drag-race style ladder bar setup for handling?

[jerome]

I have an 82 S10, and i was planning on fabbing my own satchell link setup, but i ran into the problem of my frame being to wide to fit the 17x11 ZR1 315/35/17. so now i have a choice of fenders or tubbing bed /narrowing frame. I think tubbing is the cleaner, better way to do it, and i had been thinking how to narrow the stock framerails until i stumbled across this backhalf kit:
http://www.swracecars.com/pdf/CATpg14.pdf

of course i could still buy just the rails and fab my satchell link just the same, but the price and ease of the ladder bar setup is getting to me.

so the big question is...

how well will this ladder bar setup work in contrast to a well designed satchell link setup assuming use of same quality spring/shock in a pro-touring application. FYI, the satchell link that i had been messing with in suspension analyzer was getting some pretty good numbers. i am not 100% fluent on what they all mean, as i am still learning, but i would be able to fit it all in a nice neat package with long bars without cutting the bed open.

Thanks,
Jerome

[blown69nova]

From what I understand, the ONLY time you want to use ladder bars is for drag racing. I believe they would bind way too much to be streetable.
Steve

[Steve Chryssos]

It's designed to go straight and lift the front wheels--which can make steering a problem.

[796spdbu]

Sorry streetfytr68,
I just thought pro-touring is about turning and to see the (which can make steering a problem).I just found it humorous.I applogise and i will leave the site for good for being an inconsiderate
a-hole.Sorry again.

[69Nova]

:lol: :hah: :lmao: I'm not trying to be mean I just found that funny.Didnt steve strope,Pure Vision build a mopar with ladder bars that had 18's in the rear with some bigazz tires.I think I saw it on TLC rides last year.I dont know if it was intended to be a fullout road course car or not but it was cool.Not the acutal post but the last reply.


Again not poking fun of the first post just the last comment.

So you must be a suspension expert. Or atleast someone who has built a car that rip racetracks a 'new one'. You sound like you know what your talking about. Thanks for the technical info.

Dont post retarded things like that unless you have some data or anything we can look at for ourself.

Back on topic.

[jerome]

are those drag race "birdcages" welded to the axle or are they free to pivot? if they are free, and heim joints are used, i dont see why there should be any kinematic bind. i could understand that the drag race suspensions provide bad roll steer or roll center height numbers, but obviously anti squat would be favorable and could be brought down from 100 with the lots of holes they provide. the panhard bar aint too good for handling i guess, cause of the lateral movement with bump.

just wondering if it was cause of the bind, or cause of the bad RCH, roll understeer, etc.

anyways, i have been looking at the pics of the S&W frame more, and i could actually probably use the 4 link front frame mount for my upper bars for the satchell link, then just add a crossmember for the lower angled links. i'm gonna have to call them and see how long the 4 link bars they have are. i dont want my links too short, when i basically have unlimited room to mount bars under the truck bed, no worry bout a rear seat.

another consideration is how narrow the frame is. the S&W frame is narrowed quite a bit more than I need, and I dont know hom much of a difference in handling performance i will feel if the axles aren't really supported at their ends, and are instead supported more towards the middle. stiffer springs would overcome the extra roll, but then they would be stiffer in bump than springs that supported the axle ends. dunno if that makes sense, hard to explain.

Jerome

[astroracer]

Hey Jerome,
You really don't want to start mixing and matching components between purpose built suspensions. A drag race 4 link is not intended for street use, either in design or manufacturing. They do what they are intended to do on a drag car but, when you start subjecting them to potholes, steeply angled driveways and water, dust and dirt, they just will not hold up.
Don't use the "drag race" brackets for your Satchell link either. The brackets are designed with a number of adjustment holes, yes, but those holes are intended to work with the length (i.e. radius) of the links designed for THAT suspension. Changing the length of the links alters that relationship and the adjustment hole layout, or radius, needs to be modified for the new linksradius
You can actually use your stock leave springs to make your truck into a slot car. Some good shocks, a sway bar and polygrahite bushings will do the trick. Narrow your frame to where it needs to be and simply move the springs and all of the hardware with the rails. It's a whole lot cheaper then trying to design and build a new suspension and it will surprise you how well it can handle.
Mark

[Derek69SS]

I think you'd have brake-hop problems with that extremely short SVSA of their ladder-bar setup. The 4-link setup could be made to work pretty well, but not the ladder-bars.

[796spdbu]

If i can be forgiven.Then this is what i know about S&W 4-links.The bars are usaully 17" from eye to eye with the heims left with an 1" on each side to fine tune the wheel base(lowers)and pre-load (uppers).I used to work with a guy that built drag cars.Streetfyter68 I really didnt mean my post to sound so a-holish sorry i changed my reply posted earlier.I am really sorry if i pi--ed any one else off.