Ok, i've been bouncing around alot of forums lately and JD Trac bars are always coming up. I desperately need a set myself but as we all know JD moved from Oregon to Tennessee and in between that they discontinued the trac bars that fit our truck.
I recently discovered this was because the design was expensive and they weren't making much money from them.

What are JD Trac Bars?
the JD trac bars are exactly that...they are traction enhancing devices.

they mount in 2 places:
1.) on top of the axle ( above springs )
2.) to the outside frame rail

they work by stiffening the entire rear axle assembly. every time you accelerate your rear axle assembly has force transferred to it and tries to either pitch forward or backward...traction bars help reduce this significantly by stiffening the entire axle. this is accomplished through bracing. The trac bar acts as a brace for the rear axle and transfers the force felt up to the frame rail at the other end of the trac bar, where the force is dissipated.

one great advantage to JD trac bars is the fact that are mounted on top of the axle tubes versus being mounted below which will cause you to lose effective ground clearance.

A comparable set of traction bars for an S-10 will easily run you 250...




What i'm trying to do is get a group buy feeler thread started so i can present it to the great people over at JD and get them to do a limited run on the trac bars. If you hung out at G-E or over at R-F you know about these group buys due to the WAAG Sportster bar group buy.

So, if you are TRULY interested in a set of bars for your truck please post your intent here. I need as many SERIOUS buyers as possible to make this happen.

I will also be posting this thread on several other forums, so if you post here there is no need to post on other forums.

If I remember correctly the part number is :
#5304 for all NON FX4 & Level II's
#5305 is for the 31 spline axle ( Large Housing )

the pricing on the site is $89.00 USD. due to them losing money though, i would possibly anticipate a price of roughly $100 though, just to be safe.

If you have any questions about this please PM me. Don't clutter the thread up. This thread is just for those who wish to take advantage of a group buy if i can make it happen!


Thanks
Rob


Here's the list of those who are committed/interested :
Sad_Savant - 5304
FX4Wannabe01 - 5304
lifted97ranger - 5304
white05xlt - 5304
gatorblue - 5304
ranger - 5304
SCMuddin - 5305
4LitreRR - 5304
veNom_bz - 5304
rubydist - 5304
Fechner - 5304
450rwhp - 5304
yyc_tbird_sc - 5304
Dave and Julie - 5305
Stevo - 5304
icb12 - 5304
d889 - 5304
ViperSpec - 5304
livinfastforward - 5304
soccerjohn - 5304
VTFX4 - 5305
Gay-Briel - 5305
fuze - 5305
D94R - 5305
stockranger - 5304
redranger04G - 5304
93'XLT - 5304
Redranger4.0 - 5305
RedRange 89 - 5304

*some member names were extracted from another forum*

Sad_Savant,

Thanks for puttin this together for everyone here. I'd looked into purchasing these a while back, but they were already discontinued.

Anyway, would we be paying JD directly? They give you any idea of a time frame or anything? Would there be a choice in colors? Black would be good...

Well, thanks again. Good Luck,

Jimmy

it's no problem at all...i've seen things like this happen before in other vehicle communities, so i thought it would be nice to make it happen in the Ranger community! Besides, what company is gonna turn down selling over 1,000 dollars in merchandise all at once!

I WILL NOT TAKE RECEIPT OF ANY MONEY FOR THESE ORDERS! I don't want that kind of responsibility. I'm gonna talk to Tom at JD this coming week and see if he would set up something that will make it easy to process so many payments at once.

I have no real timeframe as of yet. But like i said, I'm gonna be ringing his phone off of the hook about this all this week until they can give me something solid.

keep the questions coming and keep checking back on the thread!

As far as the color goes, i'm almost positive they only come in black.

I'd buy it.

If it fits a 96 2WD, I WILL buy.

classic style traction bars right.. i'd buy!

I'm interested too.

if they don't go for it can someone give the specs for the system (pics, rod length and thickness) if they don't want to sell me one perhaps i will have one made.

