Ladder Bars

[1978 K20]

Hey guys,

I have a few questions about Ladder bars...

First off, does anyone have or know where I can get the brackets for a set of EZ Ride Ladder bars for a 78 pickup? I have the ladders, but the came off a 2nd gen Dodge, so I need new brackets.

2nd question is, after I put the brackets on the axle, do I simply attactch the ladders, and mock up the new crossmember in the frame where the bars end? or is there a "preload" I have to put on them?

and third, does anyone have pictures of their setup?

Thanks!
-John

[acefoxx]

Check Ballistic engeneering. They have all sorts of brackets. It is a pretty universal setup. Might have to fab it a little bit for your application. Now that I have installed a pre fab set of 4 links I would do any furture setup myself. It really isn't that conplicated. I don't know what you mean by preload. They should have some sort of heim joints I would assume. They are used to help fine tune your pinion angle and whatnot. Not sure if a ladder bar system needs it or not but you might need a pan hard bar to keep the rear end centered.

[1978 K20]

Man, I can look for months all over the internet for these brackets, and then you show up and I find them within 30 seconds! THANKS!

Anyway, I think we might be talking two different things, you posted pictures of a 4-link, and I'm talking about ladder bars. Two bars, coming to a single point, and connecting at the axle, and the other end at a crossmember in the frame. Keep in mind I'm still trying to figure this out, so I might just be making a fool out of myself!

[acefoxx]

No I got ya, I was just showing my setup. There is very little differnce between ladder and four link. Depending on our far out on your axel you put the ladders you may not need a crossmember like your thinking. Let me see if I can find this one site I use to read alot. It had all sorts of DIY setups that might help you. Here is a pic. You just mount the foward end to the frame.

[1978 K20]

Now if I'm thinking right, if I didnt put some kind of swing shackle in there, wouldnt it just bind up my entire rear suspension?

[acefoxx]

No, you wouldn't want a shackle in there. You mean on the front end of bar? That would cause the rear end to swing foward and back when your start and stopped. You just want the one pivot so you have travel up and down on the axel. You also need coilover shocks and I am pretty sure you need a pan hard bar to keep the lateral travel from happening.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/

[1978 K20]

yeah I was talking about on the front of the bar. If there is no shackle, how does my axle still travel vertically? wouldnt the bars cause it to bind?

[acefoxx]

the shackel is only needed if you are running a traction bar and still using your leaf springs. A leaf spring is a ladder bar in the way it acts. If you add a ladder bar to a leaf spring setup they will fight each other because you are introducing two different pivot points. Take away the leaf springs and use the ladders and you only have one pivot. The goal being to stop axel roll on hard trq or accel.

[1978 K20]

I guess I have my terms wrong, as I would still be using my leafs... so I guess tecnically I'm putting in "traction bars"

So when I keep my leafs, I WOULD need the shackles at the forward end of the bars?

[acefoxx]

yes, otherwise your would have binding. Unless your bars are close to the same length as the front half of your springs. Take a look at these. I built these back before I converted to 4link.

[1978 K20]

Those are pretty much the pictures I was going for!

I think now all I need to figure out is whether or not I am going to have to have a shackle in there, and how I'm actually going to put this all together. haha.

Thanks a lot for your help.

-John

[acefoxx]

Mine mounted right to the frame, I had to relocate the parcking brake cable bracket off to the side a little with a tack weld. If your bars are as long or longer then the front of the leaf springs you won't need shackles. I raced quite a few times with these things on.

[1978 K20]

Yeah,  looking at these pictures its all making more sense now.

Thanks again.