Stifflers traction bars on 2015+ RCSB
 

If you ask around plenty of people will say the Stifflers traction bars for the 2009 to 2014 trucks will fit on a 2015+, but I've seen few photos of them actually installed and truth be told anything can fit on anything if you custom fab it. Regardless, I took a chance because Unbroken, who provides very useful information, stated several times in various threads they would fit (and he runs them on his truck). So I ordered a set of 2wd Stifflers bars for my 2016 RCSB, and took my shot at installing them. My truck is 4wd, but I've removed the factory axle blocks and I needed the extra frame clearance of the shorter 2wd bars for the scissor lift in my garage.

First off, the rear axle brackets fit perfectly and bolt right on just like they would on a 12th gen truck.
The front frame brackets do fit in the sense there is room for them on the frame and the brackets themselves don't need to be modified. However there are no mounting holes for the frame brackets, and all those will need to be drilled...6 in total, 3 per bracket. Additionally one of the holes will need to be oblong to accommodate the nifty "nut brackets" Stifflers provides which go inside the frame rails and provide threads for the bolts to secure to. These nut brackets have little handles on them which will allow you to fish them into the frame rails and hold onto them while threading the bolts through. However, the factory oblong hole Stifflers uses on the 2009-14 trucks is not present on the 2015+ trucks, so you will need to use a die grinder (or other cutting implement) to make one or get creative like I did with some zip ties and an extendable magnetic parts finder to maneuver the nut brackets into place after dropping them into the frame rails from another nearby factory hole. Sadly, I snapped no pictures of this but anyone doing this install could work it out pretty easily. This does require you cut off the little handle on the nut bracket, and doing so creates a risk you'd loose it in the frame rail forever should you drop it, so I recommend anyone doing this have access to various parts grabbers and maybe a boroscope (I'm prone to **** ups, so I have all of these lol).

One last note, the 2015+ trucks have a body support that extends off the frame right where the Stifflers brackets would have been mounted on the 2009-14 trucks. This body support requires you extend the actual traction bars an extra inch by threading out the rod ends, because the frame brackets will be mounted a little farther forward then they would have on the prior generation trucks. However in a rather convenient stroke of luck, the body support mount that extends off the frame is a perfect template for the Stifflers frame brackets. Just tuck them tightly against this body support and mark the holes to be drilled...not other measuring required. You will need a heavy duty 9/16ths drill bit, which is a size most people wont have. A 1/2" bit might work, but will make the operation much more exacting should you get a hole slightly off center. I bought a disposable 9/16th's bit at Lowes for $15, and it is indeed thrashed after drilling 6 holes through the frame, even with me pre-drilling the holes with progressively larger bits.

The Stifflers bars had me worried due to the steel rod ends, but the overall increase in NVH was not that great. At lower speeds around 25-45mph, you can feel and hear a slight increase in roughness and vibration, but this is drowned out at higher speeds. Impact harshness is also increased, though not in a really noticeable way. There are no squeaks or clunks or anything else that would be annoying. I imagine as the rod ends wear out there will be some more clunks, but when that happens I plan on replacing them with a combination of poly joints and johnny joints. The rear end now feels more planted, and I've yet to experience wheel hop...something which could rear its ugly head on the stock suspension when launching in 2wd.

Thank you again to all of you who are such a good source of information on this forum, especially Unbroken!

Pictures as proof they fit for the next guy.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...83c3b183ca.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...c155f0397f.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...21b9e0046f.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...ec543bfdb1.jpg

It sure is tempting to get something like these instead of the bars i have. It's tiresome to adjust bars that move lol.

Nice job...Something I will do for sure in the spring, I hate my CalTracs.

Mike

What 15 and up kit? There is none on Stifflers site.

That's not an actual Stiffler's part number, so Brenspeed is either rebranding the 09-14 kits (because they just bolt on), or they have done some custom mods to the kit and rebranded it themselves. Either way its moot, as the 09-14 kits bolt on with the only changes being the steps needed to install.

That said if you are considering the Stiffler bars, go for it! They are awesome and the NVH impact has been minimal which is something that can't be said for some of the other options.