Ladder Bars?

[Wicked50Coupe]

I set up my car with ladder bars. I chickened out before paint and set up the front bracket to change to a parallel four-bar. I haven't made the four bar yet, but I'm sure I should. I'm thinking the rear supension should have more "twist" designed into it. Anyone run a ladder bar outside the frame with no ill-effect?

 

[EX JUNK]

Why not have an adjustable "four link" system. With that you have a traction bar and a rear end locator all in one when combined with a "wish bone locateor. As you can see by the pictures, it is completely adjustable for how you want the car to "hook up." I have run this set up on my car for close to 12K miles with no trouble.

Jim

 

[Wicked50Coupe]

I'm a little too far along to set up my bars inside the frame. Since I used a stock model A rear crossmember and spring, you can see the steel I had to put across the back to my driveshaft hoop. My four bars would be less than a foot long. I was planning on making my four bars adjustable, but replicate radius rods. Didn't know if anyone has run ladder bars though, since I might get lazy and not change what I have.

 

[72442conv]

I'm a little too far along to set up my bars inside the frame. Since I used a stock model A rear crossmember and spring, you can see the steel I had to put across the back to my driveshaft hoop. My four bars would be less than a foot long. I was planning on making my four bars adjustable, but replicate radius rods. Didn't know if anyone has run ladder bars though, since I might get lazy and not change what I have.

My T bucket has the ladder bars on the outside of the frame, not right besides it like yours. The ladder bar tabs are on the bottom of the frame and the bars are on the outside of the frame, has been running like that since the late 70's early 80's. The only thing I think that should be changed is that the top bar of the ladder bar should be over, or on the top side of the rear end axle tube and the bottom bar should be where you have it now. I guess it would be difficult to get a correct pinion angle the way you have the bars. I would think that the car would run well even with the way the bars are right now.

 

[72442conv]

Total performance runs their ladders on the outside of the frame. Look here: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Total-Performance-Budget-1923-T-Frame-Kits,24810.html

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

My bucket had run ladderbars for over 30 years, with a variety of big blocks from a normally aspirated 396, to a 650 hp 454, and then we went to a 627 hp mild 671 blown 454 and just upsized to a blown 540.

Car has run 9.90s and the ladder bars are fine on the street. We fitted adjustable QA1s a couple of years back and my ladderbars come well forward of the kickup on the frame.

Cheers
Todd

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

And lets be honest here.

Once you have your suspension where you like it (4 bar or ladderbar), you just dont ever change it.

My previous bucket had a bunch of adjustment points and 4 bars and once we had it nice, we never changed it again. The current bucket has 2 locating points and I just chose the higher one as the car hooked up better. Its fine on the street and thats great.

 

[Wicked50Coupe]

Thanks for all the replies! The more research you do, the more you second-guess the work you have done so far. I was afraid that the rear end has no side to side articulation. I didn't want the rear end to hit a pothole and bounce me off the road or something. I'm going to try out the ladders, I can always change it anytime later.

 

[Wicked50Coupe]

The only thing I think that should be changed is that the top bar of the ladder bar should be over, or on the top side of the rear end axle tube and the bottom bar should be where you have it now. I guess it would be difficult to get a correct pinion angle the way you have the bars.

I am still going to box the mounts in, should be SUPER sturdy to handle the leverage. I thought about mounting the top bar over the rear tube, but that would have made my top bar look really strange. I was also sure to use 1/4" thick steel for these mounts, hope to be fine.

 

[Buzzard II]

You may want to check out S&W Race Cars catalog-page 32. There's a world of wealth on ladder bars there. Good luck! Bob L.

 

[Ted Brown]

The ladder bars you have look fine to me... only question is, how long are they if you were to try and get it set up for the drags... but since you are street driving, they should be fine, I would use the big Pete and Jake or? 4 bar bushings in all 3 ends, that allows for enough movement while turning... I run these and they work the very best for traction... The spring is to hold the chassis up while under normal driving conditions, under full pedal the ladder bars hold up the chassis weight... The only thing that makes any difference as far as mounting position to the rear housing, is strain on the tubing, because the pivot points are the center of the axle and where you have the front of the ladder bar mounted, everything in between just rides along fine as long as the tubing is strong enough...