I ask because we have a brand new ladderbar/coil over setup from Jegs from an abandoned project. We're thinking about it for the straight axle Bug build. Even close to being correct? The front s a parralel leaf Speedway setup. Thanks.
My guess is no. Even if they were available, they wouldnt have been common. And since you are already outside the norm, because of the body you are using, I'd stay ultra conservative on all the rest.
i recall a couple cars featured in rod & custom with them...something from Jaguars , i believe koni's. Jim Jacobs gold `28 ford pickup had them they were not normal. late 70's and early 80's is when they started to be popular.i used my first pair in 1985
Thats what I figured but it doesn't hurt to ask. I think it would look better with old style ladder bars and spring cups welded to the housing anyway. But it sure is hard to not use the 500.00 worth of new parts that are already sitting on the garage floor. Anyone looking for a ladder barcoilover setup? What about leafs with ladder bars? I've seen this done too. How well does it work together?
They at least go back to 1966 the Logghe funny cars used them Don Nichleson, Chrisman Comet. Soon after they where showing up on altereds.
Leaf springs with ladder bars require housing floaters, or the suspension will bind if the arc of the spring travel does not exactly match the ladder bar. The two arcs rarely match. Craig
i have a shot somewhere of a 32 vicky that had them on all 4 corners....and it was from 64 65 ish ....but the logghe stuff had to be right in there ....brandon
I might be wrong, but I believe the Alexander Bros shop truck had coilovers circa 1961-2; I know they are using coilovers in the restored truck at least. There were a few show cars of the early 60s that used shockless cup-mounted coil springs in front, like Ala Kart and the Mysterion.
I used coil over shocks on a T-bucket in 74! i didn't think that was different at the time as there were a few Jag rear ends that were running coil overs and I believe thats where the fad started.
My grandfather ( a rodder in the 40's-50's ) made his own homemade coilovers on a few of his cars to keep them from bottoming out while racing with his buddies in the car. On the rear shocks he'd put coil springs around them with a plate top & bottom, and use muffler clamps to hold them to the shock. Not the best way to go about it, but he said back in those days nobody had a better way to tighten up the *** end on a lowered car.
Are we talking streetabel race car or a raceable street car. Coil springs and shocks were popular in the early tp mid '60s, coil overs probably started main stream by about the mid '60s on cars that were raced primarily. You do have the option of useing a coil spring with a shock either stuck in it or beside it on the bug. I have a coil/shock setup from an old T bucket kit that I may use on the latered if I can fit it in there but I may end up useing a coil over setup because of space confines. i don't espect i'll catch much flak over it and I'm pretty independent so I probably won't care. That is the end that will get seen the most too by the way.
I think we are leaning towards a set of old style ladderbars with the coilovers we have already. I found a guy on Ebay who makes them to order (old style ladder bars I mean). If anyone is intersted I'll give you his#. I'm with you on not caring to much what others think. I am just curious as to when it started and we want to keep it "correct" just for our own tastes. I mean if we were trying to win a popularity contest we wouldn't use a VW body! Thanks alot for the help guys. I love this place!
I have a snap here of Hugh Tucker's bad*** AA/Street Roadster with coil-overs used in conjunction with the Ford transverse leaf spring. The car has the Olds motor in this pic, so that makes it maybe an early '60s shot? I think the car got a Hemi in about '66 or so.
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