Ladder Bars

Did not want to highjack Old Blue's thread.

I have a 1972 F100 lwb that I am restoring/modifying. I plan to race it about 3 times a month. What do ladder bars do? Would they help with traction? I am a newb when it comes to this stuff and wish to learn all that I can.

Thanks.

Ladder bars like most any other suspension setup used for "standing start" type racing create a lifting/separating leverage point (called an instant center or I/C) that helps generate the downward application of force to initially plant the tire/slick into the track surface to help traction. Without initial traction forward motion & front to rear weight transfer can't get under way.

Adjusting/moving a car's I/C around changes the leverage and speed at which force is applied. A ladder bar's I/C can only be adjusted for height, but not length, this can be both good & bad. Good because the simple range of adjustment makes it harder to get "lost" on the setup, but bad if your engines power/torque range needs a larger adjustment window to work with.