Ladder bars?
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Ladder bars?
I was wondering how hard it is to setup ladderbars in my 84 T/A? What kind of work is involved?
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Ladder bars?
There are still pictures on my web site when I used ladder bars. Hardest part is the typical generic ladder bars don't easily fit. The third gen axle sits high up in the body or has a low floor depending how you look at it. The front ladder bar mount needs to be inside the car. I fabricated some channels through the floor and made some boxes to fit over the front mounts.
A third gen specific style ladder bar will have the bars fabricated so they'll fit under the floor. Not too sure how many adjustment points you'll get if you can raise it higher than the floor.
Last winter I yanked out the ladder bars and did a complete back half and 4-link.
A third gen specific style ladder bar will have the bars fabricated so they'll fit under the floor. Not too sure how many adjustment points you'll get if you can raise it higher than the floor.
Last winter I yanked out the ladder bars and did a complete back half and 4-link.
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Ladder bars?
I put ladder bars in my car when I installed a junkyard 9" diff. It was easier than trying to adapt a way to mount the torque arm to use the "stock style" suspension.
#5
Re: Ladder bars?
i agree with xpndble3 on this one...if your doing it to cut costs on a new rearend, i would just save my pennies for a little longer and get a moser unit. the torque arm/lca's work too good.
have you done anything to the stock suspension yet? i would look at a set of lca relocation brackets before doing anything major...set the lca's to the bottom hole and HOLD ON!
have you done anything to the stock suspension yet? i would look at a set of lca relocation brackets before doing anything major...set the lca's to the bottom hole and HOLD ON!
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Re: Ladder bars?
So LCA's and relocation brackets? I dont mind saving for the moser unit I was just curious to these. What else would you suggest for a serious street/strip car. Engine is being built into the low 11's.
#7
Re: Ladder bars?
well...the stock style suspension has been known to go 7.5x's at 190+mph, so you're not quite as serious as you think. don't get me wrong, low 11's is quick, especially if it's n/a and a street driven car.
here's my setup, and i know it'll handle more power than i'm putting to it:
-jegster torque arm
-jegster bolt in sfc's, that i welded in and added extra bracing
-v6 springs all the way around with 1 coil cut off front, 1.5 off rear
-worn stock struts with 220K on them
-monroe replacement rear shocks
-lakewood lca's
-BMR Fabrication lca relocation brackets
-spohn non-adjustable panhard rod
-275/60/16 M/T ET Street RADIALS.
best 60' with my 305 was a 1.665
here's my setup, and i know it'll handle more power than i'm putting to it:
-jegster torque arm
-jegster bolt in sfc's, that i welded in and added extra bracing
-v6 springs all the way around with 1 coil cut off front, 1.5 off rear
-worn stock struts with 220K on them
-monroe replacement rear shocks
-lakewood lca's
-BMR Fabrication lca relocation brackets
-spohn non-adjustable panhard rod
-275/60/16 M/T ET Street RADIALS.
best 60' with my 305 was a 1.665
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Re: Ladder bars?
I think I'll follow that suspension. It seems like a good setup esp. with those 60' times. I was just curious as to how hard they would have been. Now it's just picking uot the SFC's.
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Re: Ladder bars?
My goal is to hit 10's with the car N/A but I doubt it's going to happen on my 406. I dont want to use spray and the compression is way too high for boost and I dont want to build another bottom end. I'll be following some of these ideas. I know I'm also putting in a tubular K-member.
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Re: Ladder bars?
My 406 is worked over with World sportsman II's with lots of port work, .630/.630 lift cam in the 250 duration range, 13:1 compression, Vic jr. intake soon, and a 750 DP carb. Not sure on the stall yet and most likely a th350 tranny with a 12 bolt, spool, and some steep gears, 4.10's?
