PullBar

Im looking for your opinion on what spring pullbar you use that holds up well. I currently use a BSB Outlay 2 way Pullbar with a progressive spring. Its a good piece, but is there something that holds up better? I'm not debating what type of pullbar works the best, I want to know what is the best built and holds up over time the best. Any thoughts?

Dave

What kind of holding up issues are you having with the current pullbar?

Dave. We went from the BSB to the Dandy Bar. Despite the claims, I could not tell any more forward drive, but it was really easy to maintain and to observe the wear. I am glad you asked this question, because we are looking at something different this coming year as well.

First off what does a pull bar/torque link do? You have to ask yourself that and keep it simple. We have spring bars out and also urethane biscuits. Now as for what works the best it will depend on how you drive, motor, and tire. Due to the many different sanctions and rules out the classes are very different. In UMP there are cars with over 700hp and soft tire while IMCA there are cars with 400hp and hard tire yet companies advertise there dry slick or tacky track set up which doesn't give you any info for which tire or motor. Truth is there is a huge difference on what you should use. We're simply trying to absorb energy to the rear tires to keep them hooked up and not shock them to break loose. If you're going urethane I would suggest a minimum of 4" stack at a maximum of 1" tall each biscuit. The reason is the life of the biscuit lasts longer. Any and all urethanes should never be compressed more than 33%. 25% or less should be what you shoot for because the biscuits will last longer. As for the larger biscuits that are taller than 1" those that have owned these will say they split. The urethane is traveling so far that it expands outward which causes premature failure and cracking. Also separate your urethane with a washer for every biscuit. There are 5 different types of urethane pucks out right now that are the most popular. The style and height changes how the rates comes in. They are all progressive. Roller skate wheel, cylinders/rod type, cone shaped, 2.25-2.5" tall and bulky, and the taller ones 4" at least I've tested by a certain company that split after 1-2 nights due to the tall height. Then you have coil spring bars. Linear and progressive. Always use a high quality spring for these bars. Spring bars are typically 4lbs heavier at least over a urethane bar. Some like to use a shock for spring bars and some don't but the difference from a urethane bar to a spring bar is the rebound. Spring bars rebound a lot harder than urethane bars. They may store the same energy but releasing that energy they're very much different. The last bar is the spring and urethane bar. These bars typically use a linear spring and then you can adjust when it gets into the urethane biscuit. The biscuit we tested used a 70A durometer puck. The 70 is the most forgiving and getting the timing of the puck is a lot wider window to try and get the sweet spot. The harder the biscuit the smaller the window gets for this adjustment. Too soon on a dry track and you may haze the tires. That sums up most of what I've personally tested and have had drivers feedback to me. If you're wanting a pull bar don't go off of mass marketing which has sold many products. Go with what lasts the longest, easy to maintain, easy to adjust, and in my point of view is engineered the best. But in the end were simply absorbing energy to the rear end.

Im not asking which type to use. I like the progressive spring. Just looking for best quality pull bar that has proven to hold up over the long haul. I currently use BSB, are my only other options Afco, Keyser and Allstar?

Dave

i like right foot performance. i use rubbers not springs but its made by same manufactuer. Its been on my cars for 5+ years, never replaced anything just clean 1 or 2 times a year

Dave,

We have ran the Keyser on our Diamond and Pierce cars both and it seems to be a nice piece. Very well fabricated, definitely attention to detail during manufacturing, and we never have had a problem with it and never any durability issues over the past few years, and the way it is made it is very easy to adjust pre-load and other things without having to move much out of the way. We had an AFCO for about a month before we switched to Keyser and that is all I am going to say about that.... lol

Hopefully others who have had experience with these pullbars and the others you listed will post here so you can have more feedback to better decide, but I am just throwing in my .02!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RRR_Products

First off what does a pull bar/torque link do? You have to ask yourself that and keep it simple. We have spring bars out and also urethane biscuits. Now as for what works the best it will depend on how you drive, motor, and tire. Due to the many different sanctions and rules out the classes are very different. In UMP there are cars with over 700hp and soft tire while IMCA there are cars with 400hp and hard tire yet companies advertise there dry slick or tacky track set up which doesn't give you any info for which tire or motor. Truth is there is a huge difference on what you should use. We're simply trying to absorb energy to the rear tires to keep them hooked up and not shock them to break loose. If you're going urethane I would suggest a minimum of 4" stack at a maximum of 1" tall each biscuit. The reason is the life of the biscuit lasts longer. Any and all urethanes should never be compressed more than 33%. 25% or less should be what you shoot for because the biscuits will last longer. As for the larger biscuits that are taller than 1" those that have owned these will say they split. The urethane is traveling so far that it expands outward which causes premature failure and cracking. Also separate your urethane with a washer for every biscuit. There are 5 different types of urethane pucks out right now that are the most popular. The style and height changes how the rates comes in. They are all progressive. Roller skate wheel, cylinders/rod type, cone shaped, 2.25-2.5" tall and bulky, and the taller ones 4" at least I've tested by a certain company that split after 1-2 nights due to the tall height. Then you have coil spring bars. Linear and progressive. Always use a high quality spring for these bars. Spring bars are typically 4lbs heavier at least over a urethane bar. Some like to use a shock for spring bars and some don't but the difference from a urethane bar to a spring bar is the rebound. Spring bars rebound a lot harder than urethane bars. They may store the same energy but releasing that energy they're very much different. The last bar is the spring and urethane bar. These bars typically use a linear spring and then you can adjust when it gets into the urethane biscuit. The biscuit we tested used a 70A durometer puck. The 70 is the most forgiving and getting the timing of the puck is a lot wider window to try and get the sweet spot. The harder the biscuit the smaller the window gets for this adjustment. Too soon on a dry track and you may haze the tires. That sums up most of what I've personally tested and have had drivers feedback to me. If you're wanting a pull bar don't go off of mass marketing which has sold many products. Go with what lasts the longest, easy to maintain, easy to adjust, and in my point of view is engineered the best. But in the end were simply absorbing energy to the rear end.

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Good post Royce

Does being on a floated or clamped set-up make any difference in pull bar choice? I have a generic biscuit pull bar on a LR clamped w RR swing arm z link. Would going to a spring type pull bar make much difference? If so, what could I expect? We are on the IMCA g-60 tire and 450 hp 500 tq.

Have you had problems with the BSB pullbar? I've been using one for 3 seasons now with no issue just periodic cleaning and maintenance.