What do ladder bars do ?

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Brooks James

Brooks James

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What exactly do they do ?
Current set up 8 3/4 axle sure grip 3.91
70 Dodge Dart, Mopar SS Springs, adjustable pinion snubber
What more will they do Over my current set up ?
Just want a basic set up, bolt on , no crossmember, no coil Springs
 
Brooks James said:
What exactly do they do ?
Current set up 8 3/4 axle sure grip 3.91
70 Dodge Dart, Mopar SS Springs, adjustable pinion snubber
What more will they do Over my current set up ?
Just want a basic set up, bolt on , no crossmember, no coil Springs
Click to expand...
They reduce the axle from coiling up under heavy acceleration which reduces wheel hop and loss of traction.
 
They hold the rear axle in place and act as traction devices.
 
Brooks James said:
Wouldnt putting extra clamps on the leaf Springs and a snubber do the same thing ?
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There's ZERO need for ladder bars on any Mopar. Ever. Or any vehicle with a rear leaf spring suspension that's properly set up.
 
I am no suspension specialist but I can't see ladder bars helping with the super stock spring setup.
 
I don't think you can have a ladder bar with leafs as they will fight each other for axle rotation control. Both are hard mounted to the axle and pivot at different lengths if you run them. Probably not needed.
 
pishta said:
I don't think you can have a ladder bar with leafs as they will fight each other for axle rotation control. Both are hard mounted to the axle and pivot at different lengths if you run them. Probably not needed.
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You can but you have to use Leaf spring sliders. Popular in the 60-70's. I ran a 64 Polara drag car with them.
 
The 67 Super Gas Barracuda in my avatar was set up with coil over shocks and Ladder bars. If set up correctly,they are the cats ***. Car ALWAYS went straight as an arrow. 60’ in the 1.28-1.30.
 
Pinion snuber does the job from what I am told, and been told for a long time, set it and go, leave the traction bars alone, seen chebbies put them on if the didn't have a Pinon snuber
 
This was an old post of mine I thought I would re post it. Good information.
I had the same problem with my 71 Scamp drag car. the 002/003 worked really well,so well while I was under the car, checking things over . I noticed the rear end was wrapping so hard, the housing had dented both shocks. I control my axle wrap with a pinion snubber.
 
Ladder bars are for coil spring suspensions such as for a Chevelle. Cal-Tracs work well on leaf spring suspensions. An adjustable pinion snubbers work well on Mopars.
 
pishta said:
I don't think you can have a ladder bar with leafs as they will fight each other for axle rotation control. Both are hard mounted to the axle and pivot at different lengths if you run them. Probably not needed.
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Exactly. That's why I gave the answer I gave. Their primary purpose is to hold the rear axle IN.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
This was an old post of mine I thought I would re post it. Good information.
I had the same problem with my 71 Scamp drag car. the 002/003 worked really well,so well while I was under the car, checking things over . I noticed the rear end was wrapping so hard, the housing had dented both shocks. I control my axle wrap with a pinion snubber.
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Some people say they're useless, but I say they're not makin enough power. I had a friend years ago who had a 74 Challenger with a really nasty 440 and all the goodies everywhere. That car had a snubber, but after the first few passes, we noticed it was pounding the floor pan up where the snubber was hitting. He took the car back to the shop and made a pinion snubber cross member out of 1/4" plate. It didn't do that chit anymore. That was a badass car, too.
 
memike said:
Pinion snuber does the job from what I am told, and been told for a long time, set it and go, leave the traction bars alone, seen chebbies put them on if the didn't have a Pinon snuber
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Traction bars are essentially the same thing as a snubber, just for each side. They can work better in some instances. I know...here come the "not on a Mopar messages" <rolls eyes> But you're right. They can sure work.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Traction bars are essentially the same thing as a snubber, just for each side. They can work better in some instances. I know...here come the "not on a Mopar messages" <rolls eyes> But you're right. They can sure work.
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I agree, and have seen them on trucks at the race track, mopar trucks use them to control wheel bounce and weight transfer :thumbsup:
All my street drivers and fun track time never used them. :thankyou: RRR
 
Brooks, no crossmember, no coilovers, means no ladder bars. 99% of ladder installations need both. The advantage of a ladder compared to a leaf spring is that the ladder provides axle location and traction angle adjustment, the shocks and coils provide the suspension and control reaction speed.
Now for my opinion. You can reach your goal with the ss springs. It would probably be easier with ladders, but it certainly can be done.
On my car, pinion snubber, adjustable or not, was worse than useless. It added weight, and did nothing. At launch my car lifts in the rear, and the snubber is four inches away from the floor. Tell me what it does waving in space?
Ladder bars can work with leafs, even without sliders. I had a leaf/ladder combo that went 1.36 60 fts.... but I sure don't recommend it.
 
Ladder bars have the ability to adjust pinion angle "under the car" so what that is worth....I don't know how a leaf and a ladder can coexist unless they are the same length to the eye and mount and the lower bar is inline with the lower edge of the axle. Sure it can be calculated but fully adjustable coil overs would be lighter than SS springs by then. Not saying it didnt work for 33IMP but without the sliders that would be an engineered setup.
 
Ladder bars, I have always seen them on coil spring rears a la Chevelles and what not... a crusty old Mopar guy told me years ago that a Mopar rear with properly adjusted pinion snubber didnt need Lakewood "slapper bars" as he was chewing me out for running them on my Dart. I would assume the same with ladders. Now if it is a raced out/ tubbed tubualr race frame with a coil rear then yes...
 
This was my ladder/leaf combo, and yes, no sliders, and yes I'm certain it was in a bind situation. And I would certainly not recommend it for anybody. My new car is a four link with coilovers.
But this car, with the ladders/leafs has been low nines with a lenco/clutch setup.

20210531_120226.jpg
 
What "ladder bars" were designed to do in theory is to lift the front of the car, acting like a long lever, which in turn plants/pushes the tire down on the pavement. A traction bar at maximum efficiency would make the car do wheel stands.
Called Ladder bars because the look like a ladder. 2 semi parallel bars with cross bracing.
Here is a link explaining the basics of each type of traction device.:
https://www.moroso.com/pub/media/pdf/UnderstandingSuspensionBasics.pdf
 
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