Ladder Bar Setup

[craggar]

I just about ready to take my Vega to the track since I put a front clip[ and 10 point cage in it and was wondering if anyone had some suggestions on setting up my ladder bars without scales.
The b/h was done a long time ago and has very short ladder bars (21").I have everything nuetral right now and just had the alignment checked which came out good.Should I just leave it the way it is for now and see what it does or should I add some preload right off the bat?Tks

[Bobalos]

Hey bubba,

I was told to leave everything neutral & to see how the car goes. if it goes straight to leave it alone if it does not to put one flat @ a time of preaload into it & if it does not go straight with 1 full turn to stop & re-evaluate whats going on. I did not have to put any into it, & it went nice & straight. the best ET I got out of it was a 6.41, which is about a 10.0 1/4 mile.

Bob

[Chris Uratchko]

Cragger, only mess with one bar, passenger side for tuning. Start out neutral. If the car goes right, lengthen the bar a flat, and if it goes left, shorten the bar a flat... if it's severe then a couple flats.

[craggar]

Tks guys,I guess the car is pretty much ready then so I should be making some passes on Sat to see if it goes straight or not.

[Bobalos]

Chris,

thats assuming that the adjuster is on the bottom, right? some of us GDR's have the old school bars with the adjuster on the top.

Good luck Craig.

Bob

[craggar]

Chris,

thats assuming that the adjuster is on the bottom, right? some of us GDR's have the old school bars with the adjuster on the top.

Good luck Craig.

Bob
Good point Bob, I have no adjusters and have to drop the bar to make adjustments.When you guys said a flat I was thinking that was half a turn on the heim joint,and from reading Dave Morgan's book that would be the top one on the diff right?
I put the window net in last night which was a bit of a pain with a swing out side bar and now excited but also a little nervous on how the car is going to work since we changed so much. I'm not even going to fill the Nitrous bottle so I don't go and do something stupid like launch with the juice.Typically I'm pretty confident in everything I do but I'm getting older and wiser now "lol" and don't mind taking my time to make sure things are up to snuff before I go all out.
I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[craggar]

I set the bars in the neutral postition and the car went straight as an arrow.Tks for the help.

[Bobalos]

Right on, glad to hear it went well for you.

Bob

[Chris Uratchko]

Sheesh!!! I'm talking the modern ladder bars, like 1955 and up :-D

No seriously I'm talking the ones with the adjusters on the bottom link... not talking flats on the hiem. Flats on the wrench hex. Thought that was a new car craggar?????

[craggar]

LOL, no Chris it was back halved in 1980 but never went faster than mid 12's before I got it, then this winter I with the help of a friend we did the tube chasis from the b/h forward.
I guess i figured out pretty good because it went straight as an arrow and hooked great all weekend on motor now I'm going to hit the juice and see if it will stand on the bumper with thoose short ladder bars. :lol: