Ladder bar or 4-link?

[SuperBuickGuy]

For my probably-never-will-hit-the-track 50 Buick... with the optional high-hp twin turbo Buick mill

what's your flavor and why?


in either case, it'll probably be an airbag suspension.

[STINEY]

Hmmm...I can see airbags used in conjunction with ladder bars changing the centerline of the axle in relation to the fenderlip.

4-link might make more sense, depending on the range of travel we are talking about?

Ladder bars are fun effective simple and cheap. Maybe just build your own and make it extra long to minimize the arc-sweep effect?

[anotheridiot]

I always thought ladder bars were for leaf springs and four links dealt with coil overs or air bags so if the leafs are gone the ladder bar will have nothing to snub up against in the front.

[Loren]

To not get confused with slapper bars, the real difference between ladder bars and a four link is adjustability. With ladder bars, the pivot point is where it is except for a little up-down adjustment...with a four link you can make the effective pivot point wherever you want it including behind the axle or out in front of the car, or at infinity if they're set parallel.

Since infinity is where you might want it on the street (and not have the total roll stiffness on one end of the car and also the stresses on the housing which can actually peel apart from street use over time) I'd go with a four link that includes that option in it's settings, then you can use a ladder-bar-type pivot point location on the strip. My Challenger has ladder bars but that was just to keep it simple and I was OK with the drawbacks.

[Aircooled]

A ladder bar effectively makes the whole axle housing into a super stiff anti-roll bar. Great for drag racing, but driving it on the street puts huge stresses on the bar to axle tube and axle tube to center section welds.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

u'r using a ford panther front set up. why not the rear also..
2 link with watts

[SuperBuickGuy]

u'r using a ford panther front set up. why not the rear also..
2 link with watts

900 hp says that 3 link will look like an S the first time I press the throttle in anger

[weedburner]

3 link or torque arm FTW.

4 link with a parallel bar option for the street isn't all that bad.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I hadn't really considered re-doing the torque arm until you mentioned it - but honestly, there seems (to me, that is) that would actually have a lot of benefits

I'm now starting to reconsider the triangulated 4 bar as well.

[Loren]

If you're not needing that drag strip hooking action where the "instant center" needs to be at some point near the line between the tire contact patch and the c/g...(yada yada yada)...and it sounds like you don't...then the torque arm makes for an easier package. You don't have those upper links fighting with the interior for space in the back seat area, just the lowers which are down and out of the way. And, wheel-hop will never be a problem.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

900 hp says that 3 link will look like an S the first time I press the throttle in anger

then go with the truck arm set up.. it'll put down that power and parts are easy to find.
you'll beat on it less than nascar

[BOOOGHAR]

the trailing arm set up was what was used on the 60-72 GM trucks are 51 inches so going just over 4 feet forward of the rear axle center line is going to put them around the middle of your car more than likely requiring a new cross member for mounting the trailing arms but then you would need a driveshaft loop in it, plus consider exhaust.

4 link you could run the lower bars to where the leaf springs mounted and the the upper bars would go from the rear end housing to the frame but you do have to keep the bars parallel so that could be a problem as well mounting them

IMO keep the leaf springs, get new ones from detroit spring and cal-tracs and call it done

[SuperBuickGuy]

the trailing arm set up was what was used on the 60-72 GM trucks are 51 inches so going just over 4 feet forward of the rear axle center line is going to put them around the middle of your car more than likely requiring a new cross member for mounting the trailing arms but then you would need a driveshaft loop in it, plus consider exhaust.

4 link you could run the lower bars to where the leaf springs mounted and the the upper bars would go from the rear end housing to the frame but you do have to keep the bars parallel so that could be a problem as well mounting them

IMO keep the leaf springs, get new ones from detroit spring and cal-tracs and call it done

no leaf springs


has track bars ala chevy truck

[poison gas]

Why not a complete frame from a 90's caprice. You'll have to stretch it 8" behind the front crossmember due to long nose. I did it to a 47 buick super sedanette and it turned out perfect. I used LT1 drivetrain too.

[Matt Cramer]

That looks like it's already pretty much a giant ladder bar setup. I'd just keep it and work on optimizing spring rates, roll stiffness, and shocks to get the most out of what you've got.