Ladder bars or Lift bars: and advice?

[BillyGman]

I didn't place this thread in the "Garage" forum, since it isn't having to do with Marauders......

anyway, I've noticed that there are both Lift bars as well as Ladder bars that are now being advertised for coil spring cars (like my 70 Chevelle SS) that are bolt-on, and that do NOT require any welding. So I know this is merely a shot in the dark, but has anyone had any experience with the use of either on a coil spring car? And what do you think will yield better straight line traction off the starting line as well as from a traffic light? Ladder bars, or lift bars???

I'll be using anti-sway bars too (both front and back) and I'm leaning towards the lift bars, but I'm not sure which would provide more traction for an 800 HP full frame coil spring car.

[TAF]

I didn't place this thread in the "Garage" forum, since it isn't having to do with Marauders......

anyway, I've noticed that there are both Lift bars as well as Ladder bars that are now being advertised for coil spring cars (like my 70 Chevelle SS) that are bolt-on, and that do NOT require any welding. So I know this is merely a shot in the dark, but has anyone had any experience with the use of either on a coil spring car? And what do you think will yield better straight line traction off the starting line as well as from a traffic light? Ladder bars, or lift bars???

I'll be using anti-sway bars too (both front and back) and I'm leaning towards the lift bars, but I'm not sure which would provide more traction for an 800 HP full frame coil spring car.

This is Bryan...I work with Todd:

Both will work , but the "lift bars" use the stock upper mount and if you are going to hammer this car I'd use the bolt on ladder bars. This helps to lessen the load on the stock mount. I hope this helps.

BTW...get that thing down here and let us build the monster exhaust for this monster!!!

[ckadiddle]

This is Bryan...I work with Todd:

BTW...get that thing down here and let us build the monster exhaust for this monster!!!
I agree...and y'all had better post pictures of it, please. :D

[BillyGman]

I agree...and y'all had better post pictures of it, please. :DThanks for your interest in my project. Yes, I'll be posting pics when it's finished, as well as some progress pics of it in another week or so. I'm going to try and keep the pics to a minimum on here though, since it might be poor board etiquette to take up a lot of space here with pics of a car that isn't a Marauder, nor even a Ford product, and I don't want to offend anyone. :)

[BillyGman]

This is Bryan...I work with Todd:

Both will work , but the "lift bars" use the stock upper mount and if you are going to hammer this car I'd use the bolt on ladder bars. This helps to lessen the load on the stock mount. I hope this helps.

BTW...get that thing down here and let us build the monster exhaust for this monster!!! Hi Bryan!!!

it's been awhile since we've talked. I really appreciate tremendously how both Todd and yourself have went out of your way to help me with this project right from the very start, even when I was still looking for a car to buy. Both of you are the greatest in my book!! :bows:

If there's any way possible for me to get the car down there this summer, I definitely will. I wish that I can call you guys up on the phone right now and set a date for that, but between this expensive project of mine, and the 7 week long labor strike that I was unfortunately a part of a couple months ago, I don't know if I'm going to be able to even take any time off from work until next winter!! :mad: In fact, because of that, any vacation at all might be out for me this year. :alone:

But if there's a way, then I'll be seeing you. Only time will tell my friend. About your comments concerning the lift bars, I saw an advertisement in the Jegs catalog (and Jegs has bought out "South Side" and now sells their lift bars under their own name as does Lakewood too) and it stated that they bolt-in right in place of the LOWER control arms, rather than the upper ones as you've indicated. So can it be that the lift bars that you're talking about are different??? perhaps you're thinking of the "NO-HOP" bars that are sold, which do bolt up to the top. This is a tough choice, because some guys have told me that the Ladder bars are the ones that are tough on adjacent parts such as the axle tubes, and frame brackets. So it's difficult for me to determine which would be better for me.( I also welcome anyone else to shed some light on this too.)

Bryan, I have to add that you are absolutely correct about how I'll be driving this car....YES, I will be hammering it often!!! :D Which is why I'm concerned about using the suspension parts that will give this car as much traction as I can out of it, on the drag strip, and even on the street. And with the level of torque this engine of mine will deliver, that's going to be a very tall order, particularly on the street with the 30" tall M/T drag radials that I'll be using. What about negotiating turns on the street? I've heard that Ladder bars will make that worse, and Lift bars will not. I don't expect this car to handle anything like a late model Vette or anything like that, but I do want it to take the turns halfway decent, even under part throttle, w/out getting all out of shape and out of control. In fact, I'll be using anti-sway bars on the front and back, which I've already purchased.