Ladder bars-----

Getting ready to watch Daytona, doing some planning for the suspension on the '57... I'll be running the composite leaf springs on the rear, with housing floaters, sliders on the rear leafs, Watt's linkage, and AFCO shocks.

Considering the ladder bar length. Seems all the manufacturer's make their one size fits all stuff to be either 30" or 32" long and I'm probably going to build some longer bars for the '57, because of the long wheelbase... Thinking I'll go out to about 35" or 36" long with an adjustable lower link. I'll have the engine set back 7" in the chassis and am looking to get good weight transfer and can use the AFCO shocks to tune in the hit on the bars based on whether I'm setting things up for the street or the track..

I know everybody uses coilovers, I'm going with leafs so that I can have more tuneability in the shocks and use them for just dampening rather then having to support the rear weight of the car, too....

What do you think about the bar length and the rest of the components? Just looking for some input and wondering if there's anything I've overlooked...????

Well I'm not sure 35/36 would be long enough. with a long wheel base the longer the ladders should be. Thats just my old school way of thinking

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Originally Posted by cffisher

Well I'm not sure 35/36 would be long enough. with a long wheel base the longer the ladders should be. Thats just my old school way of thinking

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Me too Charlie, at least that's how we used to build them...Heck, the one's on my 56 Ford were 42" long.... How much do you suppose the engine setback, and as a result less front end weight, effects weight transfer on the car???

most of those off the shelf lengths co incide with mounting points around the same area as the leaf springs would attach--the body/frame are usually somewhat re inforced there

Hmmm. Hadn't thought of that Jerry. Suppose that's the only reason they limit the length on the store-bought units??? Another one of the good things about building your own is that size, length, and materials can be optimized for that particular car!

Dave..I think if you lowered the engine you would get better weight transfer than moving it back...Or did you say that earlier?? Doing both would realy scream

Yeah, the engine will be low, too. I've got to build a new front frame section, it will include a crossmember just in front of the oil pan. Planning on having the bottom of the pan about 1/2" above the bottom of the crossmember.

Ladder bars & leaf springs.. I ran that setup on my 69 Cougar.

I was less than happy with the outcome... rear of car never reacted as I wanted.. It was ok when we'd go to the drags, we had the setup nailed for that, but around town or gettin' dicey on the highway if felt lousy.

Just sayin'!

I've always had good luck making leaf springs work on the street....I learned early on that housing floaters, ladder bars, and good shocks are what it takes. I'll run the composite (plastic) leaf spring on the '57, kind of expensive but so much lighter, perform better, and maintain their rate much longer then steel springs. I had them on one of my Mavericks with double adjustable Pro shocks for the strip, changed over to a non-adjustable shock (like 3-6 valving) for the street. With housing floaters, all the leaf does is support the weight of the car and doesn't figure in at all, other then having the correct rate, on how the chassis works......

I just didn't like the feeling at all! Just a preference I think.

Yeah, leaf suspension has a totally different feel to it then coilovers or coil springs on the back.... Not sure why, but always seemed to me that with leafs on the back I could "throttle steer" the car into a turn and get on the power a lot sooner coming out, often before the turn's apex on curves less then 90 degrees. Then, it's all about having the right shock valving and a good anti-roll bar on the rear!!!! Dirt trackin' in the late model with composite leafs on the back, I think it was the best forward bite of any car I ever drove!!!!!

I always thought that the leafs with ladder bars were too rigid. I could throttle steer the Mustang with the 390 GT & 4 speed. Dang uni-body! LOL..

If the car doesn't have housing floaters, they will bind up in a turn. The leaf spring just has too much to do if it's bolted solid to the rear end housing!!!!! With the floaters and ladder bars, then all the springs do is hold the car up and the shocks and anti-roll bar do all the suspension work!!!! Should I ever get the '57 done, you should come over and take a drive in it!!!!
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I tend to get a bit carried away and spend waaaaaaaay too much time and money on my own cars but I want them to be equally capable on the street, strip, and through the curves!!!! Always a matter of compromise to get a car to work well in all 3 situations, but it sure keeps the old brain busy during the course of a build!!!!!!

still going to bind in a turn with ladder bars and bumps in the road .bars are soild to both side of a solid axle and when with ladders you load one side the other still will see it. the load the other way no give. less you go. 3 or 4 bar. but still not to bad of a ride. rise and fall is the same pre side with ladder s less you float them as well:whacked:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Should I ever get the '57 done, you should come over and take a drive in it!!!!!!!!!!

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If you get this one finished... I'll take you up on that offer! I hope you can change my opinion! :D

Hope you know you'll be more the welcome to take the toys for a spin if you come by! I've built a few leaf spring cars over the years, each was an improvement over it's predecessor...the '57 will be the combination of what I've learned so far from some of my ideas. I "cheat" a bit on my ladder bars. The 'store bought' units all run solid rod ends where they attach to the rear end housing, this one will have heim joints for the attachment, as well as a Watts linkage with heim joints that is set parallel with the axle housing. Still doing some plotting on shock locations for the rear, even considering dual shocks on the rear and some 'out of the box' shock valving on them. Oh yeah, the front suspension will be a strut type arrangement with rack and pinion steering. I do like my toys to handle well!

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hope you know you'll be more the welcome to take the toys for a spin if you come by! I've built a few leaf spring cars over the years, each was an improvement over it's predecessor...the '57 will be the combination of what I've learned so far from some of my ideas. I do like my toys to handle well!

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Thank You Dave! I'm excited about trying out your toy! But even moreso about meeting you! So now you just gotta Get' R Done! :LOL::LOL::LOL: and I'll make every effort to meet you.

If I ever build another it'll be a 3 link rear---absolutely no binding thru out full suspension travel--little more complicated during the build and set up, but I feel that the 4 bar builders took the easy road when moving up from the ladder bar era----but at about that same time, Lamb came along with the front strut system----it made so much improvement in the front to help performance that the rear was then over looked for years

Dave--here is a couple of 57 chev at Morris, Il Cruise Nite

Thanks for putting up the pictures, Jerry, both are very neat cars!!! The old gassers were sure kewl looking cars, impractical as all get out with all that stuff hangin' up there in the wind, but nevertheless, way kewl!!!! I'd guess the guy with the black car had a really large bill at the chrome shop!!!