Just called James Duff out of sheer curiosity. Said they're all out already, and they're already discontinued. But hey, if you can get them to make a few more for all us guys.

I'm in!

Rob, maybe you could get some guys interested over at generation edge.

good to see that we have so many interested...

i never signed up over at G-E myself...too many bad things that i've heard kept me from it...

i'm giving JD a call tomorrow to try and convince them to make them one last time for us...


good news though, if they don't i'm pretty sure that Wayne from UnderDog Performance is talking about making some for us that are comparable in quality and price as well to the JD bars...

so i meant to say blue oval.. but yeah people are always asking about em. and if underdog can make a similar (if not better)product at a comparable price, then by all means, he should.

:nxsmile: classic style traction bars right.. i'd buy!
not classics
http://www.jamesduff.com/broncoII/tracbar.html

classics
http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product2_10001_10002_744083_-1

although i love them long links that they offer/don't offer. i want a set of them baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

:nxsmile:
not classics
http://www.jamesduff.com/broncoII/tracbar.html
although i love them long links that they offer/don't offer. i want a set of them baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.

classic is referring to small housing 7.5 and 8.8 28 spline axles. not "old school/classic" lakewoods.

I love my JDs. thought about selling them, but still not sure yet.

james duff calls them "classic traction bars". sorry i typed style by mistake. but i know the difference between slappers and james duff's classic/short traction bars.

The ones that are out are not hard to make fit. Took me like 2 mins to cut it so it would fit.

The ones that are out are not hard to make fit. Took me like 2 mins to cut it so it would fit.

which ones? you mean the ones they stopped making?

I wonder if he ever got a hold of James Duff... when I called they didn't sound like there was a remote possibility of getting one.. but maybe he can convince them!

I wonder if he ever got a hold of James Duff... when I called they didn't sound like there was a remote possibility of getting one.. but maybe he can convince them!


i've been super busy the last 2 days...i'm off of work tomorrow and i intend to call them and try to convince them to sit down and listen to what i'm proposing...

if not, wayne from underdog said that he may be up for it....

I'm just getting into the Ranger stuff, but with what I have planned...I'd be in for a set for the 8.8 28 spline axle.

So wth dont they fit a 28Spl 8.8?

WOOOHOOOO!!!!

I talked to Tom from JD just a few minutes ago and he said that with the amount of people we've got interested so far that another production run shouldn't be a problem...

He's gonna sit down with the team at JD and see how soon they can make this happen!!!!

I'll keep you guys updated as i get info!

and remember, the more people we get committed to this the easier it's gonna be to get these bars back in production!

So wth dont they fit a 28Spl 8.8?


yeah...that's exactly what they are made to fit...

yeah...that's exactly what they are made to fit...


I stand corrected...LoL...i skipped that part that says Non 31 splines up there in the 1st post......Yeah, Id be interested for 100 bux or so....

EDIT: just thot about it...whould they go on a fliped axle? (Spring under?)

those mount on top of the spring brackets. http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/JamesDuffTractionBars_files/Image1.jpg

WOOOHOOOO!!!!

I talked to Tom from JD just a few minutes ago and he said that with the amount of people we've got interested so far that another production run shouldn't be a problem...

He's gonna sit down with the team at JD and see how soon they can make this happen!!!!

I'll keep you guys updated as i get info!

and remember, the more people we get committed to this the easier it's gonna be to get these bars back in production!

Awesome! :) It's kinda funny that it seems like no one paid much attention to the Traction Bars until they were gone...

james duff calls them "classic traction bars". sorry i typed style by mistake. but i know the difference between slappers and james duff's classic/short traction bars.

my bad. sorry bout that bro. i was checkin out the site. im digging the long links. anyone if they will fit with flipped axle?

those mount on top of the spring brackets. http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/JamesDuffTractionBars_files/Image1.jpg


Right I kinda saw that on the website, but i wasnt sure if there was another way to mount them.

topic updated...see 1st post for info

kev,

while looking at the bar mount it would seem to me that you could cut off the legs and reshape the u-shaped contour to fit snugly on your axle housing and weld it or figure some other way to bolt it up. or you could just go with slappers cuz they work on flipped axles.

kev,

while looking at the bar mount it would seem to me that you could cut off the legs and reshape the u-shaped contour to fit snugly on your axle housing and weld it or figure some other way to bolt it up. or you could just go with slappers cuz they work on flipped axles.

