Im slowly moving along on my 28 Tudor Build. Ive got the frame Boxed and X member installed. Currently Im working on the front suspension. (will be 4 link) Been kicking around the pro's and cons of the rear suspension members. Im going to run a Ford 8" out back. I want to get it low, but im not Z-ing the frame. (nice ride height) So, coil overs are most likely where im going to be at. What would you say is the best set up for this? 4link? or ladder bars? and why you feel this way. Any pictures of what you are running and how you set it up. ? just fishing right now...learning..school me please.
I like the triangulated 4 link.. does away with the panhard bar. I used a set on a home made frame for my a roadster p/u.I shortened the mts so they don't stick down too far, same for the top bars. mine work well.
I have used both 4 bars and ladder bars. My Model A Tudor, I used a 4 bar with Panhard and coil overs. It rode and drove very well and had plenty of room for exhaust. The 29 RPU, 32 Roadster and 32 Coupe all got ladder bars and Panhard. They seem to have a little bit of a side rocking motion compared to the 4 bar, but I suppose that could be due to soft springs. The ladder bars also make exhaust a lot trickier. The 40 coupe had a 4 bar with Shock waves and drives very nice and seems to hook up OK with the triple Demon equipped 383 SBC. not sure how much this helps, but i think for cars with out major HP (like over 450) I will continue with 4 bars, unless I am going for a particular look to fit an era. Triangulated 4 bars work very well, but i think can be a little tricky to design from scratch for the average guy and can end up binding if it's not well engineered.
Triangulated 4 link for sure... If you build it correctly, you can control body sway, jacking, and manipulate the roll center for on-road handling. I'm not much of a fan of the parallel 4 link, but some really like it a lot. You can also build a 3 link to do the same thing, and still not need a panhard, it takes up a little more real estate for the wishbone though. Consider airbags? They ride like a dream, and you don't need all the wacky controls that some folks opt for. Coilovers are still tough to beat though, and there are lots of really great ones to choose from. (I've had excellent service from Bilstein shocks http://www.bilstein.com/hotrod.php) I'm going to upload a couple of .zip files, they're 3 and 4 link calculators respectively to help you plan and lay out your system. They're Excel worksheets, designed by a guy on Pirate4x4.
I have a triangulated 4 link going under my 29 Tudor. I have the frame finished(although it is upstairs in my garage) and can shoot you some pictures after I get home. Since the body isn't on the frame yet I can get you some decent dimensions to make laying everything out easier. Let me know what ya need.
There isn't a set degree, that's why I uploaded the calculator program. Run it through the calculator, and see what will give you the handling characteristics you want. If you do your frame mounted upper link mounts as adjustable, you can change the anti-squat by changing the position of the links.
Yeah, I'm still up in the air with my '29 Tudor. I have a set of '36 rears I'd like to use with my '39 Banjo rear. I like the look, and it HAS to be safe. Thinking angle them in to reduce bind. I got a LOT of saved/printed matter off the HAMB in a folder on various builds, yet I'm still confused..........
I can relate to the saved information and confusion issue..alot of ways to build these cars and also alot of options. Hope your healing up good, dont push yourself on your time off, I think with where I would like to place my fuel tank or tanks, the tiangulated 4 link and the ladder bars might be out of the question. Guess 4 link up front and 4 link out back is a solid choice for my way of putting this thing togeather..still not completely sold on it just yet.
Riden in both 4 link and ladder bar cars. Ladder bars are great for straight smooth roads but 4 links a hell of a lot better for pot holes and East Coast Driving. The last frame I built had ladder bars, Im going to scratch the idea and switch to ladder bars after I changed my idea to having a more driveable rod. One guy stated about the fuel tank, Make sure you take that into consideration. Like most of the guys one here, Its a bitch finding a good spot but also having enough room to hold more fuel.
Ok ,my experience with this is mostly related to drag cars so remember that. A ladder bar by design is in fact a sway bar. if you remember that the ladder bar and rear end is basicly one piece when the are bolted together ,it resists the ability of one wheel the move up and down without trying to move the other side in the same direction. Now a four link ,three link ,whatever, allows one wheel to move up and down without putting any stress on the other. Most ,MOST cars with a 4 bar will benefit from a sway bar to help handling ,This becomes more important as the tires get bigger and the suspension gets closer together. A sway bar on a ladder bar car is called ballast and is there for no good reason. OOPS just my opinion.
I like to use ladder bars and coil overs on race cars. On hot rods I use parellel 4 bars and a soft coil over shock.....
thanks alot guys ..good info and real world experiences. This will be a Street car..not Drag Raced..( at least not all the time maybe just for fun once in a while) sounds like 4 bar..is the way to go. with a pan hard bar. and coil overs.
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