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Generally the right would get the preload making the right side have more weight...BUT...some cars like to be set up neutral and some..like mine.. like negative preload. I set the anti-roll up neutral and make the adjustments with the 4-link. Some people use the anti-roll for preload also.

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I keep the anti roll at neutral all the time.. I load
it with the upper right bar(or negative if needed)

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sounds like there is no set rule- start neutral, and adjust as necessary? neutral with the driver in the car? or without? please pardon my ignorance, but i've raced nothing but leaf spring cars.

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No there is no set rule as to pre load... that is
determined on which way the car goes on launch...
and that means at the line to maybe 50-60 ft out...
really anything beyond that can be alignment or brakes
or other factors.. like Erics car likes a touch of
negative pre load, my car likes about 10# of +pre load..
so you get the idea.. and once you take the play
out of the bar (upper right) it doesnt usually take
much unless something is wrong... all this is based
on the zero of the car at race weight...
Note... if you go to square up the car like slingshot
said make sure what the front end is.. my car has
3/4" of stagger built into the front end(right tire
is set back 3/4" to give me a longer roll out) and
a lot of chassis shops do the same thing

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Hopefully the car will go straight the way it is already set up. My car is 150 lbs heavier on the left front than the right rear. Do I care? No. All I care about is if it goes straight when I let go of the button. And it does. I have some buddies that think you are supposed to put it on scales and crank the preload into it until it has the same weight on the rear wheels. I don't know why. There are experts somewhere who could take your wheel weights and horsepower and set the car preload before you go to the track but they don't live next door to you, so you have to learn this yourself. Set your 4-link heim joints up where the left hand thread joints are in the front. You didn't say how much horsepower you have, lets say you have 800. If you set it up with no preload it will probably drift to the right after the launch. Put a half a flat of preload in it and make another hit. Keep working it until it goes straight, then life will be good.

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That would work for me

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I'm in a similar situtaion as Carls freind, new to me, tube chassis car and no good chassis books in my poccession, yet. Not to hijack this tread but when you guys use the word "negative" or "positive" preload would you please explain which bar and which way to adjust it to get that and what to look for on a scale when adjusting it those two ways

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Pretty simple Cab.. when people talk about changing/adjusting
pre load its the upper right bar on the 4-link system...
when you shorten that bar it pushes the right rear
tire downward.. which adds weight on that scale...
if you lengthen it its lifting that tire.. taking
weight off that scale.... if the car goes to the right
off the line that means the left tire is doing more
work pushing the car to the right... in that case
you ADD pre load(shorten the bar).. if the car is
going to the left.. the right tire is working more
so you take pre load out... (lengthen the bar)
EDIT
when we say positive = ADDING pre load... negative
= going negative from the zero point...everything on
preload is from the upper right bar starting at zero
(zero pre-load) then you add or subtract a FLAT or more
from that point... a flat is the hex flats on the
adjuster bar....I hope I said it simple enough ...
but it is very simple
EDIT 2
Also Cab... each bar has a certain job assigned to
it... the 2 lower bars are for setting the length
of the axle housing AND squaring the housing...
remember that the tire is out past the bars so if
you turn the lower right bar out to lengthen the
axle it will pivot on the left bar so the left tire
just got closer... so you need to use BOTH lower bars
to set the length and square the axle housing...
next is the upper left bar... this bar is to set the
pinion angle... then the upper right is the pre load
bar... if you use each bar in this manner you can
talk to anyone and talk the same language