Can someone post some good pics of the mounting pionts on both ends?

front mount: http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/JamesDuffTractionBars_files/IMG_3.jpg
and you have the rear already.

front mount: http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/Spring2003/JamesDuffTractionBars_files/IMG_3.jpg
and you have the rear already.


What is that that the mount bolt to? the frame?

it is bolted to bracket they supply with the kit. the bracket is bolted the perch on which the leaf spring is bolted to in the front. i don't remember where there is a better pic of the entire setup.

id buy one

any news rob?

yeah i tried calling yesterday and no one answered...then i realized it was sunday! lol

i'm gonnna be ringing their phone off of the hook all today after i get off of work...

i hope to have a solid answer with a date by the end of this week...

Should be interesting to see if they'll let us have them for the original $89

A question to those who have used these bars on lifted trucks: Will they work with a skyjacker 4" lift with new rear springs. I'm kinda wondering if the angles are going to be too much and if they will be long enough.

you should look into the long bar setup that mounts under the axle.

you should look into the long bar setup that mounts under the axle.


thanks! that's what i was getting ready to post up...

suspension lifted older models would be much better off with a long link trac bar, or even a lift bar..

*update*

spoke to Tom again. JD has a "production meeting" in 2 days. Tom assured me that with the information I've given him, that he is going to bring it up during the meeting and make sure that the company is aware of a possible standing order for well over 1,000 dollars.

I should be getting a call back from him by the end of the week!


if he hasn't called me by friday i'm gonna call him back..

friday:errrr: i can't wait that long.

friday:errrr: i can't wait that long.


i know how you feel man!!! i'm gonna keep bugging them!!!

Im in for a set for my 04 XLT 4x4.

:pray: good news?

Here's what they look like installed. I did them a couple years ago when you still had to modify the axle bracket to get it to sit correctly.

And for anyone that has heard bad things about Gen-Edge, come over and give it a try now. It was reorganized over a year ago and has a new owner. It's a good site. The link is in my sig. :)

hey zoom, thanks for posting those pics up man! much appreciated!!!


good deal on G-E! i never joined up over there myself, cuz they had already hit that downhill slope by the time i bought my ranger, but i heard alot of people talk about that place. I hope they get back up and running

I would be interested, as long as they werent TOO much more than $90-100.

so yes they fit the 7.5/8.8" 28spline?

rob,

have they decided if they will make them?

rob,

have they decided if they will make them?


i tried calling Saturday and Tom wasn't at work, and the guy i talked too didn't really know what i was talking about and was pretty new.

They are closed on Sundays and Monday was a holiday.

I'm calling today...i'm gonna try to tactfully hand them an ultimatum to see if that will push them a little bit. I know Wayne from Underdog would probably take the orders

Any news ? You should get a list going of the interested person's emails. So you can keep us updated with any money/shipping details.

oh. i didn't know monday was a holiday for you guys. well let us know how it is coming along. hope they didn't get our hopes up for nothing.

*Update*

Ok, I just got off of the phone with Tom from James Duff and I've got news and some bad news!

Good News first :

Everything but the bars are ready to go! Bars are currently being made! Products should be packed and ready to ship by the first part of next week. (don't reply saying that i told you they would be ready by the end of the week. They will be ready by then. But they won't be packaged and ready to ship by Monday or so.)

as far as what set to order, you still need to know what kind of bars are required for your truck. But to help, JD is going to try to send a set of brackets for each type of axle. So, if you know for sure what axle you have, make sure and tell them when you call in your order! this will help them keep the cost of production down later!

