In rear-wheel-drive applications, traction is always a prime issue. After all, while that Magnum in your Dodge Dakota might put out some serious horses, it needs to hit the pavement, and hit it hard. The experts at DaimlerChrysler do an excellent job of OE design work, but if your application needs a little more grip, the use of traction devices to prevent rear spring wind-up is one of the easiest ways to go.
Competition Engineering, a division of Moroso Performance Products, has created a traction aid they call the Slide-A-Link. In the past, most traction bars were called "slapper bars" and for good reason; they were simply pieces of box tubing with a rubber snubber that slapped against the bottom face of the spring and stopped axle wind-up. However, they were unadjustable and only worked on the bottom of the spring.
The Slide-A-Link, on the other hand, uses a lighter tubular structure that has adjustment for preloading the bar's reaction. It ties to the leaf in a way that uses additional force from the top of the spring pack to cause the tire to plant harder. Due to the varying nature of racing surfaces, adding or reducing preload will result in greater consistency. Of course, you can use them on your street truck as well.
We had Terry DeLong install a Slide-A-Link traction-bar kit on a 2000 Dakota. The process took about a day and can be done mostly at home with just regular tools. No welding or permanent alterations are needed to the chassis, spring, or differential housing.
