Ladder Bars in '82 Ranger

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This is the beginnings of a very mild, low budget bracket car (truck). It starts out with a donated set of ladder bars and coil over shocks. I have a question for those with experience in this type of suspension, but that will come a little further down the page.First I set the ride height and centered the rear where it needs to be and tacked it in place with a pair of u-boltsThe ladder bars did not have these brackets so I drew them up and had a friend cut them out on a cnc plasma table.Tacked in placeNext post and the question...Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:Okay, here's the question - You'll notice that the brackets tacked to the axle housing are upside down from how they are normally put on. I had to do this or hang the front crossmember so low in the front I would only have a couple of inches of ground clearance. Will having these brackets mounted like this cause any problems or what, if any, effect will it have on the suspension?Coil overs mountedThanks,FredSure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:I'm no suspension guru.....but I dont see why not, the only thing may be having some adjustability issues....But I suppose as long as you have big enuff heims............. ......musclecar tv had a good show on a while back about puttin in a 4 link into a mustang.....I got it DVR'd probably watch it once a month...LOLOh yeah~!!.....as long as the lower bar is parallel with the ground at ride height, you should be kosher like Dill.Ya know what too......if you plan on runnin a cage, you could almost go off of that for the mounts....or, instead of comin left to right on the frame, maybe do an "L", come over, then back, should be able to get the mount up a little more.Looks good too!!Last edited by FearcityINC; 11-30-2007 at 07:56 PM.Miller blue star 2eLincoln 175
Reply:Maybe you should make your crossmember like this..Then you can mount the ladder bars the way they should be..Box off the top and then you have a rear driveshaft loop also.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I think you beat me to the punch mister......thats what i was kinda goin aftermaybe even go off the top of the frame, then jog down, so it wouldnt hang down as low??Miller blue star 2eLincoln 175
Reply:Thanks for the quick reply guys. Actually that is the type of front crossmember I have. These pics show about where it will sit (it's just clamped there now and the brackets that hold the front of the bars are loose)If I mount the brackets on the housing the way you normally see them, the front crossmember will have to hang like 6" lower than it is shown. Too low in my opinion. I don't mind having the brackets mounted the way they are as long as it isn't messing anything up with the suspension.Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:I can't give you a yes or no answer just by looking.  You really need to take some measurements to figure out what it will do to your instant center.  If the front crossmember is mounted too low, you'll never hit the tires hard enough to be consistant, and vice versa.
Reply:I was looking over the first pictures I posted and I see where they may have been some confusion about the front crossmember. One of the pics shows a 2x2 square tube held up where the front crossmember will go. That is NOT the crossmember I'm going to use, just an idea I was toying with. Sorry...Supe, the way it sits now I have instant center (or at least I will once the front crossmember is mounted). The pinion offset is centered and the pinion angle is set so the driveshaft is aimed directly at the trans. The bottom legs of the ladder bars are level and attached to the center holes of the front brackets. I think everything is right, just curious if I can leave the axle housing brackets mounted "upside down" before I weld it all together.Sure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:I've never seen a bracket racer set-up but I have to ask what that upper mount the coil-overs bolts to is? How strong is it? Also, what prevents lateral movement of the rear-end once the U-bolts are knocked loose?MmmmmmmmmmmmBeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGooooooooooo  oodddd!!!!
Reply:Normally the shock mount crossmember is made from 1 5/8" x .134 round tube, mine is 1x2 square tube about 1/8" wall - I think it's at least as strong as the round tube.There will also be a track locator bar to adjust and control the lateral movement. There's a couple different types but mine will mount to one of the frame rails above the rear on one side and the other side mounts somewhere on top of the axle housing. There's a picture of one similar to what I'm trying to do here...http://www.swracecars.com/shopdispla...D56%2D57+ChevySure, I can fix it... I got a welder!!!
Reply:Petersonj,I think he has the U bolts there just for locating while he fabricates.Usually a panhard bar is installed that connects the frame to the axle perpendicular to the ladder bars. In my truck the 3 link was triangulated, eliminating the panhard to the frame, but instead coming off one link close to the pivot point and diagonal to the axle side of the opposing link.Very rudimentary in my opinion and not the best suspension for my case.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Don't be to fast to give up on ladder bars..The "Hoss" in my sig has ladder bars...8 sec car.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I got that the U-bolts were for placement and temporary. I'm just jumping the gun and wasn't getting that it wasn't finished. I see the cross bar in the sample. It looks like from your pictures that the front link on the ladders are part of a sway bar instead of the frame. Is there a particular reason for this?(I know I'm not helping any, but I am learning)MmmmmmmmmmmmBeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGooooooooooo  oodddd!!!!
Reply:By the way...What you running in this monkey?MmmmmmmmmmmmBeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrGooooooooooo  oodddd!!!!
Reply:Purdy sure the front mount IS the crossmember.....not a swaybar.Miller blue star 2eLincoln 175
Reply:Contact Twisted Minis on here... I'm on other sites he's on since i'm into 'bagged trucks also. HE has a wealth of knowledge on ladder bar set ups and such.oh and you might want to move the coil overs to the front or outside the frame rail because it might effect the placement of your tack bar since the longer it is the better it prevents side to side movementLast edited by CarrJETS; 12-01-2007 at 01:03 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by SupeI can't give you a yes or no answer just by looking.  You really need to take some measurements to figure out what it will do to your instant center.  If the front crossmember is mounted too low, you'll never hit the tires hard enough to be consistant, and vice versa.
Reply:Originally Posted by Twisted MinisTechnically, a ladder bar setup is an adjustable 2-link. So instant center doesn't really come into play. Its technically there, where front pivot is at the frame, but it will still act as a 2-link, not a 4-link. So instant center is irrelevant in this application. You can't really change it, just remember, you don't want the bars pointing down too far, or up too far, more or less parallel with the ground, or pointed up a few degrees. A parallel 4-link would be more tunable.