PRICING :
pricing will remain the same for this first run! Tom said that they may have to raise prices after this group buy!!!! So make sure you get your bars now!!! The reason they may have to raise prices is just due to the fact that so many people in the past didn't know what size rearend they have, and they would get the wrong brackets, then send them back to JD, who in turn had to send out new brackets. They lost alot of money shipping out these new brackets.

5304 - 28 spline axle
5305 - 31 spline axle (fx4's and explorer axle's)

I'm not sure about you guys with the 7.5 rear axle? Sorry


Bad News :
as i stated earlier, prices may go up after this first run is sold out! that's why it is very important that you do everything in your power to find out what bar is right for your truck before you call them and place an order! Don't be afraid to get on here and ask questions!


When to place your order:

You can call (1 865 938 6696 ) and place your order any time! They are taking orders now!

*Important*
Make sure and let them know that Rob Smith sent you on behalf of the Group Buy! That way they know what you're calling about, and so you get the guaranteed price of 89.00 for your set of bars!!!!!!


If you have any other questions PM me! if you want to talk more about, i'll shoot you my phone number!

ok.. has anyone else been able to get through to them? or have you guys spent today ordering them all?


isn't the plate on back of the leaf springs the same for the 7.5 and 8.8 28 spline axles?

i ordered mine tuesday, 113.50 shipped for both brackets.

here is a link to a good how to so people can see the instal, looks straight foward enough, i think the new ones require no mods.

http://www.generation-edge.info/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1642

does anyone know if they accept online orders? i still can't get through to them by phone...

has anyone received their bars yet? finally got my ordered a week or so back..

Not yet.. I'd expect them to be shipped sometime this week..

UPS man brought me a package today from James Duff! I hope to put them on in the next couple of weeks.

what part number should i order for mine, acuming these will work for me?

Has anyone installed their traction bars yet?.. I "attempted" to today, .. ran into a problem.. the mounting bracket is too big. I did ask for the smaller bracket while on the phone. Not sure what they sent.. I suppose I can just bore out the hole some more


EDIT: Nevermind... I dug deeper into the box, and they actually sent both brackets, even though I only asked for the smaller ones... but hey, they didn't even charge me for both of them.

Well, I got 1 Traction bar installed. It took longer than I thought it would... at least the drilling part. I would have finished the other side... but an exam tomorrow made me stop prematurely. One thing I ran into was not having a deep 18mm socket.. had to run to autozone for that. Anyways... hopefully driving with one traction bar won't make that much of a difference.. I only plan on doing short in-town driving, so I don't expect to have problems.

Installed the Jimmy D's today.
First I installed the bracket on the U-Bolt mount.
Had to put washers under the bracket to lift it over a bump on the mount.
Assembled the rest of the Bar and front bracket so I could scribe the holes in the right place.
Used a new 3/8" drill and kept squirting WD-40 on the hole as I drilled.
This helped a bunch.
I'd scribe, drill then mount one bolt and scribe the next hole.
Then remove the bracket and assembly to drill.
Did it one at a time till all three were done.
Lather rinse repeated on the other side.

Took it out for a test drive and goodness the Ranger accelerated without the wheel jump and the normal loss of traction and power.

These babies are worth every penny.

Yea. That's the way that seemed to go smoothly for me as well. I almost didn't get the holes matched up at first, but caught on and put a bolt through the first hole I made, and went on my merry way.

Im going to order mine tonight. I e-mailed JD last night to see if I could still order them and this is what I got back.
Yes
Product Number is 5306 - $99.95 p/s
They come with all you need for either big or small bearing housings.
Order on-line or by phone.


So..I cant wait to get mine..Im fed up of wheel hop in the rain..lol

Now I'm obsessing on how tight I made the adjustment.
With a floor jack holding up the truck high enough to remove the wheel I attached the bar and tightened the rear bolt on the adjustment of the bar/rod.
I tightened it till the lock washer went flat.
Then I tightened the forward bolt till the lock washer went flat.
I wonder if I should re-adjust the tension with weight on wheels
in a neutral position?
This might give the system some forgiveness in full deflection.
(sorry, I'm an Engineer)

Yea.. I wasn't sure about how tight to get those bolts either.. Just says "DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN" Hmmm.. I just got finished up with the other side... turns out the cordless drill I was using sucked big time. Borrowed a neighbors drill and had it done in no time! :)

glad to hear things are going good with this!

did you guys take off your truck beds to do the install or did you work inside the wheel well

no you don't need to take off your truck bed. that would be alot of extra work, you can make do with just removing the rear wheels.

