springs to drop free from the perches. Also found I had to disconnect the pass side shock to get that side to swing down and the driver side bracket that holds the brake line and parking brake cable needed to be pulled off the frame to keep from pulling on those. Once down I tried to press out the center metal bushing outa the rubber with the u joint tool, got it 1/2 way out and that was it. So my pal grabs the air chisel to see if it will get it to spit out, I’m thinking no but he wants to get violent so I agree. 2 seconds into the deal the chisel stops and he utters an explitive. Its stuck. Wont come in wont come out. He mentions the torch and I remind him that he is 6 inches aways from a PLASTIC fuel tank and 6 inches away from my fuel filters on the other side. So I get the bright idea to grab the plasma cutter and zap off the hunk of chisel. I do and put the cutter down and watch in amazement as the bushing spits itself out???? So I guess get it 1/2 out and apply some heat and it will spit itself out. Still duno how that happened.:confused: :wtf: :think: Air chisel took care of the rubber/portion with the metal ring with ease. I anti seized the heck outa it and started the aluminum bushing with a hammer and a block of wood. Once I got it started I used the U joint too to squish it into place with ease. Instaled the front bracket for the bar and smeared everything with anti seize. An extra set of hands made it much easier to get the spring lined up and installed. Moved to the other side. Grabbed a map gas bottle and heated the heck outa the center metal bushing. Removed the heat, blew out the now engulfed rubber bushing and ate a sandwich. It kinda looked like those fireworks called “snakes” I had when I was little, this black rubber stuff kept oozing out. Put an air chisel on the center bushing, pulled the trigger and shot the bushing out under the truck and across the shop. Zapped out the rest of the bushing with an air chisel and installed the bracket and aluminum bushing the same as before. Took the bottom spring perch off one side at a time and put the bracket for the caltrac on in its place. Used anti seize again. Installed the bars and left the adjust ment very lose and it still ended up almost contacting the spring with the weight on the rear. I jumped in the bed a few times and set my bars a tenth or so off the spring and went for a road trip.<o:p></o:p>

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Tried jumping on it a bit from a roll, hmmmmm that felt weird, ass is skating a bit but its still baby smooth. Aint used to that, even when I didn’t really have bad wheel hop I always had a bit of shake. Arighty then……time for some fun. 2wd, 10psi spooled off the brake as I’m mashing the throttle. No shake, no hop, no nothing. Other than the ass end skating all over the place and the white smoke mingling with the black I couldn’t really feel that I was nuking my tires. I knew I had a wheel hop problem but you don’t relize how bad you have it till you put a set of bars on it! <o:p></o:p>

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Trippintracs ROCK!!!! :ro) :hail: <o:p></o:p>

:mad: Censored Philip! Now wheres my Credit Card!?):h

I started again Sunday morning in removing the factory rubber bushing at the front of the springs. I drilled the rubber bushing out and used a hammer on the thin steel sleeve that lies next to the actual spring. This method was actually very easy. Moss022 mentioned the air hammer procedure previously, that I now see BMDX used also.
I forced the Caltronic metal bushing in the Spring by starting with WD 40, a rubber mallet and then finished by placing a piece of wood on the Caltronic bushing and hitting it with a small sledge hammer.

Its all on now. I haven't tried any real burnouts yet.
Hope my results are like ratlovers.

I can send pictures of the install, if someone is interested.

Greg McCall

can anybody post pics on this process t.i.a.:)

I didnt get any pics:(

Its pretty easy though, if you have any particular Q's leme know. A friend does help. An air cutoff wheel and an air chisel will make life much easier too.

can anybody post pics on this process t.i.a.:)
Metalhead,

My computer just went down (own someone elses here), :o: so now I can't get to my pictures. I will get you some pictures someday, though I will need your e-mail address.

Pictures would have helped take the guess work out.

Greg

My computer is up again.
I can e-mail pictures of my Caltronic traction bar install, but their too large for this site.
give me an E-mail address here, or by private message if you like.