ladder bar suspensions?

[Jack]

There are some problems with my existing rear suspension,  I have a chassis guy who is willing to install a ladder bar suspension,  he suggests going with te Chassis Engineering kit, with Steel Shocks because it will see mostly street time.   

I'm planning on moving the rear back an inch or so; other than that, anyone have great input to make this better than the norm?

Oh,  will this suck on the street?

Thanks

[nasty68]

I'm doing the same thing.  Ladder bars and it's on a street car.  I haven't figured out what coil overs i will use yet.  Should be fine on the street, maybe a little noisy depending on what rod ends you use.  Nothing a loud exhaust can't take care of. 

[70 Dustpan]

The drawback to ladder bars on the street is driveways, speed-bumps, things like that that puts twist in the rear-end. They don't let the rear-end to twist much without binding.

[mjudd]

been using ladder bars on the street for 13+ years, wouldn't want the springs back for anything...no fishtailing and the car goes straight. And you can get the car to sit lower with ladder bars/coil-overs
If you plan on using 29" tires you should move the rear back even farther
I use QA1 coil-overs, they work fine on the street

[70 Dustpan]

Mjudd, how much do you drive it on the street? Who is it going in parking lots, drive ways, speed bumps? How does is handle on the street?

[mjudd]

Mjudd, how much do you drive it on the street? Who is it going in parking lots, drive ways, speed bumps? How does is handle on the street?

I don't drive it but on warm days. The ride is somewhat harsh compared to leaf springs..you can feel the bumps in the a$$ end, and i don't take corners going very fast.                                                         

[Jack]

Mike,   How much tire is under your car?  I've got 29" tires now, but to do it I cut the front edge of the wheelwell.  I can see getting much taller than 30" Maybe, but that is a heavy tire..right? 

Typically, do ladder bar cars 60 foot better than leaf spring cars?  I was feathering to a 1.8 sec,  I'd like it to really hook,  it'll go 114 mph, and with the 4000 converter, it should hit really hard, but now it just spins.

Are the QA 1's aluminum? Have you rebuilt them? How about spring weight, what are you running and are you satisfied with how they work?

Thanks for the real life feedback.

Jack

[mjudd]

Move the rearend back enough and you won't have to touch the quarters for taller ones. These wheelwells are stock, the tires in the pic are about 28.5", I now have 29" Quick Time Pros and they still clear. This winter i will get a new driveshaft, new crossmember for the ladder bars, and new upper mounts for the shocks... and that will be the time to move the rear back a bit more since I might go with taller ones. If you center yours in the well now you won't have to redo it later for taller tires.
Some drag racers don't like moving the rear back because it will take weight off the rear tires and put it on the fronts.
The QA1s are a year old. If I remember right, the springs are the 110s, and they work much better than the generic setup that came with the ladder bar kit.
The improvement over leaf springs is huge...the a$$ end just squats down a hair and it grabs and goes... straight

[vitamindart]

hey jack did you run the cam that was in the short block when you got it from me???what are you running for leafs,shocks , and tires now
what does your car weigh???

[Jack]

I'm still running that cam.  Actually,  I'm running the motor as I got it from you.  I bolted on a set of the Bulldog (max wedge port) heads, an Indy single plane intake, 750 mighty demon.  Its about 4000 converter, with ss springs, Mopar long shocks rear and 90/10 up front.  The tires are 295 65 15 M/T radial.  It's best was a 1.75 60 foot, with about 11.97 @ 114 at the grove.  This was with the frame connectors only, and it was really twisting the body,  I have 2 dents on the top of the quarter after that night at the track.  So, I put the bar into it.   

Based on the MPH,  I know it should be better than 1.75, especially with the 4000 converer.

As for weight, it was 3450 before, with steel wheels and steel heads... now aluminum heads and wheels with the 8 pt bar.

The moved leafs aren't correct.  I need to fix something back there.  The car also sits crooked.

[vitamindart]

if they are super stocks the car will sit crooked one spring has more leafs or is stiffer a 750 seems kinda small i ran a 850 w/my indys and it ran 11.55 all day with a 3800/4000 stall and 3.91 or the 4.30s @ 117 or 118mph my 60fts  were never better than a 1.66 and after i put in the stroker it was a 1.8 or a high 1.7 let me know the next time you go i would like to see it in action

[Jack]

Dom- which way is it to be crooked?? My passenger side is low....I agree with the carb thought,? but its a mighty demon 750 which is somehow better than a holley 750?  Maybe I'll try another one sometime.? I do think it's got 11.50's in it,? but it would not hook.? I could foot brake it to 3500, but anything above that it would spin.? I do think the ladderbars and playing with the launch and tire pressure will get me into the 1.65 range, and correct jetting will help with the mph.? It always was fat.

What does your car weigh?? I will definately let you know when it goes back to the grove.

[vitamindart]

with that motor it was 3200lbs empty tank no fat boy behind the wheel , i was running a 850 and thought that was small drivers side should be low i think it almost sounds like you have the springs oposite what kind of t bars are you running what shocks i had to play with the tire pressure quite a bit and it never made a diff if i foot braked or flashed the convetor do you have a snubber???

[Jack]

I'm running  340 torsion bars, without a snubber.  I'd keep trying to tune it,  but for some reason (definately not my installation) the rear is not centered in the car,  the left has about 1/2 clearence and the right about 1 1/2 clearance from the tire to the quarter panel.  I tried to install a snubber, but it was too big.  I cut it down, but I'm just going to go to Ladder bars.

[SS/G]

I bought a chassis engineering adjustible ladder bars and Strange coil overs and they seem really nice? That was only cause my car was hacked up when i got it. If I had a car with stock suspension I would upgrade to cal tracks and mono springs. They are lighter than super stocks and they will send you what ever ride hight you want. Stockers are well into the low 10s on them.

[FastmOp]

I run ladders and coil overs, I use to drive mine on the street with this setup, it's the same everything.
I run 110's in the rear but that spring is real light, if your car is heavy you may need more spring, I have to replace the RR spring evey year because it goes away, but there cheep enough to experiment with.
I go mid 1.30 sixtyfoot times.