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Call or Text (352) 722-5295The rear end a traction bar bolts to
The factory layout on a 2007.5-2010 Silverado HD is independent torsion-bar front suspension with upper and lower control arms, and semi-elliptical multileaf rear springs: two stages on the 2500HD, three on the 3500HD. Damper content tracks the model, with 35 mm twin-tube shocks and a 36 mm front stabilizer bar on the 2500HD and 46 mm monotube shocks with a 34 mm bar on the 3500HD. Rear axle capacity is 6,900 lb on the 2500HD, 6,500 lb on the 3500HD single-rear-wheel and 9,200 lb on the dually. A traction bar does not change any of that. It adds a second link between the axle and the frame so the spring is not asked to locate the axle and absorb power at the same time.
Why owners add them
These leaf packs are tuned for load. Owners who run a fifth wheel or a camper on a 2500HD report rear squat, headlights aimed high and sway, which tells you how much the rear spring is already doing on a working truck. Put larger tires and a trailer behind it and the same spring is the part reacting to torque. Traction bars are how owners take that job off the leaf pack. Keep the two jobs straight, though: a traction bar locates the axle, it does not carry load, so if the truck sags when you hitch up, that is a spring question and helper springs or air bags are the answer.
Fixed bars, Recoil kits and the brackets they need
BDS Suspension lists a fixed traction bar set for 2001-2010 2500 Duramax trucks, plus its Recoil traction bar kit and a separate Recoil mounting kit for the 2001-2010 chassis. Wehrli Custom Fabrication comes at it from the other direction with universal bars in 60-inch and 68-inch lengths, a brackets-and-hardware install kit for 2001-2010 Duramax trucks, and replacement bushings and heims for the bar ends. Understand the pattern before you order: a universal bar and a bracket kit are two separate purchases, and WCFab also catalogs a Ford, Dodge and universal bracket kit that is not the GM one.
What we carry
Wehrli Custom Fabrication universal traction bars, bracket and hardware install kits, and bushing and heim service parts, with BDS Suspension fixed traction bars, Recoil traction bar kits and Recoil mounting kits, all for the 2001-2010 6.6L Duramax HD chassis.
Fitment notes
Match the bracket kit to the truck, not just to the bar: WCFab's WCF100840 install kit is the 2001-2010 Duramax one, while WCF100842 is the Ford, Dodge and universal version. The BDS fixed bar set is listed for 2001-2010 2500 trucks, so verify before ordering one for a 3500HD, and verify single-rear-wheel versus dually either way. Anything 2011 and newer is a different truck underneath, since that refresh brought a new frame, control arms, torsion bars and leaf springs and suspension parts are cataloged 2001-2010 and 2011-up separately. If the Silverado already has a lift or leveling kit, tell us the brand when you call so we can check the traction bar brackets against the lift hardware before anything ships.
Frequently asked questions
Do the universal WCFab bars come with brackets?
No, the bars and the mounting hardware are separate listings. WCF100839 is the 68-inch bar and WCF100837 is the 60-inch bar; the brackets-and-hardware install kit for a 2001-2010 Duramax is WCF100840. Order the bar and the correct bracket kit together, and add the bushing and heim set if you are refreshing bars you already own.
Will traction bars stop the truck from squatting with a trailer?
No. Squat under a hitch load is the rear spring carrying weight, and on a 2500HD two-stage pack that is the complaint owners describe as rear squat, headlights aimed high and sway. Traction bars locate the axle and control what the spring does under power. Load support is a separate job for helper springs or air bags, which are cataloged for these 2001-2010 HD pickups.
Can I install these without changing anything else?
On a stock-height 2001-2010 Silverado HD with the matching bracket kit, traction bars are a bolt-on job, and we do them in our bays in Wildwood, Florida. Lifted and leveled trucks need a closer look, because frame-mounted brackets on these trucks are known to collide: a Cognito pitman and idler support kit, for one, is not compatible with center-link-drop lift brackets. Send us a photo of what is under the truck and we will sort it out before you buy.
Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.