#13
Re: Ladder bars?
hmm, i run mid 10's n/a on stock suspension, with a 383, ask mw66nova he wil tell you, its just a wimpey factory roller lol. oh yeah its got a 750 d/p style carb might flow a little more but not alot, but it is definitly holding it back n/a.
and uh even with stock suspension, my 60's are decent, low 1.3 to high 1.2's......on the rear wheels. moral of the blabering, dont bother with the ladder bars.
and uh even with stock suspension, my 60's are decent, low 1.3 to high 1.2's......on the rear wheels. moral of the blabering, dont bother with the ladder bars.
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Car: 1987 Camaro
Engine: 406
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Moser 31 spline / 4.86
Re: Ladder bars?
My goal is to hit 10's with the car N/A but I doubt it's going to happen on my 406. I dont want to use spray and the compression is way too high for boost and I dont want to build another bottom end. I'll be following some of these ideas. I know I'm also putting in a tubular K-member.
![chevy](https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/images/smilies/chevy.gif)
#15
Re: Ladder bars?
hmm, i run mid 10's n/a on stock suspension, with a 383, ask mw66nova he wil tell you, its just a wimpey factory roller lol. oh yeah its got a 750 d/p style carb might flow a little more but not alot, but it is definitly holding it back n/a.
and uh even with stock suspension, my 60's are decent, low 1.3 to high 1.2's......on the rear wheels. moral of the blabering, dont bother with the ladder bars.
and uh even with stock suspension, my 60's are decent, low 1.3 to high 1.2's......on the rear wheels. moral of the blabering, dont bother with the ladder bars.
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Car: 1984 Firebird T/A
Engine: 406sbc
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: Moser 9"
Re: Ladder bars?
Well people keep telling me my motor is going to have to be a monster motor with no streetablility and crap to get into the 10's N/A. So I just figured it wasnt too possible with what I'm doing to the motor.
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Car: '89 IROC-Z
Engine: Canfield 195 headed 358ci
Transmission: TH350, Art Carr 9.5"
Axle/Gears: 3.92 Dana 44
Re: Ladder bars?
I'm another guy with stock suspension that has been in the 11's... I've done 1.5x 60ft's on countless occasions with 100% stock suspension and a set of 27x10.5" Hoosier DOT slicks. Literally, I have absolutely no suspension upgrades, no sub-frame connectors, and no roll bar. Only thing I altered from the factory suspension is both sway bars have been removed.
Obviously, upgrading your suspension definitely will not hurt but completely altering it is downright goofy for a 10-11 second car.
Obviously, upgrading your suspension definitely will not hurt but completely altering it is downright goofy for a 10-11 second car.
#18
Re: Ladder bars?
I'm another guy with stock suspension that has been in the 11's... I've done 1.5x 60ft's on countless occasions with 100% stock suspension and a set of 27x10.5" Hoosier DOT slicks. Literally, I have absolutely no suspension upgrades, no sub-frame connectors, and no roll bar. Only thing I altered from the factory suspension is both sway bars have been removed.
Obviously, upgrading your suspension definitely will not hurt but completely altering it is downright goofy for a 10-11 second car.
Obviously, upgrading your suspension definitely will not hurt but completely altering it is downright goofy for a 10-11 second car.
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Car: Camaro
Engine: 305-150/254 combo
Transmission: TH350 or T200
Axle/Gears: Srange 12 bolt; 5.14 or 5.38
Re: Ladder bars?
The stock suspension is actually an excellent drag racing set up. With a few simple bolt ons it will take whatever you throw at it. On mine I run the South Side Machine lower arms, stock torque that I boxed to strengthen it, QA-1 shocks, Pete-Z bars, stock rear sway bar and 6 cyl springs with air bags. Best 60' so far with the 305 is a 1.46 and has gone 11.2's with the 400 bracket/street motor and 11.3's with the 305 stocker motor.
#27
Re: Ladder bars?
hmm no idea bout how them w's got under there, wasnt me i didnt do it.....
I like the way the w tire looks, that extra tire filling the wheel well up looks good, just minor massageing lol
I like the way the w tire looks, that extra tire filling the wheel well up looks good, just minor massageing lol
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