Hey guys been debating on what to use to make traction bars. I have been looking at tony burkhard set that he sells and love them. I also have a john deere cotton picker just sitting around the barn that is no good been parted out but the stabilizer bars are still good. The question I have is are square bars stronger or are the round bars stonger? Burkhards bars are round tubing and the bars on the cottonpicker are square tubing but they are a good 4in x 4in x 7ft+ and are pertty stout. The cottonpicker bars have semental value to them though. I got caught in that exact cottonpicker when I was seven and luckly still have my right leg to this day. Just trying to figure out which route to go and what suggestions ya'll might have.

Thanks

4x4 square tubing would work, but it might be a little tricky mounting them on your truck. Don't use the bars unless your willing to part with them. Just my opinion.

4" would be crazy strong I would think. I seen a few sets usually around 2" IIRC. It would be cool to put a beating on those ones from your picker for payback!

4" would be crazy strong I would think. I seen a few sets usually around 2" IIRC. It would be cool to put a beating on those ones from your picker for payback!


Well from the size of them I highly doubt I could put a good beating on them they are pretty stout. My dad and I were looking at them a year ago and though hey that would be cool to make traction bars out of and it would have the value of the memory I had that day. Thats why I say they have semintal value to them. I just though it would be cool to have something on the truck from that gory memory not in a bad way though.

4" seems like it would be pretty damn big. 2" seems like the biggest size one would want to go. Round or square in 2" or bigger will take quite a beating and be good. WHat wall thickness? 3/16" to 1/4" will be plenty and not over kill, but still strong enough.

4" seems like it would be pretty damn big. 2" seems like the biggest size one would want to go. Round or square in 2" or bigger will take quite a beating and be good. WHat wall thickness? 3/16" to 1/4" will be plenty and not over kill, but still strong enough.


Haven't looked at it lately but I believe it's 1/4in or may even be thicker. The nice thing about it is it will tuck up nice and neat under the truck. I have been looking closely at some of the top pullers trucks and noticed that they are using rear leaf spring hangers to hang them up front and then welding two brackets to the u-bolt brace under the rear axle. Think I got it figured out just gotta get the parts and do it lol:D.

I used 2 1/2'' sch 40 tubing for mine... used tractor links on each end and bolted them to the bottom of the u bolts and driiled 3 holes in the frame up front!!! They are like 91'' long and look pretty beefy

I used 2 1/2'' sch 40 tubing for mine... used tractor links on each end and bolted them to the bottom of the u bolts and driiled 3 holes in the frame up front!!! They are like 91'' long and look pretty beefy


If you don't mind me asking what end links did you use. I thought about going with some off a smaller john deere tractor but don't want to go to big to the point it's overkill ya know.

just stop by your local tractor supply and they should have a couple diff sizes.....i think the threaded part of the link is 3/4''. Then i used bell reducers to step from the tubing to the links. Its very clean and neat and the transition was very smooth whe you tig the reducers and buff em off. I had to buy the tubing in bulk so i can make another set if someone would like. You can use smaller tubing but that 2 1/2 od just looks sexy stretching half the lenghth of the truck!!!!

Dang if 2 1/2 in looks that good I can't wait to see how the 4in is going to turn out. I'm going to have to cut them off the ole JD two row picker first and clean'em up and then probably mock them up and then have them powder coated black. I'll have to post pics of the bars, the picker and then them on the truck. I was in TSC the other day and noticed they have some pretty stout hitches for pulling they had a 3 or 4in eye rated at 21tons and the matching hitch was rated at 10 or 15,000 lbs was 120.00 not to bad a price but I just looked at it and said its not pulling season yet lol and walked out.

