Ladder bar adjustment

June 02, 2020, 07:38 AM

vega3410

looking to adjust the preload on my car.. its a ladder bar car with double adjustable ladder bars..the car started going right at the end of a test session a couple weeks ago and I thought the track was starting to go away so I didn't think to much about it. Went racing last weekend and it did it slightly in time trials and worse for first round. For 2nd rd I lowered tire pressure a pound and it was better but still launched to the right.. i did add a little more power over last year and the converter isn't as loose as it was last year.

My question is which way do I turn the adjuster on the back of the ladder bar? I'm looking to add to the right bar. How much do I turn it?

June 02, 2020, 08:23 AM

Brktracer

Easiest way is to remove the bolt from the front of the drivers side bar. Adjust that bar down the amount you want the right bar up. Use a jack under the bar to get the bolt back in. That gives a visual of how much preload without having to guess. There are several other ways to accomplish this same thing. Being on good flat ground is very helpful. Most garage floors are not very flat, but sometimes that's all you have to work with.

June 02, 2020, 08:36 AM

Cashflow

If it never did it before and is just now starting to do it be sure and look everything over to make sure nothing is cracked or broken. Good luck!

June 02, 2020, 08:39 AM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by Cashflow:
If it never did it before and is just now starting to do it be sure and look everything over to make sure nothing is cracked or broken. Good luck!

Definitely doing this too..

June 02, 2020, 09:05 AM

Mike Rietow

Put a 9" Ford in it. A 9" Ford won't lose chassis settings twisting, tweaking, turning an axle tube.

Must be a 8.8, 10 or 12 Bolt

June 02, 2020, 09:14 AM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Put a 9" Ford in it. A 9" Ford won't lose chassis settings twisting, tweaking, turning an axle tube.

Must be a 8.8, 10 or 12 Bolt

Dana

June 02, 2020, 09:56 AM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
Put a 9" Ford in it. A 9" Ford won't lose chassis settings twisting, tweaking, turning an axle tube.

Must be a 8.8, 10 or 12 Bolt

Dana

Pressed in tubes, same thing. I wouldn't have anything but a 9" drag racing. I had a 12 bolt I spent a gazillion on, it lost chassis settings all the time. I finally put 400 lbs of ballast in the trunk and Hoosier tires on it, until I could get the 12 bolt out of it. worked alright, I couldn't dominate like I wanted to with it, but it bought me some time, and was competitive to a degree.

A small change like you're talking, is a small chassis setting loss. It could be a spring, shock or something other than the Dana I suppose, They're pretty good. But ultimately you gotta get it going straight again, and scale it four corners, to track the chassis settings.

I like a 9" you can rule out a variable, makes life a little easier. Very competitive.

June 02, 2020, 10:36 AM

TOP38

Mike has a good point about the rear end housings for 12 bolts and Dana's. But you never mentioned any details about your combo! How much power before vs now. How much tire on the rear? ETC. Lower power combo's, your dana should be fine.

June 02, 2020, 10:52 AM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by TOP38:
Mike has a good point about the rear end housings for 12 bolts and Dana's. But you never mentioned any details about your combo! How much power before vs now. How much tire on the rear? ETC. Lower power combo's, your dana should be fine.

2800 pound vega 477 bbc powerglide Dana 4.88 gear tires m/t 32x14 stiff sidewall.. power change was about 2 and half tenths on the race track. Not a ton but thats the only change from last year..

June 02, 2020, 11:08 AM

TOP38

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by TOP38:
Mike has a good point about the rear end housings for 12 bolts and Dana's. But you never mentioned any details about your combo! How much power before vs now. How much tire on the rear? ETC. Lower power combo's, your dana should be fine.

Stress on the rear housing comes from the torque of the motor, weight of the car and what the tire/chassis can provide hook, which really equals load resistance. Still didn't list how fast our car is, a measure of power! But I'd say your at least close to over powering the dana rear housing.

2800 pound vega 477 bbc powerglide Dana 4.88 gear tires m/t 32x14 stiff sidewall.. power change was about 2 and half tenths on the race track. Not a ton but thats the only change from last year..

June 02, 2020, 11:11 AM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by TOP38:
Mike has a good point about the rear end housings for 12 bolts and Dana's. But you never mentioned any details about your combo! How much power before vs now. How much tire on the rear? ETC. Lower power combo's, your dana should be fine.

2800 pound vega 477 bbc powerglide Dana 4.88 gear tires m/t 32x14 stiff sidewall.. power change was about 2 and half tenths on the race track. Not a ton but thats the only change from last year..

Tighten the rebound 2 clicks driver side - rear - shock

Tighten compression 2 clicks passenger side - rear - shock

Leave everything else the same.

I should have read your entire original post, My bad.

2.5 tenths is a fairly substantial difference in power.

June 02, 2020, 11:26 AM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

June 02, 2020, 11:44 AM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

June 02, 2020, 12:35 PM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

Yeah, you just need to dampen the rearend rotation from running the show, a hair.

June 02, 2020, 04:09 PM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

Yeah, you just need to dampen the rearend rotation from running the show, a hair.

My Fronts are single adjustable QA1 coilovers..

June 02, 2020, 04:31 PM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

Yeah, you just need to dampen the rearend rotation from running the show, a hair.

My Fronts are single adjustable QA1 coilovers..

Try the first suggestion. It may still come out of the water nice and straight.

I was just giving you a few options.

Preload is always the last option. I bet the first suggestion will work.

June 04, 2020, 09:50 AM

TH383

Did you try swapping slicks side to side?

June 13, 2020, 07:28 AM

vega3410

quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

Yeah, you just need to dampen the rearend rotation from running the show, a hair.

My Fronts are single adjustable QA1 coilovers..

Try the first suggestion. It may still come out of the water nice and straight.

I was just giving you a few options.

Preload is always the last option. I bet the first suggestion will work.

Car went nice and straight.. thanks again

June 13, 2020, 08:30 AM

Mike Rietow

quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by vega3410:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
quote:
Originally posted by Mike Rietow:
If it's nice and straight coming out of the water now, you could do half of what I suggested in previous suggestion, in conjunction with tightening driver side front rebound 1 click

It does come out pretty straight..

Yeah, you just need to dampen the rearend rotation from running the show, a hair.

My Fronts are single adjustable QA1 coilovers..

Try the first suggestion. It may still come out of the water nice and straight.

I was just giving you a few options.

Preload is always the last option. I bet the first suggestion will work.

Car went nice and straight.. thanks again

Good deal, anytime