Ladder bar snapped I was lucky

[Bobo]

Wow !!! Thank god I was this was not worse ! since I had my 83/4 changed to a Dana 60 410/Detroit locker nothing but trouble the last trouble.. the other end of the ladder bar at the axel housing welds let go but I noticed the cracking and stop driving the car they were re-welded and seem strong and now this on the opposite end of the ladder bar what now ? it's not the installers fault this time... and honestly the Dana Howes like hell when you get in third gear and fourth gear at 40 miles an hour....and the rear is all new supposedly perfect wear pattern ... the Eye just snapped off right at the locking nut do I switch to Caltrac mono leafs ? It scares me to think that could even happen breaking it off at the end of the quarter mile what are your thoughts ... ps on a positive note i'll be eliminating some Bondo behind that rear tire on the repair it's pretty heavy there I wonder where else on the car is hiding

 

[silversedan]

how come no safety loops on the ladder bar joints? are the bars home made?

 

[moparpoor]

I agree no safety loops huge no no! From the sounds of things it maybe time to start over fresh with the ladder bars

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

Replace all the heim joints with good quality ones and perform maintenence on the joints and make sure all locking nuts are tight at all times.

 

[Bobo]

View attachment 370228 View attachment 370227 View attachment 370225 Wow !!! Thank god I was this was not worse ! since I had my 83/4 changed to a Dana 60 410/Detroit locker nothing but trouble the last trouble.. the other end of the ladder bar at the axel housing welds let go but I noticed the cracking and stop driving the car they were re-welded and seem strong and now this on the opposite end of the ladder bar what now ? it's not the installers fault this time... and honestly the Dana Howes like hell when you get in third gear and fourth gear at 40 miles an hour....and the rear is all new supposedly perfect wear pattern ... the Eye just snapped off right at the locking nut do I switch to Caltrac mono leafs ? It scares me to think that could even happen breaking it off at the end of the quarter mile what are your thoughts ... ps on a positive note i'll be eliminating some Bondo behind that rear tire on the repair it's pretty heavy there I wonder where else on the car is hiding

Here are a few more photos i'm not the most knowledgeable ... but I'm learning the hard way I counted on Joe Balboa at elite vintage auto to steer me in the right direction He built the Dana and installed it I told him if anything looked not correct or didn't look right to please change it and or let me know .. before him I made an appointment with chassis engineering they put me on a waiting list 4 months later they blew right by me on the wait list I should've got back on that list and waited .. lesson learned. Is anybody here think those ladder bars are homemade ? they were on the car when I bought it I've always wanted a 60s b body now I know why they say break out another thousand LOL and unfortunately I didn't know about the b body's site site until after the fact thanks to everybody who replied bo..

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

Those ladder bars are NOT professional grade at all. I'd go to Chassis Engineering and get what I have.
Triple Adjustable Outlaw ladder bars. Cost more but in the end, it's a breeze to adjust and they have the top of the line heim joints.

 

[moparpoor]

Those are ladder bars that have been chopped up to fit the car. I see some scary stuff in those pictures! Flat out the car is not safe!! Welds on the rear axle brkts the bars no safety loops on the bars just the design and setup is scary. I've seen it before unfortunately.

 

[moparpoor]

The mount point of the panhard bar has to be causing some drivability issues

 

[Homstead]

To be NHRA legal they need to have some sort restraint system in case the heim joint breaks. Such is not the case with yours. Length could be an issue with replacing them. Hopefully they used a common length when they made them. Count yourself lucky! It could have be so much worse!

 

[Cranky]

Don't know what CE is like now a days but 20 years ago we steered clear of them.....

 

[MOPOWER871]

Bobo, Its good that your asking these questions, these guys are right there's a lot of thing going on under there that's not legit, that bar is way to short ,the ladderbar cross member ? emergence cable tie rapped to the upper ladderbar , no loop, ladder bar is on the outside of the frame rail in the wheelwell, bolts holding it all together are not ingauging the nylon portion of the nylock nuts.
I use to find the front hyme jam nuts would come loose. I had a checklist I would go over before loading up the car to go racing, u-bolt straps, hyme joint jam nuts, torque lug nuts, fluids .... get your pride and joy to a real chassis shop that knows drag cars, good luck, be safe.

 

[SUPERSTOCKRACER]

Bobo, Its good that your asking these questions, these guys are right there's a lot of thing going on under there that's not legit, that bar is way to short ,the ladderbar cross member ? emergence cable tie rapped to the upper ladderbar , no loop, ladder bar is on the outside of the frame rail in the wheelwell, bolts holding it all together are not ingauging the nylon portion of the nylock nuts.
I use to find the front hyme jam nuts would come loose. I had a checklist I would go over before loading up the car to go racing, u-bolt straps, hyme joint jam nuts, torque lug nuts, fluids .... get your pride and joy to a real chassis shop that knows drag cars, good luck, be safe.

View attachment 370325

Your are definitely right, the front jam nuts on mine constantly came loose, till I red loctited them.

 

[dvw]

Ladder bars are a poor choice for street driven vehicles. The rear suspension has to flex at every corner because there is nothing to pivot when the car leans . This puts stress on the tubing, welds and heim joints. Add into the equation poorly designed bars, your rear heim shows WAY TO MUCH thread and a weak lower structure. Poor quality ends can't take this stress and break. If the car will see a lot of street miles it should have a triangulated 4 link, (Mustang, Chevelle, new Challenger) or leafs. Limited street use a 4 link is still better than a ladder bar. Track only ladder bars are great well into the 8 second range. I run S&W ladder bars and have since the early 90's, never a failure.
Doug

 

[hemiman426]

i just aquired a 1990 daytona tube chassis car,ladder bar,they have cable wrapped around the front where yours broke,in case it broke

 

[Bobo]

Thank you to all those who jumped with good advise l need all the help I can get I really need a good person/ shop to get my 65 coronet done rite can not afford to waste any more $ on lousy / dangerous rigs like a said I bought the car with the current set up and it not knowing any better and I paid someone to remove eight and three-quarter rear and install a Dana 60 I expected elite vintage auto to get it rite .. he reused everything that was existing already...with that being said I just want to MoveOn and get it right.... does anybody know somebody in South Florida who could do this kind of work ? There is chassis engineering here in Westpalm beach Florida close to me any other suggestions ? Thanks bo

 

[moparpoor]

My best advice to you is ask guys at the local track who they use. Look at their cars and watch how they perform. That's a great starting point. Ask lots of questions. Just build from there!

 

[Dodge 330]

Thank you to all those who jumped with good advise l need all the help I can get I really need a good person/ shop to get my 65 coronet done rite can not afford to waste any more $ on lousy / dangerous rigs like a said I bought the car with the current set up and it not knowing any better and I paid someone to remove eight and three-quarter rear and install a Dana 60 I expected elite vintage auto to get it rite .. he reused everything that was existing already...with that being said I just want to MoveOn and get it right.... does anybody know somebody in South Florida who could do this kind of work ? There is chassis engineering here in Westpalm beach Florida close to me any other suggestions ? Thanks bo

Elite Vintage Auto?!

I know it doesn't help now, but do a search on Moparts for that name! He has quite the reputation.