Did any of you guys order them online? I made my order last night and have not received any conformation yet..
thanks

they don't answer emails... call em to confirm.

thanks...all seems good..I got my conformation today..

Hey, I e-mailed them asking how long they would be available and i was told they will be avaiable for atleast the rest of the year and they are now 99$ with both mounting brackets included..........

So far so good! Still loving it.
I wonder how long this design has been working?
My first thought was that the hole at the top of the u-bolt bracket would be worn oval due to the lever forces on it during acceleration.
You'd think it would have been doubled or built up with a boss or something.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v517/garcido/070404edge/DSCF0347.jpg

So far so good! Still loving it.
I wonder how long this design has been working?
My first thought was that the hole at the top of the u-bolt bracket would be worn oval due to the lever forces on it during acceleration.
You'd think it would have been doubled or built up with a boss or something.


what kind of improvement did you get with your launches?

:angry: i can't wait anymore!!!!!!!

what kind of improvement did you get with your launches?

:angry: i can't wait anymore!!!!!!!

Before; when I launched the rear end would raise and the wheels would hop and spin making it hard to maintain acceleration to freeway speeds.

After; when I launch the rear end seems to lower and every bit of power is transferred to the road.
I'm driving my wife crazy flooring it from every stop and on freeway on-ramps.

lol, nice... i just want to be able to dump the clutch at 3k rpm and not spin the crap out of the tires.

oh man, i wonder how they'll hold up with the supercharger... I havent ordered them yet. If Fechner gets his blower back on soon we'll find out!

these arent the end all be all traction bars. they help minimalize alot of wheel hop and spin, but the dont completely stop it.

would it work on my lowered truck? it's lowered 3 inches in the rear.

hi,

i'd go for a set if they are including two rear brackets for each bar. as stated earlier by another guy 'it seems with just one bracket the hole will elongate' or something to that effect. i agree. the rear of the bar needs to be supported between two brackets secured with a long bolt through the bar. just my opinion. this idea was posted in another forum several weeks ago with no response. just lookers.

as it right now on a hard launch the tires go up in smoke and difficult to keep a straight launch. especially if i brake torque. no wheel hop though. will they help?

you would have to fab them up some how if you have a axle flip in the rear.

and, ive had mine for almost 2 years, with no sign of the holes elongating, it any extra stress. there are a few people who have made their own brackets to double up on the plates, which is an added piece of mind.

Yep, I'm thinking for the price you can't beat Jimmy D's.
For the mod's I've made, they do the trick.:thumbsup:

To answer the low rider question;
On the FX4 the top of the bracket is about 4 or so inches from the bottom of the bed frame.
You may want to go long link and bar it from the bottom....

if hes got a flip kit in the rear, the ubolt are now facing the wrong way. so they wont mount up. I think Dan, 2000rangersvt, welded his ontop them somehow, cant remember, but theres a pic floating around.

oh man, i wonder how they'll hold up with the supercharger... I havent ordered them yet. If Fechner gets his blower back on soon we'll find out!

It'll be sometime soon.. the s/c is sitting at Doug's house waiting on me.. I just want to make sure my truck is 100% before I go throwing the blower back on.

I went with the traction bars as a cheap alternative to either an explorer axle swap or a torsen diff. I know it's not as great as having l/s.. But for the time being I hope it'll do fine.

lookin to buy me a set with my tax return:naughty: so what am i lookin for?

classis J.D. trac bars....do i need to tell them my axel spec.?

8.8" 28 spline.

does tightening the nuts more increase the resistance or what? i'm still getting a good deal of wheelspin if i dump the clutch at above 2500rpm.