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Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
#752314
07/19/10 11:29 AM
07/19/10 11:29 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,852
KENTUCKY
69CHARGERMD
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Question....
How much of an advantage would you expect going from a Caltrac setup,,,,,to a Ladder bar setup ?
I have a 65 Plymouth,,,,,Caltrac's,,,,bracket car,,,low 10's,,,,foot brake,,,etc,,,,typically run in the PRO class with it....
Problem is the 60's are all over the place,,,,,
I know there are alot of other variable,,,, tires,,,front end,,,,driver,,,etc,,,,
but if you take that stuff out of the equation........How much of an advantage would a Ladder bar set up be over the Caltracs
Is it worth the effort ??
Any downside to the Ladder bars ??
What would be a ballpark cost to have it installed,,,,etc... ?
thanks for any opinions.....
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: emarine01]
#752317
07/19/10 12:05 PM
07/19/10 12:05 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,020
Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart
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I doubt there is much advantage at 10.00 . If you compare every detail of your chassis with a similar car that works, you will probably find the problem. I would look at shocks, spring rates, bind in the suspension, and check both ends of the car.
8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: gregsdart]
#752319
07/19/10 12:22 PM
07/19/10 12:22 PM
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Posts: 12,418
Taxes & Virus's R-US, NY
Dragula
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Are you running the Caltrac's with mono's or super stock springs? My understanding is they do not like SS springs. I run both ladders & mono's, and even a ladder bar set-up takes some work. I like the Caltrac's with mono's better, but my ladder bars set-up has a tough job having such a short ride height to deal with.
Last edited by Dragula; 07/19/10 07:03 PM.
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: Big Squeeze]
#752321
07/19/10 12:33 PM
07/19/10 12:33 PM
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 341
Highland beach Fl
poisondart2
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Quote:
I know guys that have switched and are glad they did.........MUCH more consistant 60' times and tires last longer..... 
This may be true BUT did they also go to a better shock? Keep the springs or go to coil? Bigger tire also usually comes with the mod of ladder bars. Cal Tracs or go 4-link and be done with it
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: 69CHARGERMD]
#752322
07/19/10 12:53 PM
07/19/10 12:53 PM
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Posts: 13,402
Marion, South Carolina [><]
an8sec70cuda
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You can go to ladder bars w/o cutting the car up. Seen it done on several cars.
Cal-Tracs are the best thing out there for leaf springs, but if the classes you want to run allow ladder bars, then I'd definitely use them. I am NOT talking about using ladder bars with leaf springs. I am referring to ladder bars and coil overs.
Although, for a low 10 sec car, I don't know how much benefit they'd be over Cal-Tracs and leaf springs.
CHIP
'70 hemicuda, 575" Hemi, 727, Dana 60
'69 road runner, 440-6, 18 spline 4 speed, Dana 60
'71 Demon, 340, low gear 904, 8.75
'73 Chrysler New Yorker, 440, 727, 8.75
'90 Chevy 454SS Silverado, 476" BBC, TH400, 14 bolt
'06 GMC 2500HD LBZ Duramax
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: an8sec70cuda]
#752323
07/19/10 01:22 PM
07/19/10 01:22 PM
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KENTUCKY
69CHARGERMD
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Thanks guys,,,,,
Sounds like it is not worth the effort,,,,, this is what i wanted to hear,,,appreciate the honesty.
I am going to leave it alone,,,,and keep tuning on it,,,with the Caltrac's
It's just a low 10 sec bracket car,,,weekend racing type of thing....
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: 69CHARGERMD]
#752324
07/19/10 01:24 PM
07/19/10 01:24 PM
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United Socialist States of Ame...
tboomer
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Quote:
I am going to leave it alone,,,,and keep tuning on it,,,with the Caltrac's
Good move,Doc!! 
Need your rear end checked out? Contact Grizzly!!
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: 69CHARGERMD]
#752325
07/19/10 01:34 PM
07/19/10 01:34 PM
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 43,308
Bend,OR USA
Cab_Burge
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Bend,OR USA
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My is that IF YOU(class rules) have to run Cal Tracs run them, if you don't use ladder bars  I know several past division (6&7)Pro bracket cars that won their championships with ladder bars and leaf springs, one with sliders and one with the bolt on floaters  I have raced and driven several different ladder bar cars, all of them hooked no matter what, unless the tires where bad. I have seen a lot of comments on here from Cal Trac racers wanting to know what to do to make there cars work  Not so usually on ladder bar cars My street car runs ladder bars and coil overs with a diagonal link, it hooks in a mud bog during a monsoon  
Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: 69CHARGERMD]
#752326
07/19/10 02:03 PM
07/19/10 02:03 PM
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Missouri
StrokerPost
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Quote:
Problem is the 60's are all over the place,,,,,
Doug, based on that statement, I would ask how much tuning/adjusting have you done on it to try to correct it? With either there will be the "experimental" stage trying to find what it likes, and for a 10.0 footbrake car, once you find the bite there would be no advantage. Here is an example of a 10.0 car with Cal's and ity'll run that 10.07 on the glass all day. He has since this pic switched to the Ultra Link set up with coil overs and runs the same ET.
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: StrokerPost]
#752327
07/19/10 02:25 PM
07/19/10 02:25 PM
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KENTUCKY
69CHARGERMD
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Hey Ken,,,, thanks for the post... I feel like i have tryed several things,, New front K frame,(tubular, bondobob set up) New MP .840 torsion bars, QA-1 and Calvert front shocks, yada, yada,, My slicks were shot last year,,,so i really havent had a chance to tune stuff this year with the new slicks ,, yet. I'll keep at it,,,,i was able to get the 60' to 1.40-1.42,,in the past... I just need to find out what it likes,,,and get some video of the car,,,and see what it's doing,,, I did get the car down to 10.12 with a 1.44 60' in Columbus,, 
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: Cab_Burge]
#752328
07/19/10 02:45 PM
07/19/10 02:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,695
nc
emarine01
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Quote:
My is that IF YOU(class rules) have to run Cal Tracs run them, if you don't use ladder bars I know several past division (6&7)Pro bracket cars that won their championships with ladder bars and leaf springs, one with sliders and one with the bolt on floaters I have raced and driven several different ladder bar cars, all of them hooked no matter what, unless the tires where bad. I have seen a lot of comments on here from Cal Trac racers wanting to know what to do to make there cars work Not so usually on ladder bar cars My street car runs ladder bars and coil overs with a diagonal link, it hooks in a mud bog during a monsoon
Monsoon  I cant get my ladder bars to hook in just the mod bog  I cant run coil overs just leafs with sliders, it seems the spring under axle guys are goin to cal tracs over ladder and leafs in the mud, can you run cal tracs with spring over axle set up? I haven't seen one 
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: emarine01]
#752329
07/19/10 05:59 PM
07/19/10 05:59 PM
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MN
JERICOGTX
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I've installed ladder bars in a couple B bodies now, and you do NOT need to cut the car up to install them. The only thing that needs to be cut out is the stock flimsy upper shock mount. The front cross member welds into the subframe connectors, and you weld in a tube for the upper shock mount. It's a simple install, and the results will be worth the minimal effort.
I made the switch about 9 years ago, and have never regretted it.
Jeff
69 GTX
68 Road Runner
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Re: Caltrac's vs Ladder Bar suspension
[Re: dvw]
#752332
07/19/10 10:12 PM
07/19/10 10:12 PM
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MI, usa
dvw
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