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Budbuilt Traction Bar Installed

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by 043RZ, Jul 16, 2016.

  1. Jul 16, 2016 at 8:57 AM
    #1
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Matt
    Spring Grove, PA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Tacoma SR5
    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    Hello all!! Its been awhile since i last posted and was going to put this thread in ( https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/budbuilt-traction-bar-questions-and-opinions.425130/ ) as an update, but what the hell. So i finally installed my traction bar. I went with the weld on version for reliability, durability and opinions from others who used the bolt on version. Plus it was $100.00 cheaper. I found someone to do some minor welding to both the axle bracket and cross member. I was told that no modifications to the cross member would be necessary, but looking at it and thinking about worse case scenario (that's the kind of person i am) a had him weld in some cross member supports to prevent any possibility of twisting. Now i don't have to think about it on the trail.

    As for the install, it was supper easy. The hardest part was the adjustments, which to were supper easy. The only thing i want to do yet are move the muffler over about another 3/4" to completely clear the traction bar when flexing or when the bed is fully loaded. That will just require new muffler hangers to be welded in. Im also going to have my tail pipe relocated due to the OME leaf springs making contact when drooping, but that has nothing to do with the traction bar. Here are some pics below:

    20160619_203033_b08c603aed93a70581329d22ef527c576819c2d5.jpg


    20160619_203052_b33e67362e0458bb64ab0878a270a41fad145b5d.jpg


    20160619_203147_ffc367416556fc0890ce73f15c42e1bd818c76f8.jpg

    20160619_203251_1_c4183aee59180e57fbc58877f2fc01e62f570f6f.jpg

    20160619_203303_dcbc8c78aac17db3310e5d018eee33d1089be788.jpg

    20160619_204022_cc0b20e2217154232a25b8915b7585c74c2bc157.jpg









     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2016
    Jacked Burton, ChadsPride and opteron like this.
  2. Jul 16, 2016 at 9:13 AM
    #2
    McMash

    McMash The only thing better than light bars? Sarcasm.

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    Tyler
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    Looks great! Been wanting to pull the trigger on one of these.

    Did the front shackle come flattened off like that, or did you have to do it for some kind of clearance issue?

    How's it drive now?

    I too was curious about how the crossmember would handle the new loads. Perhaps the bracing was a good idea.

    What kinda lift you running in the front that's level-ish with the rear Dakars AND lift blocks??
     
    043RZ[OP] and ChadsPride like this.
  3. Jul 16, 2016 at 10:11 AM
    #3
    FirstGen Jer

    FirstGen Jer Well-Known Member

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    :eek: My question.... how is your undercarriage so clean!?
     
  4. Jul 16, 2016 at 10:12 AM
    #4
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Matt
    Spring Grove, PA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Tacoma SR5
    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    The front shackle did not come like that... it actually had another set of bolt holes that I cut off myself for clearance purposes. The extra holes were for if you needed more travel and another option to mount.

    It drives awesome!! What a difference!!!! With my gear ratio change the axle wrap became worse and I'd have to pay attention to how fast I let the clutch out. Now with the traction bar it feels solid in the rear and wrap has been eliminated. Awesome mod for any tacoma owner, lifted, stock or lowered.

    I'm running a fabtech DB 6" lift. Blocks are 3" from fab tech and the OME Springs provided 2 1/4 in of lift for a total of 5 1/4 in of lift. It leveled my truck out PERFECTLY with just a smidge of rack in the back
     
  5. Jul 16, 2016 at 10:17 AM
    #5
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Spring Grove, PA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Tacoma SR5
    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    Off-road, power wash, repeat. After winter is done up here, I power wash and degrease underneath, then do touch ups if needed with paint or rubber undercoating on the frame. The key is to stay on top of that. Once rust starts it's hard to stop it.
     
    Explor and opteron like this.
  6. Jul 16, 2016 at 10:43 AM
    #6
    opteron

    opteron Well-Known Member

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    Leer camper, bug-rug, fox suspension 2.0 rear, fox 2.5 front, BAMF sliders and LCA, TRD fake 3 piece rims
    Im on the fence purchasing this, where did you have to weld?
     
