Ladder bar question

So if i lower the bars its going to calm the launch correct ??? and if i raise them its going to hit the tires harder ??

thats what ive been told

I think if you lower it makes it hit harder? Steve

Not positive about a ladder bar set up but, I think lowering the bars hits the tire harder. By doing that you are lowering the IC. With a 4-link in most cases when you lower the IC it hits the tires harder.

Lowering the front ,(IC) of ladder bars will soften the initial hit and hold it longer, and allow some squat vs raising which will hit hard but unload quicker and give more chassis/axle separation. Really depends on engine torque. A bb would require lots less separaration than a sb. Start with the bars level and a central shock setting and work from there, as one will affect the other.

Bruno,

I have mine at 2.5 to 3 degrees down.

To add to what bcr said about bars vs shocks effecting each other, think of moving the I/C around as large sweeping changes, and changing the shock valving as small "fine tuning" changes. You get the needed amount of suspension leverage/violence "in the ball park" with the I/C setting, then fine tune with the shock extension & compression valving.

The amount of available engine torque at the launch is the source of energy, changing the I/C placement changes the leverage and effects/changes the amount of energy released/applied (separation), the shock valving changes the speed of that release/application of leveraged energy.

It's kinda like doing body work & needing to knock out a massive dent. You start with a big fckin hammer to get it close, then fine tune it with a small body hammer. If you tried to do it all with the big hammer you might keep over/under shooting having the sheetmetal being "perfectly flat". And trying to do it all with the small body hammer you might swing your ass off and never get anywhere.

Just need to remember that the "hit" & the "hook" aren't the same thing. "Hitting the tire harder" doesn't always mean the car will "hook harder". Some times calming the launch by hitting the tire softer will actually make the car/tire hook harder. This happens if the tire was at it's limit before & the sidewall/tread surface was being hit too hard over taxing them causing spin/shake. Your looking for a balance between engine torque, suspension energy release, & the capabilities of the tire. You can spin the tires by hitting them too hard just as easily as you can by not hitting them hard enough.

What Dave said, I just didnt want to type that much.