Ladder bar suspension installation questions

[Brad4406]

I'm about to line up the drive line and attempt to install my ladder bar suspension. I'll be running ladder bars with a diagonal link. The rear is a Dana that's been narrowed, but still has offset pinion like Mopars. I've read through the Competition Engineering ladder bar crossmember installation procedures and their ladder bar installation procedures along with a few other companies procedures since the ladder bars I have are of unknown origin. Since the rear I'm installing already has the ladder bar brackets welded on evenly from side to side, I'm assuming all I need to do is line it up from side to side and measure the distance between the frame where the front hangars mount and the axle tubes to make sure both sides are even from the front, set the pinion angle, slap the ladder bars on it, cut the ladder bar crossmember to propper width, slip the brackets on it before I weld it in, bolt the forward brackets to the ladder bars, and then tack them onto the crossmember before I do all the final welds.

The instructions call for determining center of driveline, but I figure that will be determined by centering the housing from right to left; is that correct? Have I missed anything?

 

[70aarcuda]

did the dana come out of an A body car?..

Reason I ask..is you need to set the car at the ride height you want with rear under the car...and the ladder bars basically need to be parallel to the world....and that is assuming that your car is on jack stand and is parallel to the world...

other wise ..from what you have written...sounds good...I like to put the ladder bars and coil over spring as far as apart that the frame rail allow ........and once you get everything hanging under the car...measure everything several times...including cross ways from one ladder bar rear mount to the other side front mount to unsure the suspension is square....and not a trapezoid.

and my youngest daughter lives in Lebanon, Oh...i was out there last may.....good luck

 

[68383S]

Brad,

Sounds like your on the right track. Remember the many years of "Hurry up and wait" training you received. This patience will pay off. I just got my 4 link kit in for the 68 so not far behind you. Hope all is well, and I will say Hey to all in the Lowcountry for ya.

Steve
68 Cuda Vert
Charleston SC

 

[Brad4406]

did the dana come out of an A body car?..

Reason I ask..is you need to set the car at the ride height you want with rear under the car...and the ladder bars basically need to be parallel to the world....and that is assuming that your car is on jack stand and is parallel to the world...

other wise ..from what you have written...sounds good...I like to put the ladder bars and coil over spring as far as apart that the frame rail allow ........and once you get everything hanging under the car...measure everything several times...including cross ways from one ladder bar rear mount to the other side front mount to unsure the suspension is square....and not a trapezoid.

and my youngest daughter lives in Lebanon, Oh...i was out there last may.....good luck

Actaully I don't know what it came out of, but it's been narrowed on each side so the pnion is still offset to the passenger side, which suprised me since the fella that I bought it from was a GM fella so I thought for sure it would have been modified to center pinion. Looking from underneath the car, it appears as the driveshaft is centered in the tunnel.

I've currently got jackstands under the subframe connectors so that the car sits level, jackstands under the rear, and a jackstand holding the pinion between 2-4 degrees nose down like the instructions say.

I'm just paranoid about it not coming out right and the car crabbing as she's going down the track.

Next time your out here pm me so you can come by the house for a visit.

Thanks,

Brad

 

[Brad4406]

Brad,

Sounds like your on the right track. Remember the many years of "Hurry up and wait" training you received. This patience will pay off. I just got my 4 link kit in for the 68 so not far behind you. Hope all is well, and I will say Hey to all in the Lowcountry for ya.

Steve
68 Cuda Vert
Charleston SC

Steve,

Good to see you on here. Please do tell everyone I said hello.

Brad

 

[ardentindustries]

The ladder bar brackets on the housing are welded on evenly from what? The housing ends? Or are the equal distance from the pinion centerline? I dont know for sure on a Dana, but a 9", the pinion is about 15/16" offset in the third member.
More or less, you want your driveline to be a straight shot to the pinion on the rearend. So if your engine is offset, youll want the pinion offset. When taking dimensions, take them from pinion centerline to be sure the driveline will be in there straight.
After it is sitting at ride height, with the rearend under it, with pinion lined up with the output shaft of the trans, measure from a common point under the car to the housing end(or backing plate). This assures your pinion is where you want it, and that the tires will be equal distance from the centerline of the car.
Hopefully that all made sense. If I can help anymore, give me a call. 916-397-3465

Kyle

 

[Brad4406]

Kyle,

Thanks for the info. I should have clarified; I meant evenly from housing ends. The pinion is offset to the passenger side and appears to line up in the tunnel.