  7. Jul 16, 2016 at 3:26 PM
    #7
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    2004 Tacoma SR5
    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    The bracket that is attached to the axle housing. Weld the top, bottom, the one side, inside the bracket it has oval cutouts that you weld in to the housing and finally weld as much as you can on the side where the 3rd member is. Thats it! Then the option to beef the cross member up. All the rest is bolt on
     
    opteron[QUOTED] likes this.
  8. Jul 17, 2016 at 10:23 AM
    #8
    Northern Taco

    Northern Taco Well-Known Member

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    My exact thought! No amount of pressure washing would keep my truck looking like that, nor a new one here. That would be so much easier to work on than my dirty, rusty taco!
    Then again I work in the woods and my trucks sees 30,000 hard miles a year.
     
    FirstGen Jer[QUOTED] likes this.
  9. Jul 17, 2016 at 4:16 PM
    #9
    Ritchie

    Ritchie Well-Known Member

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    OP, question for ya',

    I can see you are an extra cab or 4 door by you having a carrier bearing support - that said, from the rear axle, how far forward is the cross member you attached the bar to?

    Thanks.
     
  10. Jul 18, 2016 at 4:51 PM
    #10
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    2004 Tacoma SR5
    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    Yes, i am an extra cab. Are you asking how far away the crossmember is from the rear axle? If so I just measured 47" from the rear axle face (where the bracket welds) to the crossmember. Let me know if this was what you were asking for
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2016
    Ritchie[QUOTED] likes this.
  11. Jul 19, 2016 at 2:42 AM
    #11
    Ritchie

    Ritchie Well-Known Member

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    Yes sir... that's the measurement I have been looking for, thank you.
     
  12. Jul 19, 2016 at 2:58 AM
    #12
    tacot0wn

    tacot0wn Mia San Mia

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    Okay dumb question in bound...what does this thing do?
     
  13. Jul 19, 2016 at 3:16 AM
    #13
    Ritchie

    Ritchie Well-Known Member

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    Eliminates axle wrap while retaining articulation capabilities.
     
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  14. Jul 19, 2016 at 3:19 AM
    #14
    tacot0wn

    tacot0wn Mia San Mia

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    Roger that, thanks!

    Back to your scheduled programming...
     
  15. Jul 19, 2016 at 6:01 AM
    #15
    neatoneto

    neatoneto Well-Known Member

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    No, seriously that underbody and frame looks great..

    Did you spray the frame yourself?
     
    043RZ[OP] likes this.
  16. Jul 19, 2016 at 7:53 AM
    #16
    devinzz1

    devinzz1 Well-Known Member

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    Looking at rusty axle flanges the axle was painted or replaced and the frame has fresh undercoating which is why it looks so clean. Db lift and underglow do i assume its a mallcrawler Aswell?
     
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2016
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  17. Jul 19, 2016 at 8:02 PM
    #17
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,
    The frame was treated at Toyota. However, beings our Tacoma's are very susceptible to frame rot, i sprayed it myself again with 3M rubber undercoating. At the end of every winter i power wash and do touch ups to any chips that may have formed. Same goes for the drive train and suspension, power wash and do touch ups with spray paint if need be.
     
  18. Jul 19, 2016 at 8:09 PM
    #18
    043RZ

    043RZ [OP] Well-Known Member

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    6" Fabtech Lift, OME Dakar leaf springs, BudBuilt Traction Bar, 15" American Racing Wheels, 5.29 Nitro Gears, 35" BFGs AT, Pioneer 200 Watt Stereo, 6x8 Pioneer speakers, Raised Front and Rear Diff Breathers, Deck Plate Mod, Red Interior Underglow, Red Exterior Underglow, Cool White LED Rock Lights,

    IMAG0400_ccb2f8b647ba6b398ef73f78d9a49e081122e2f4.jpg

    yea.... the mall in town does have a pretty crappy parking lot :rolleyes::rofl:
     
  19. Jul 20, 2016 at 5:26 AM
    #19
    Ritchie

    Ritchie Well-Known Member

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    ^^ Nothing wrong in keeping your truck clean.
    I trash mine on the various runs we do, which could be a month or more apart, then spend the time in between cleaning above, below & inside.

    Your truck looks good.
     
  20. Aug 15, 2016 at 12:33 PM
    #20
    Moto fixery

    Moto fixery New Member

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    I did this same track bar but haven't done anything to the cross member yet. It sucks! I didn't really notice any improvement in rear axle hop in the deep snow. My advice is if your going to do one of these, plan on doing some additional fabrication to reinforce the cross member. The flex is going to be up and down. I was thinking about grinding out the rivits and completely removing the cross member than welding a bunch of steel boxing it in. Than bolt it back in Thoughts?
    I would like to make one from scratch but I'm not sure if I want to put that much time into it.
     

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