Ladder Bar Install 73 Dart Sport

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darndart

darndart

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Location
Surrey, ND
I've decided to ditch the leaf springs and install a Chris Allston Ladder Bar kit and do a mini-tub & move the inner fenders in to the frame rail.
I removed the rear end & leafs this morning. More pics to come!
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Looks like a good start. Rectangle or round tube?? Remember to measure twice(or 10 times), and cut once. Hopefully you marked your axle centerline on the fender lip before tearing it all apart? Keep pictures coming...Id like to see it as it moves along. Keep up the good work.
 
i love ladder bars...have put them on a 71 dart and 71 demon.....along with coil over shocks..
 
Yes, I marked the centerline with plum bob's. Rather than cut up an orignal 8 3/4" A-body housing, I'm having a local welding shop narrow a C-body housing to A-body length. They have a jig for A-body 8 3/4 and only charge $100 to do it, plus he cuts off the spring pearches to save me time. I also got my new wheels yesterday, Borgart D10's.
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I finally got a chance to do some more work on my Dart. I decided to do some thru the floor subframe connectors, which will also be used as my ladder bar mount. I was just getting ready to start welding the floor boards to the frame connector when my welder started acting up, so I'll have to wait until my next days off to finish.
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outstanding...

what lenght ladder bar are you installing and how high off the ground is the front mount (instant center)?
 
From the pics it looks like you had caltracs for your old setup. How did they work, I am considering them for my Dart. Thanks
 
Cal Tracs worked great, I just wanted a little more adjustabulity, so I went with the ladder bars.
 
I finally got a chance to do some more work on the ladder bar install on my 73 Dart Sport. I got both of through the floor subframe connectors welded in, the front ladder bar mount installed & the right side ladder bar mocked up. A little more welding & I get my housing back from the welding shop & I'll almost be done!
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Man that looks good .but i noticed you have a problem!!!! To me it looks like you like to buried the other cars in your shop.I mean dont get me wrong but to burry the ford that's cool but the Duster not cool.
Thanks for the nice pics.Arco
 
Arco440 said:
Man that looks good .but i noticed you have a problem!!!! To me it looks like you like to buried the other cars in your shop.I mean dont get me wrong but to burry the ford that's cool but the Duster not cool.
Thanks for the nice pics.Arco
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Worst part is, it's not a Duster. It's a 72 Demon 340 4-speed!
 
If you plan on welding the ladder bar mounts after the housing is done,you will be taking it back to have it straightened again.
I just had my housing narrowed last week and he told me to weld all brackets before he straightens and narrows the housing.
It takes very little heat to warp a housing,good time to install a back brace also.
 
BRONZEBEE said:
If you plan on welding the ladder bar mounts after the housing is done,you will be taking it back to have it straightened again.
I just had my housing narrowed last week and he told me to weld all brackets before he straightens and narrows the housing.
It takes very little heat to warp a housing,good time to install a back brace also.
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I am just tacking the brackets to the housing, then the welding shop is going to set it up in a jig and weld them on.
 
I got the front ladder bar mount welded into place along with the front ladder bar brackets. This afternoon I'm planning to tack the housing in place, then have the welding shop that narrowed the housing set it back up in their jig and finish weld them for me. Once I get that back it's on to the shock mounts & panhard bar and I'm done. I do plan to POR 15 everything black when I'm done.
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Great job, you do realize you don't have to chop the floor up to install frame connectors right? I got my 2x3 in there just fine width-wise tight to the pan.
 
PoisonDart74 said:
Great job, you do realize you don't have to chop the floor up to install frame connectors right? I got my 2x3 in there just fine width-wise tight to the pan.
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I used the subframe connectors as my extented frame rail to mount my ladder mount. Mine are 2x5 & fit nicly inside the existing rear frame rail.
 
PoisonDart74 said:
Great job, you do realize you don't have to chop the floor up to install frame connectors right? I got my 2x3 in there just fine width-wise tight to the pan.
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only problem went lying the 2 x 3 frame connectors flat, went you get the ride height and get the ladder bars parallel to the world is the front cross member for the ladder bar does hit the frame connector very good...
 
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