Front end travel?

[day1glo]

Forgive my ignorance. Is there a difference in the required front suspension travel between a CalTrac type of rear traction device vs a ladder bar set up. I'm getting ready to install my front suspension and was debating buying the lighter drag racing torsion bars with 90/10 shocks, but have been thinking of using ladder bars instead of CalTracs.

 

[Cranky]

How much power will your car have and will it be on the streets?

 

[Endangered Species]

If your race only then I would go Ladder Bar. We have Cal Tracs now and were switching over to ladder bar this Fall.

 

[rapom tsaf]

there are car's that go in the 7's with cal's

 

[Endangered Species]

You're 100% correct there are cars going well into the 7's with Cal Tracs. All I'm saying is everyone I know who took their Cal Tracs off and put on Ladder Bars wished they would have done it years ago because were faster and more consistent.

 

[day1glo]

Car will be track mostly, some cruises. I was just wondering if the front end travel would be same for both?? I am leaning toward ladder bar. Car is a shell. Just media blasted. Put old rear suspension back on for now and will be installing the QA1front and disc brakes. Need to buy front shocks and trying to decide if should get the lighter drag torsion bars or stay with originals: car was a383 car. Gong with strange 60, 4:30 gears 30 inch tire. Car about to be minitubbed.

Wanted to get suspension set up doors and front clip back on, so I can do subframe connectors. Engine Trans will be couple years out, wiped out my budget already!!

Hoping for about 600ish hp in future.

Car was missing too much to put back to stock condition

 

[Endangered Species]

If you're going to be running it on the street I wouldn't run the 6 cyl drag torsion bars... at least they don't recommend it. You may look at going with small block torsion bars. Call Firm Feel, they'll point you in the right direction.
Cal Tracs wants 4-5 inches of front end travel. If you go that route your front end will be too low for the street.... at least your oil pan will think so. Not sure with the Ladder Bars, we're putting bars on this fall.

 

[dvw]

Cal Tracks like a loose lightly sprung front end with as much travel as possible. If your going to street drive it run the Cal Tracks. Ladder Bars are not street friendly as they provide no axle rotation. Over all the ladder bars are simpler to tune, weigh less and the components are less costly. A low 11sec street strip car will work fine without requiring either.. We've actually run pretty decent 10.60 on drag radial with stock leaf springs. Depending on the intended use you may like to use the light torsion bars. If your tight for cash put some home made sub frame connectors, Do yourself a favor and install a couple of outriggers between the connector tubing and the rockers in case you want to add a roll bar later.
Doug

 

[68 HEMI GTS]

it took alot of front end travel to get my caltracks to work but, my car is also extremely nose heavy having an iron headed hemi. seems the ladder bar guys get away with much less.

 

[383man]

Dont know how fast you want to go but all I use is basically stock suspension with the 3400 lb Superstock rear springs. I did put Comp 90/10 shocks up front. I just use the stock torsion bars that were put in the car at the factory. It was an original 383 car and it works pretty good for what it is with the stock torsion bars. Nothing trick at all as my 63 is a street car that actually weighs just over 3700 lbs with my 180 in it and I drive it alot on the street and even drive to the track when I go. So far it runs 10.70's with a 1.50 best 60 and it drives great on the street. My budget is very tight so I had to make the best with what I could. Ron

 

[day1glo]

So much good advise, thank you guys. So I just ordered a manual steering box from firm feel, not the lighter torsion bars. Decided I will stay with my original 383 torsion bars for now (cheaper helped this decision as well) still Debating 90/10 shocks vs double adjustable??

383man, love your combination. Beautiful car. I will be around same weight. Will be thinking about SS springs, snubber with inboard springs.....

 

[383man]

So much good advise, thank you guys. So I just ordered a manual steering box from firm feel, not the lighter torsion bars. Decided I will stay with my original 383 torsion bars for now (cheaper helped this decision as well) still Debating 90/10 shocks vs double adjustable??

383man, love your combination. Beautiful car. I will be around same weight. Will be thinking about SS springs, snubber with inboard springs.....

Thank you for the kind words. Do you have any pics of your car as I love pics of cool Mopars ? And good luck with it. Ron

 

[day1glo]

Ron,
I have read your threads for quite some time on here and am thankful for all the guys on here sharing their ideas.

I have an old thread in restoration section up to point of going to media blaster, just a collection of parts, disassembly, and scraping undercoating. Will be updating there when I get a chance. Posting from my phone at work now, so nothing to upload. My project is slow going until my wife gets done with Nursing school next May. I saved a little here and there over the past 2 years and just burned through that budget in about one month! I switched back to overnight shifts in the Emergency Department so I can take some auto body classes during the day. My body guy is going to let me do a lot of the grunt work, looking forward to it actually. I'm in over my head on this project. Using a different part of my brain is nice for a change.