Yea 2 1/2 looks good but its also boderline to big...2.875 was a little much and reducing that down would not be as clean i didnt think. I dont know how you would go about reducing a 4'' square tube down....I guess it could be done.

square is stronge in the case of traction bars, because u have 2 ends on jack, now i have 2 inch thick wall tubing, with rod end addaptors and 7/8 rod ends on the front side of the bars (and in the rear in the photos)

i changed up the design alittle i now have a bushing on the back side, and changed up the bracket that holds it,

the whole set up cost me right around 200 plus my own lador,

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96989&stc=1&d=1263595314

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96990&stc=1&d=1263595314

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96991&stc=1&d=1263595314

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96994&stc=1&d=1263595314

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96992&stc=1&d=1263595314

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=96993&stc=1&d=1263595314

Mine are pretty much the same as Mr. YFZ450 but they are made out 2"x3" rectangular tube and are I think 3/16" thick. I have an ext cab long box and since the front pivot point is in line with my front u joint on the drive shaft, my bars are just shy of 8ft long. Even with roughly 1200 pounds out front, they don't even flinch and never will. The rectangular tubing was about 75 bucks and I went to a tractor supply around here and bought a 3pt piece (threaded tube with heim joints at each end) for about 35 bucks and cut it in half and welded one on the end of each bar for adjustability and they work great!

Thanks for the pics mr yfz450 they look good. I got an update on the tubing I made a trip to go check the size of the tubing on the picker and I was a little off lol. The size is actually 2in x 2in x 7ft+ and it's 440 steel tubing that is 1/4 in thick or maybe even thicker. I had the frame tubing and stab bars mixed up the frame was the 4 x 4 square tubing nad the stab bars were the smaller. But its still square like the frame tubing.

Thanks guys anytime

please do not use 4in square tubing. that would look horrible and offer no more strength than 2in MAYBE 2 1/2 in round or square tubing that is 1/4 in thick. it's way overkill. No one uses bars that big for a reason cuz you dont need to

please do not use 4in square tubing. that would look horrible and offer no more strength than 2in MAYBE 2 1/2 in round or square tubing that is 1/4 in thick. it's way overkill. No one uses bars that big for a reason cuz you dont need to


I'm not going to use 4in lol. I posted and update as to what size it was. I guess my memory didn't serve me right cause I was way off on the size. I got the correct measuements now though so I'm good to go lol;):D.

here are min my buddy makes

here are min my buddy makes


Looks good buddy thanks for the pic

ok i was gonna say that would look a little odd...:D no doubt they would be strong but would definately look bad.

i got picks of the bars and front mounts I built for my truck in the garage...

The ones on my pulling truck are 2"x2" 3/16" wall and just have bolts running straight through to mount them. Never any trouble out of them. You can kind of see them in my avatar pic and also in my garage.

Great joints, bushings, brackets, and tube adaptors at the link below everything you need and decent prices as well I just made a nice set for my tow rig.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Ballistic-Joints_c_12.html


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Bad-Dodge/7806387026?v=photos&ref=search#!/album.php?aid=149803&id=7806387026

BBD

started a new set today for my brother it goes aginst ever thing ever said about traction bars but thay will look awsome when done!!!!

ive been at them "well oneof them" for a few hours now and not even 50% done with one i still need alot of welding to do and i still have to get tubing abaptors, and pipe and a bushing for the other

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98088&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98089&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98090&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98091&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98092&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98093&stc=1&d=1265489157

started a new set today for my brother it goes aginst ever thing ever said about traction bars but thay will look awsome when done!!!!

ive been at them "well oneof them" for a few hours now and not even 50% done with one i still need alot of welding to do and i still have to get tubing abaptors, and pipe and a bushing for the other

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98088&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98089&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98090&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98091&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98092&stc=1&d=1265489157
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=98093&stc=1&d=1265489157


Looks good but dang thats alot of welding lol I'll be happy to see the end result:D;). First thime I v'e ever seen chain used as a traction bar.

Will look cool if nothing else. If they dont hold up just slap the chain on top of a tube or something. Would still look cool

I build sets out of 2'' x .250 wall with 1 1/4'' heims at each end. If interested in a set just PM me. I am in the St. Louis area

Looks good but dang thats alot of welding lol I'll be happy to see the end result:D;). First thime I v'e ever seen chain used as a traction bar.


Do you really think that will hold??

who knows i guess we wil just have to see now wont we lol

i seen it done on a mud truck and they worked

there mostly for looks my brother dont do much with his truck