so i was shopping around for a rear for my blown iroc...found a ford 9 inch from currie with a locker nad 4:11s in it in a 86 from a guy i kno...now the thing is he has southside ladder bars welded to the rear and a crossmember welded into the subframe connectors which im also using....i want my car to still handle good since it is still a street car...a fast blown street can but still a street car....im wondering how does a laddr bar setup handle...if its bad i can just whach the ladder bars off and use the boxed arms i have since the rear still has all the provisions for the suspension and the torque arm and whatnot...i just dont want it to handle like ****....anyone have a clue...

 

I have been in a few ladder bar cars, straight they are not so bad, tight but not unbearable, I couldn`t vouch for handling because they were all 1/4 milers.

 

if its a street car, i would for sure not run ladder bars or 4 link. when you say its fast... how fast do you mean?
in other words, i would consider going to 4 link or ladders if my car was capable of mid 8's in the 1/4. otherwise, get in touch with s&w and order all their bolt-in stuff for a 3rd gen.

 

well the drivetrain in good tune is going to be capable of layin down 9 sec passes...but i like to drive the car so no tubs no ladder bars no crazy **** just an insane fast street car with a show car paintjob...cage subframes and all the good things blown motor ford 9 inch good tranny all the good stuff...but still a street car...so no ladder bar so far...anyone else...

 

Ladder bars are for straight line only! - They will not allow rear body roll around corners. Think about it. You have fixed links welded to the axle tubes. They have one pivot point at the front. When one wheel goes up or down, the other also has to. Zero independence, zero body roll.
As for 4-link set-ups - aftermarket systems are drag race oriented. For traction, you lower the front of the top bar, thus creating "anit-squat" and causing the axle to rotate downward under acceleration, thus planting the tires. BUT, now that the upper and lower links are not parrallel, when you go into a corner, as the body rolls, the links either pull towards or push away from the body, thus lengthening and shortening the wheel base of the car. Thus, one side pulls forward, the other pushes backward and you have roll over-steer. VERY BAD!

There are plenty of factory suspension 3rd/4th gen cars running solidly into the bottom 8's.

 

thanx man, i appreciate it a lot, you just saved me some money and a lock of hackin up on the car, im just gonna trow the rear in with some boxed arms and call it a day...thanx again man.

 

I have that set up on my car it works Ok for around town and has gone a best of 1.40 60 ft time.

 

yeah mine is a streetcar still...so no ladder bars for me...once again....thanx guys