What Ladder Bars?

[64plymouth]

I want to put ladder bars on my 64 belvedere. I'm not mini tubing car. Is there a good kit out there with bars, cross members and shocks? Anything to avoid? The car should be mid 10 sec car. It will see very little street use. Car weighed #3680 with me and iron head 440. Now a aluminum head 505 cross ram.

 

[dvw]

Get "double adjustable". Otherwise they need to be removed to adjust pinion angle. I used S&W . Bought the 36" instead of the common 32" due to the fact that wheelbase is longer than the run of the mill Duster, Cuda , Camaro, ETC. 634 passes. No issue with the product at all. I'd buy the best double adjustable shock you can afford. Use 120LB springs on the shocks.
Doug

 

[64plymouth]

Get "double adjustable". Otherwise they need to be removed to adjust pinion angle. I used S&W . Bought the 36" instead of the common 32" due to the fact that wheelbase is longer than the run of the mill Duster, Cuda , Camaro, ETC. 634 passes. No issue with the product at all. I'd buy the best double adjustable shock you can afford. Use 120LB springs on the shocks.
Doug

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I will check out S&W. On the shocks any suggestions? I called Viking and they wanted to sell me off the shelf shocks I think. He really didn’t ask for much info of car. Wouldn’t the weight, hp, tire matter for valving of shock?

 

[dvw]

Mine runs a pair of 20+ year old Koni doubles on the rear, Afco doubles on the front The Afcos had to be valved stiffer Have no experience with the Vikings Maybe another call and talk to someone else. The more power you have the stiffer the shock is necessary
Doug

 

[64plymouth]

Mine runs a pair of 20+ year old Koni doubles on the rear, Afco doubles on the front The Afcos had to be valved stiffer Have no experience with the Vikings Maybe another call and talk to someone else. The more power you have the stiffer the shock is necessary
Doug

Thanks for the reply

 

[Budnicks]

had Chris Alston Chassisworks Inc. dbl adj. ladder bars
& a full 2x3 mandrel bent chassis,
their supplied coil overs (lambs IIRC) & cage
all home built on my pro-gas 49 Ford
with a blown alky inj. Milodon Hemi, went into the high 7.20's @188
way back in the 80's
they are still good stuff today
it was org. set up to go 8.50's, w/BBC inj. akly,
it'd ran that # easily too, went best of 7.98 @169

never had any breakage & kept an eye on the rod ends
replaced them regularly, at a min. every season

almost all my later cars had 4 links, most were from him too
much more infinitely adjustable,
especially when you have the room to use them

no idea on pricing now

good luck

http://www.cachassisworks.com/stories/techcac-003_web.pdf

 

[dvw]

I bought the good Chrome Moly rod ends. Same ones 634 passes. No play in them.
Doug

 

[64plymouth]

I checked out S&W website I seen the moly wasn’t much more. They offer Qa1 or strange shocks. What is the difference between panhard bar, track bar or wishbone?

 

[66Satellite47]

I agree with dvw, go double adjustable on the bars, both QA1 or Strange are good quality choices. Double external adjustable is convenient if you can afford. Get good recommendations on the shocks, the phone guy may not give good info, get specifics.

 

[33 IMP]

A panhard bar has one link attached to the chassis, and a pivot attached to the rear, then an other bar from the other end of the pivot to the ladder mount on the oppposite side. Won't work with a rear cover rearend.
A track bar ties the front mount of one ladder to the rear mount of the other bar.
A wishbone is shaped like a wishbone, is attached to both front ladder mounts, and the middle bottom of the rear end.
All are devices to limit side to side movement of the rearend.


Edit : sorry, didn't see this is a three year old thread.....

 

[bearman]

D

Get "double adjustable". Otherwise they need to be removed to adjust pinion angle. I used S&W . Bought the 36" instead of the common 32" due to the fact that wheelbase is longer than the run of the mill Duster, Cuda , Camaro, ETC. 634 passes. No issue with the product at all. I'd buy the best double adjustable shock you can afford. Use 120LB springs on the shocks.
Doug

View attachment 940426 View attachment 940429 View attachment 940430 View attachment 940428dvw, did you buy it as a kit or piece that together with s&w

 

[bearman]

Did you buy as a kit or peice it together from s&w

 

[EARLY B]

Caltracs bars and springs and shocks

 

[malex]

 

[Garceau]

I am just curious - and I know its an old thread, but maybe someone else knows.

Why would one go with a ladder bar if they have to do all the back chassis work already and not just go with a 4-link with infinitely adjustable instant centers

 

[33 IMP]

I am just curious - and I know its an old thread, but maybe someone else knows.

Why would one go with a ladder bar if they have to do all the back chassis work already and not just go with a 4-link with infinitely adjustable instant centers

Simplicity. Out of fifty choices with a four link, about 40 of them are wrong.
And ladders can work really well, without all the chassis work that a four link entails.
My opinion only.

 

[dvw]

I am just curious - and I know its an old thread, but maybe someone else knows.

Why would one go with a ladder bar if they have to do all the back chassis work already and not just go with a 4-link with infinitely adjustable instant centers

For sure the 4 link is more adjustable. It also pretty much requires new rear rails, rear floor pan, trunk floor. Ladder bars require little modification to the chassis itself. Just a front crossmember and a upper shock mount. Cost and complexity are greater with a 4 link. If the ladder bar front mounts are in the correct location with the correct length bar they work very well. No matter what suspension is used, shocks are key. They are the great equalizer. Allowing Cal-Tracs, ladder bars, and 4 links all a good ability to work. If someone was buildind a tube chassis car, I'd agree on a 4 link. Whats the limit? My friend recently converted their All Motor 69 Camaro to a 4 link. Car has been 7.80's in good air with ladder bars on 10.5x29.5's. So far it's no quicker.
Doug