I have an idea for making Caltracs look like Lakewood Traction Bars

I know this sounds ridiculous, and maybe it is...but I've always loved how Lakewood Traction/Slapper Bars look on a muscle car...and a Maverick/Comet...

I have said in my project thread that I intended on putting Caltracs on my Maverick Resto-Mod eventually...but I have always personally, thought Traction Bars look better...

Now I realize that some people prefer the look of the round bars, on the Caltracs better...and that's great....to each his own...

* Now since the whole traction bar thing for me is just cosmetic anyway (I don't plan on drag racing my Maverick) I MAY end up just putting a Universal Lakewood Traction Bar setup on, and be done with it....but...

...If I decide to have the better functionality of Caltracs, I have an idea of how one could give them the "cosmetic appearance" of Lakewood Traction Bars, but with actual Caltracs underneath, doing the work....

...Here is what I'm thinking:

1. Install a set of the 2 hole drag type Caltracs, and install front bar in lower hole, to keep bar level under no load.

2. Buy a new set of Chromed Universal Lakewood Traction Bars, and simply cut them apart and use just the square stock, drill some holes along the bottom side of the square stock, for welding to the round Caltracs Bar later, and slide Lakewood square stock over the Caltracs bar, keeping the square stock of the Lakewood pushed as much skyward as possible, when it's welded around the round Caltracs bar.

3. For the rear end of the Caltracs setup, use the Square Chrome Plate from the Lakewood setup, and weld that to cover the hind end of the Caltracs setup, to appear like the Lakewood traction bars from behind.

4. For the Front end of the Lakewood Traction Bar square stock, it will be trickier...first you could hollow out/remove a foot long portion, or more, of the top of the square stock on the Lakewood bar, so the Front Triangle Brace of the Caltracs setup, will be able to recess down into this hollowed out section, and still be functional. I realize the Caltracs front Triangle Bracket, is too wide to slide into the Lakewood Traction Bar...so the front end of the Lakewood Traction Bar would have to be widened...and several inches of the front widened section of the square stock would have to be completely cut off, and welded back on later, so there is access to install the Caltracs.

- I'd leave the very front Angled section of the Lakewood bar intact, on the top portion, so that you can keep the rubber bumper there for looks, and weld the very front/top tip of the Lakewood square stock back on, after final installation, so that you have the cosmetic appearance of the Rubber Slapper Bar bumper. (*the Lakewood bar is for cosmetic purposes only)

- You would also have to have, the front portion of the Lakewood square stock bar, custom fabricated, having it flared out wider, in order to wrap around, and cover/hide, the front Caltrac triangle bracket, which is wider than the Lakewood square stock, and wider than the leaf springs for that matter.

- The end result may be that the modified Lakewood bar, sets 3 or 4 inches farther forward, in order to keep the stock Lakewood "rubber bumper" look.

*And the intended end result is to have the Lakewood square stock, NOT interfere with the movement, and functionality of the Caltracs at rest, and under load....basically just a piece of fancy chrome square stock, welded around the Caltracs bar, and pushed as far upward, for ground clearance, before welding. So I may have to consider other variables too, for this to work....but I know it is not uncommon for people to modify and custom fabricate traction bars.

I know this sounds like alot of trouble to go to...just to have a set of Caltracs look like the square stock of Traction Bars...but hey...I've seen other extremes taken, for the sake of customizing something to personal taste.

Like I said...I may just end up putting Lakewoods on my car....since the whole setup will really only be cosmetic anyway...

...but I thought I would share this crazy idea, in case anyone else wants to try it in the meantime...

Any thoughts or criticism is welcome....I know it's pretty much overkill for cosmetic purposes.

 

I too like the looks of the Lakewoods. These were chrome when I bought them some 20 years or so ago..


Notice the tube us not square. It's more like 1 x 2.

 

Thanks for the photo Gene...I've never owned a pair...so I might have to fabricate up a wider pair, for the Caltracs Bar to fit into.

:Handshake

 

Slapper bars are just classic, they take you back to some really good times! In high school I had a Chevelle so I never had them, heck, I didn't think you could get them for it. Turns out there was a set available but by that time I had ladder bars which did nothing more than bind up the rear end.

 

I owned a 71 Chevelle when I was like 20. I never saw traction bars available for it only the ladder bars.. Man do I miss that car.

 

I have always like the looks of traction bars. Just make a car look "mean".

Here is an NOS set I bought on eBay. Even though they were NEW....I sent them out and had the rechromed....triple plated. Placed the factory stickers on them and I had the look I wanted.

 

The original Pro Stocks got by with slapper bars. They work fine if adjusted properly. I'm using a current Lakewood direct fit (not universal) on my Pro Stock Tribute car. They come black now but mine will be powder coated Yellow for final assembly.





Love the look of a slapper bar poking out from in front of the tires.

SPark

 

The reason the Caltracs are round is because you have to rotate that bar to adjust pre-load on the rear springs for launching. If it was 1X2 square, it would be a hassle to turn, and then you wouldn't have equal appearance on both sides. It would likely interfere with clearance with other things if the rectangle was laid at an angle, or upside down at some point during the adjustment.

So...if you go square/rectangle, you will need to be prepared to lose all of your preload adjustment, unless you can figure something else out that would work.

Here is the front end of the Caltrac setup...

 

Traction bars were designed so the rubber snubber slapped up against the front of the leaf springs - your Chevelle was a coil spring car so the ladder bars were the alternative to traction bars - I loved the girder look of the ladder bars - a friend of mine had a set of MNW ladder bars on his Olds Cutless

 

I like the undercover concept of what you are thinking - gives it that "old school" look back but why buy any set of actual Lakewood bars? If you went to a steel supplier, the material that you would need to create 2 of the bars would be dirt cheap. You would also ruin any chrome welding on them. You can also finish them off with a little Lakewood decal on the outside front of each bar.

 

I totally get what you're trying to do but in my opinion this would be a great way to ruin a perfectly good (and expensive) set of cal-tracs. Since you stated that you will not be drag racing the car why don't you just get the best set of traction bars you can get and be done with it? No sense in trying to re-engineer caltracs to look like slapper bars when in reality you would never be using the cal-tracs to their potential on the track anyway. No offense meant, just trying to help you not waste time and money. Wish more people would have done that for me over the years! LOL

 

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestion guys. I appreciate every single comment. I will most likely end up just installing a set of Lakewood's only...to save money, when I won't utilize the full potential of the Caltracs.

I love how the Lakewood's look, but also agree that the Caltracs have served many others well.

Maybe this is something that a picky Drag racer can attempt in the future, if they want the best of both worlds.

 

You could take the correct size rectangular tubing and cut it so it is essentially angle iron. Then you could weld a u-bolt to it that would fit around the caltrac bar and clamp it on. keep the hardware to the inside and from the outside they would look like the Lakewoods.

Craig, here is a picture of them, couldn't find a good one of them installed. A guy I went to school with had them on a 71 Monte.


Found a decent one.

 

Man I love the Chevelle! Can't believe I sold mine.. Proof that youngsters do dumb things

I agree with the decision cactus..

 

but what if it's just got a straight 6 in it?