Oemy's Web Site - DIY Trac Bar

Here it is March 27, 2009 and I am just now adding information about my DIY Trac Bar. This is the project that stated it all. Rodger Woebbecke (AKA - Logthumper) posted his version of DIY Trac Bar on IRV2 and I said to myself, if he can do it so can I.

So, I made some carboard templates, got some 3/8" steel, cut the peices out with a cutting torch, drilled the the holes, welded the parts together, got the proper nuts/bolts, ordered the trac bar and put it all together.

It worked as designed. But, had I had it to do over again I would use a "Center Link" from a tractor 3 point hitch. You can get them at any Tractor Supply store. Another option is to buy some heavy duty heim joints and make your own bar.

But, I became a Brazel's dealer for UltraPower/UltraTrac and decided to install & test the UltraTrac trac bars.

Here is the parts list & photos of my DIY Version of the Trac Bar.

Heim joints, bar & jam nuts
Source - Motorsports of Kansas City - 913-334-0477
Contact - Brad Harrison

Parts

RH Poly Heim - 02088RH - $13.99
LH Poly Heim - 02088LH - $13.99
RH Jam Nut - 18260 - .99
LH Jam Nut - 18261 - .99
Bar - 421703C - $13.99

Misc

Nuts/Bolts/Washers - Local - $10.00
Red Loctite - Local Hardware - $ 3.00
Silicone - Local Auto parts - $ 2.00
Steel - A friends scrap pile - $ 0.00

Notes:

The bar can be ordered by the inch.
The one listed is 17" plus about 3" for the 2 Heim joints makes the "eye" to "eye" about 20".
The bar should be mounted level and the coach should not be on the jacks when adjusting the Trac Bar length.
Add a washer to either side of the Heim joint for support.

Nuts/Bolts/Washers - Grade 8 or Better
If you use 3/8" steel you will need to replace all the nuts and bolts you take off, as they will be to short.

WARNING - Be sure to check to see that you are replacing bolts with like kind. METRIC or SAE

SAE Bolts

Rear End bolts - (3) 1/2"x13 - 2 1/2" long
Frame Bolts - (4) 1/2"x13 - 2 1/2" long
Trac Bar Ends - (2) 1/2 x13 - 1 3/4" long
Nuts - (6) 1/2x13 Locking nuts. They can either be a crush nut or a plastic insert type.

Washers - (?) 1/2" You may need them to shim the Trac Bar ends depending on how accurate you are at lining up everything and where you locate the Trac Bar mounting hole. Be aware that the jam nut is wider than the Heim joint and needs to be tightened.

Misc

Red Loctite thread locker.
Silicone sealer for the 3 rear end bolts (just a dab).

Steel

You will need a piece of 3/8" mild steel to make the brackets.

Tools

Hand tools to remove and install various nuts and bolts.
Torque wrench to re-torque the rear end bolts.
Access to a cutting torch or a plasma cutter to cut the steel plate.
Bench grinder and hand grinder to clean steel and smooth things up.
Access to a drill press and 1/2" bit or larger. I used a smaller bit to drill a pilot hole.
Access to an arc welder

Note - A good Impach wrench makes taking the rear end bolts out a lot easier.

The patterns are setup for a passengers side rear end mount and a drivers side frame mount. I chose this setup because I didn't have to move any wiring, cables or hoses to move.