The invention discloses a traction system for a traction type elevator. The traction system comprises a rack, a traction machine and a guide pulley, a crosshead sheave arranged at the top of a lift car, a counterweight mechanism used for balancing the weight of the lift car, and a traction rope, wherein the rack comprises a traction rack used for mounting the traction machine, and a guide pulley support which can move horizontally and is arranged on a machine bearing beam; the traction rack is symmetric about the central line, in parallel to the extension direction of the machine bearing beam, of the traction rack; the guide pulley support can be erected on the machine bearing beam in a steering and adjusting manner according to the arrangement of a traction sheave in the horizontal direction, so that the guide pulley positioned on the guide pulley support is positioned on the same plane as the traction sheave. According to the invention, on one hand, the traction system can adjust the space between the crosshead sheave and a counterweight pulley so as to meet the mounting requirement; on the other hand, the traction system can solve the problem that elevator devices cannot be mounted as a preformed hole is formed in the wrong position during a mounting process, therefore, the traction system is good in universality, and facilitates mass production, modularization and standardized production.