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  #1  
Old 11-19-2000, 12:29 AM
megore megore is offline
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I need a set of good ladder bars for my 1971 440 Dodge Challenger with 8 3/4 391 Sure-grip. This is going to be a street rod with a few runs down the track. What would be the best source for purchasing a set?
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Old 11-19-2000, 02:30 PM
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Leigh Leigh is offline
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Chassis Engineering is FL makes good stuff. The instructions and phone help were horses!!t, though. They couldn't even give me a starting point for setup. Unreal. Some of the guys at the track have used and recommend S&W in PA. My friend likes Morrison in Oregon, I believe. S&W, I was told, has pretty good follow up and tech help. On thing, if its in the budget, pop for the double adjustable's, you won't be sorry. Not to sound like a know it all, but we installed mine while the leaf springs were still in the car, kept everything nice and square untill it was time to cut the oe setup out. Have fun.
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Old 11-20-2000, 03:50 AM
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Exactly Ram, thats what I meant, the leaf springs were left in the car until the ladder bar/coil over setup was tacked into place. That kept everything nice and square. It may not work in every instance, but it did for me. When we were done, the car looked and sat the same. Talk about pitch rotate! Drag the bumper!
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Old 11-20-2000, 03:40 PM
Comp Chassis Comp Chassis is offline
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If this is a street car that is going to see very limited drag strip use, do not put ladder bars on it, you will not be happy with it.

Ladder bars allow very little body roll and are extremely hard on the front mounts. They creek and groan and make all kinds of funny noises on the street unless you use the poly bushings. You will also have to run a panhard bar instead of a diagonal link if you run coil overs. Diagonal links will not live on the street.

Ladder bars also do not handle extremely well on cornerning. They are basically a drag race only suspension.
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  #5  
Old 11-25-2000, 03:19 PM
Tommy1 Tommy1 is offline
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Art Morrison makes very good ladder bars.
That is what I have on my 70 Challenger.
They have ads in many magazines.
Good luck.

Tommy
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Old 12-02-2000, 08:13 AM
prostreetavenger prostreetavenger is offline
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comp chassis said it right, if alot of street driving, do not put them on. I saw many broken front bar ends. But If you want the best ladder bar made, get them at rick jones race cars, they are a new style. you will HAVE to run a floater setup or coil overs with them.
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Old 12-02-2000, 02:51 PM
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Hey megore,
Why not keep the leaf springs and add the ladder bars with the floater arrangment? That way you eliminate the pansey diagonal link. (I do think it would be suspect on the street) Then you have the best of both worlds.
Prostreetavenger,
No matter which brand you use, you need to use either a floater or coil overs.
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Old 12-02-2000, 04:29 PM
Comp Chassis Comp Chassis is offline
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All you will eliminate is the diagonal link. You will still have very limited body roll, inferior handling and creaking and groaning from all the stresses placed on the car.

For street use, stick with standard old leaf springs.
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  #9  
Old 12-02-2000, 07:18 PM
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Point(s) well taken, Comp. Only trying to make a SAFE option to the diagonal link for street use. I agree also, that 99% of the ladder bar talk is just that, a good leaf spring setup would probably be just as fast. But hey, we all do what we want or what we perceive to be the best, don't we? Alot of manufacturers would go out of business if we all bought with our head and not with our perceived values.
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  #10  
Old 12-03-2000, 12:59 AM
Comp Chassis Comp Chassis is offline
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Leigh, if this were a drag strip only car or a limited street use car, I would say dump the leafs in a second. They just dont compare to ladder bars, but, as I have said, ladder bars were never meant for the street.

Yes, there are some fast cars out there on leafs, but for the most part they are few and far between and take way more maintenance to stay fast than a ladder bar car.
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  #11  
Old 12-03-2000, 05:03 AM
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Hey Comp,
Since we're on the topic of ladder bars, I'm running them with 110lb springs and Aldan double adjustables. I've got the bars as high up as I can, which I know produces the hardest hit which I am controlling with the shock. My question is, will lowering the bar tend to make the car wheelstand more? I'm thinking that I can take some hit out, loosen the jounce a tad and hook more consistantly on the marginal tracks around here. My car isn't particularly light (3185 with me), but its exactly 50/50%. Right now it will 60' 1.42-48 depending on the air, and et 10.teen's to 30's, once again depending on the air. What do you think?
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Old 12-03-2000, 04:11 PM
Comp Chassis Comp Chassis is offline
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I have generally found that in high HP cars, the higher you move the ladder bars, the more it wants to lift the front end. You would think it would be the other way around, but the lower the bar, the more it seems to want to drive the car straight forward, but the higher the bar, the more it seems to want to do wheelstands.
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  #13  
Old 12-03-2000, 04:14 PM
Comp Chassis Comp Chassis is offline
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I have generally found that in high HP cars, the higher you move the ladder bars, the more it wants to lift the front end. You would think it would be the other way around, but the lower the bar, the more it seems to want to drive the car straight forward, but the higher the bar, the more it seems to want to do wheelstands.
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  #14  
Old 12-03-2000, 06:06 PM
Eric440Duster Eric440Duster is offline
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You may want to consider Caltracs,megore. I am not to sure of the streetability but a call to Calvert Racing would answer any questions. I am running them on a 70 Duster drag car and with a very mild 440 the car has a 1.50 60ft and is only running 7.20s in the 1/8th.....Eric......www.calvertracing.com....check out the green Duster on the gallery page ,its mine.
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  #15  
Old 01-01-2001, 05:16 AM
moparrock moparrock is offline
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MEGORE, I have been there and done that.
I run a super-gas car 2650#, alstron/chassie engerneering set-up 1.32 60ft and 10.0's all day long with a flat tappet 451. Car started as a back halfed pro-streeter and 17" m/t's.
It totally su%*ed as a street car now tube chassie strut front-end. It wouldn't turn into a corner. Rear-end sounded like it was going to come out from under the car at every slight bump in the road. NOT FOR THE STREET.
My 14 yr. son has a street car that he bracket races. KB-190 360 292/.508 purple shaft, 10"/904 391 sure grip in74 dart sport.
28X10.5 M/T's 1.60 60/ft 7.73 1/8 mile(only track that will let him drive)with spring relocation kit, factory leafs and a old set of Lakewood traction bars (preloaded on the pass side)I have street raced the car alot and it is a drive anywhere, anytime rocket


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Originally posted by megore:
I need a set of good ladder bars for my 1971 440 Dodge Challenger with 8 3/4 391 Sure-grip. This is going to be a street rod with a few runs down the track. What would be the best source for purchasing a set?
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