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Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? #1243607 06/01/12 05:40 PM 06/01/12 05:40 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	Any opinions? My friend's car has a home made square tubing one that has broke 3 times now. Looks like it was a nice piece at one time but has been in the car since the early 70's and is just been scabbed up too much to repair again. Just wanting opinions/experience with different types/brands. Thanks, Beep

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243608 06/01/12 05:49 PM 06/01/12 05:49 PM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,285 okla. sam64 pro stock
sam64 pro stock Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,285 okla.	if you don't brace either one of them properly they will twist and break at the frame.i use round and diagonal brace to the point of the front ladder bar brackets.

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: sam64] #1243609 06/01/12 06:07 PM 06/01/12 06:07 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	The one in the car is braced right on top of the front rod end of the ladder bar with a diagonal off the main hoop. It actually is an X from the main hoop to the LB mounts. This one keeps cracking in the center of the car. Under the drive shaft or just to the side of it. Hope that reads right. Kind of hard to explain without pics. Would you think that it should have a gusset from that area to the frame ties? Beep

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243610 06/01/12 06:22 PM 06/01/12 06:22 PM
Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,846 MI, usa dvw master
dvw master Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 9,846 MI, usa	That sounds bad for me. I did my new car the same way. Doug

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: dvw] #1243611 06/01/12 06:28 PM 06/01/12 06:28 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	You have to remember that this was installed in the early 70's. Lots of use and fatique I am sure. Just hoping for some insight if round may be better than square/rectangular? Beep

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243612 06/01/12 06:38 PM 06/01/12 06:38 PM
Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,285 okla. sam64 pro stock
sam64 pro stock Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 1,285 okla.	i have seen them crack by the frame but not out where you are saying.so i'm not sure what one would look for on that,i would be looking at the whole frame work.

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243613 06/02/12 12:22 AM 06/02/12 12:22 AM
Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,206 New York polyspheric master
polyspheric master Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 4,206 New York	Hard to figure. Can you give us a drawing? Boffin Emeritus

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243614 06/02/12 12:48 AM 06/02/12 12:48 AM
Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI MR_P_BODY Master
MR_P_BODY Master Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI	You need to brace it at the bottom of the front heim area so you take the torsional twist out... being braced on the top will control forward push but not the torsional twisting... either round or rectangular is fine but round is lighter weight... but if your replacing it might be easier to go back with rectangular(3 X 2 X.125)... he might have .090 wall in it now EDIT also... where they bend the loop area its thinner due to drawing it around on the bender Last edited by MR_P_BODY; 06/02/12 12:57 AM.

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: MR_P_BODY] #1243615 06/03/12 10:12 PM 06/03/12 10:12 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	Mr P, is this what you mean for a brace from the bottom of the front mount. The tube in red being the support to be added. 7234885-LBmount.png (138 downloads)

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243616 06/03/12 10:21 PM 06/03/12 10:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 6,142 Melbourne , Australia LA360 master
LA360 master Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 6,142 Melbourne , Australia	If you use the bottom hole, there is still alot of leverage on that bracket Alan Jones

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: LA360] #1243617 06/03/12 10:29 PM 06/03/12 10:29 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	I agree. You thinking of bringing the support off the side of the bracket up to the frame tie? Beep

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243618 06/03/12 10:42 PM 06/03/12 10:42 PM
Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI MR_P_BODY Master
MR_P_BODY Master Joined: Jun 2003 Posts: 52,972 Romeo MI	Quote: Mr P, is this what you mean for a brace from the bottom of the front mount. The tube in red being the support to be added. Move the red tube to the bottom(forward edge) of the ladder bar bracket.... mount it right in front of the bottom hole on the bracket

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: Bigbeep] #1243619 06/04/12 01:26 AM 06/04/12 01:26 AM
Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 10,010 Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw... gregsdart I Live Here
gregsdart I Live Here Joined: Jan 2003 Posts: 10,010 Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...	Quote: Mr P, is this what you mean for a brace from the bottom of the front mount. The tube in red being the support to be added. I have been running a 2 x 3 x .125 wall in the Dart, no added bracing. Not saying it isn't needed, just worked well for me so far. My brackets might be the reason, they are centered on the cross member rather than part way down as per the photo. My brackets are also as close as you can get to the frame rails and still get a nut on the bolt. I like the 2 x 3 because it helps add stiffness to the chassis. 8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky

Re: Ladder bar x-member. Which is better? round or square? [Re: gregsdart] #1243620 06/04/12 09:58 PM 06/04/12 09:58 PM
Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA Bigbeep OP super stock
Bigbeep OP super stock Joined: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,165 Central Ohio, USA	Thanks guys, Beep

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