Ladder Bar ???

I have Caltrac with mono leafs, and I would like to install a ladder bar system for a couple of reasons.
I want to have more adjustablity for a better hook, and I want to run a wider tire.
All of the installations I have seen with ladder bars and 4 links all the rear frames have been narrow, can I install a ladder bar with coil over shock on a stock rear frame??

Melvin,

I put my ladder bars on my 69 when it had a stock "frame" if you call it that. When I backhalfed it I left all the bars alone. I'm limited on tire because of it, cant go over 13" due to width, cant go over 31.5 due to crossmember placement.

My bars are in the smae hole they were in when I built the deal over 15 years ago.............has always worked fine with 500-800 hp.

Dont skimp on rear shocks, get Afco's dbl adj or better, its worth the money.

richter69 wrote:I put my ladder bars on my 69 when it had a stock "frame" if you call it that. When I backhalfed it I left all the bars alone. I'm limited on tire because of it, cant go over 13" due to width, cant go over 31.5 due to crossmember placement.

My bars are in the smae hole they were in when I built the deal over 15 years ago.............has always worked fine with 500-800 hp.

Don't skimp on rear shocks, get Afco's dbl adj or better, its worth the money.

Cool, I am glad to hear that, and 13" is about the width of tire I am going to be able to run too. But I will be able to get a taller tire with the added height clearest. And yes I fully agree with you the Afco's are the way to go. Thanks richter69

Melvin nothing wrong with ladder just the 4 link is a bit more adjustable but Ladders are fine better han springs and Cal tracks....



Randy

pics are not clear, here is when I did the backhalf.

Crappy shocks, this is with the factory sheetmetal










I'll have to get under it to get some pics of the crossmember. I made some subframe connectors out of 2x2 tubing, used a holesaw to cut holes in it for the crossmember, slid it in and welded it all up....very strong.

the Coug wrote:Melvin nothing wrong with ladder just the 4 link is a bit more adjustable but Ladders are fine better han springs and Cal tracks....



Randy

Hey Randy, I am trying to see if I can minimize my lost on the completed work I have done to what I have learn is better. I would love the four link but not sure, If I can get the traction out of a link that would be great.

richter69,

That cool, nice job. the pictures help. I see you are running a wheelie bar.

That set up would work for my build real good.

67460 wrote:richter69,

That cool, nice job. the pictures help. I see you are running a wheelie bar.

That set up would work for my build real good.

bars are sitting in the corner of the shop collecting dust...............

richter69. whats your car wt.

3065 with driver, after this winter should be 50# less between me and the car

Agreed, nothing wrong with ladder bars. In fact ladder bars might actually be a better choice than a 4-link in some situations.

Their simplicity & lower maintenance costs (less rod-ends to buy) would make them ideal for a surprisingly large number of all the bracket "door" cars out there if it wasn't for their long length causing a packaging problem in some shorter cars & modern full chassis cars where the driver sits back against the wheel tubs.

And since leafspring floaters are definitely a pain, do as mentioned & scrap the leafs in favor of good set of "drag racing profile" coil overs (stay away from the Alden/American/Eagle nitrogen charged crap). Drag coil overs with single adjustable dampening/valving are usable in a lot of cases. But on faster cars, (or where you just want more adjustability) get double adjustable valving.

I am thankful for the input and have to make a decision. I am considering going with the four link; I don't want to have to revisit this area again. And if i had done it in the first place I would not be doing it now. Like most things in life there is always more to learn.

Here is a rear back half offer from Art Morrison, Anyone every use them?

http://www.artmorrison.com/2006cat/33.pdf

67460 wrote:Here is a rear back half offer from Art Morrison, Anyone every use them?

http://www.artmorrison.com/2006cat/33.pdf

Art Morrison....yuck!

His ladder bars are good, and about the only thing he offers with a decent design/layout with a drag car in mind. But his 4-link design on a drag car.....no thanks. In my opinion Morrison's 4-link design sucks for a number of reasons. The bottom half of the housing brackets are too short. The bracket bottom should have been made longer for more adjustment holes & provisions for a tubing cross brace & built in shock height adjustment. Plus the bottom of the bracket cuts back moving the bottom holes too far back. They might be OK for a "street rod" type setup, but I would want a better setup for a drag car.

And I think in the Morrison ad you posted both of his kits (drag & pro street) offer his own crappy "fake" coil overs (made with OEM shocks) instead of real drag coil overs. I would look elsewhere for a 4-link setup if it's going to be a drag car.


Here's what I think about some of the aftermarket "drag" 4-links on the market.

https://www.429-460.com/chassis-tech-f3/4-link-kits-t3153.htm

The Art Morrison ladder bars are what I have, as you said the bars are ok, but the rest of the stuff that went with it sucked.

here are some pics of my ladder bar setup , w/ stock frame and sheetmetal still intack

If I was you and intended on leaving the stock rear frame rails and just mini-tubing the wheel wells, I would go with ladder bars, it'll be much simpler. My buddies Falcon in the 4 sale section is a ladder bar car and he's had 1.19 60 foots on a 10.5x29.5 W's, I also have ladder bars on my back halved Galaxie but it aint runnin' yet .

Melvin,

Are you going to do the work yourself or farm it out to a chassis builder?

Give Bill a call (built Chuck's new chassis). BMR Performance 859-432-5549

Well worth the trip IMO

I am building a leaf spring car with caltracs to bracket race. I will minitub and possibly relocate the springs slightly but am sticking with this type of setup. A couple guys around here run 4.80's all day everyday on leafs and caltracs. Heck, one guy has a non-minitubbed slomaro with a big block running 4.90's on one plate kit on 29.5x10.50's.

I think everyone has their opinion about which is better. On our heads up car we have a stock suspension fox body and will hookup with whatever we throw at it and I see some guys who can't hook up with 300hp with a similar setup. If I was to change my heads up car I would go straight to the 4link.

whatbumper wrote:I am building a leaf spring car with caltracs to bracket race. I will minitub and possibly relocate the springs slightly but am sticking with this type of setup. A couple guys around here run 4.80's all day everyday on leafs and caltracs. Heck, one guy has a non-minitubbed slomaro with a big block running 4.90's on one plate kit on 29.5x10.50's.

I think everyone has their opinion about which is better. On our heads up car we have a stock suspension fox body and will hookup with whatever we throw at it and I see some guys who can't hook up with 300hp with a similar setup. If I was to change my heads up car I would go straight to the 4link.

x2

I love the stock suspension stuff and I have all the Cal-Trac stuff going on one of my other Galaxie's. A friend of mine has my old Firebird (looooong story ) with cal-Tracs and mono-leafs and he put a pump gas 383 in it, drives it to the track (65 miles each way) and sprays a 150 shot on Cam II and runs 9.80's with 1.27-1.29 60 foots with 295-65 M/T Drag Radials.

D. Sea wrote:Melvin,

Are you going to do the work yourself or farm it out to a chassis builder?

Give Bill a call (built Chuck's new chassis). BMR Performance 859-432-5549

Well worth the trip IMO

Thanks Damon,
Planing on doing it myself, I believe I can handle a 4 link rear clip install, but not to sure on the tin work.

bruno wrote:here are some pics of my ladder bar setup , w/ stock frame and sheetmetal still intack

Bruno nice job, good pictures, what size tires are you runing?

67460 wrote:

bruno wrote:here are some pics of my ladder bar setup , w/ stock frame and sheetmetal still intack

Bruno nice job, good pictures, what size tires are you runing?

That is some good looking work.