Hot Rods Ladder Link Bars

Competition Engineering apparently makes a ladder bar called a "ladder link" that incorporates an additional joint in the lower tube. See photo. I'm having a hard time trying to picture if this would help with the articulation stress with standard ladders. They don't seem to advertise them as such. Is that a heim joint or a bushing in there? Would they, you think?

http://www.competitionengineering.com/catalog/CategoryDisplay.asp?CatCode=11002

 

Its for setting pinion angle on-car. Wont affect the way they work.

 

i may be wrong , but i think that is to adjust the preload and pinion angle

 

The link has two heim joints (one left handed). I think the main advantage of the ladder link bars is that it takes the stress out of adjusting the bars. If you adjust a standard bar, the heims get farther apart as they come out of the tube. I've seen them far enough off to make it hard to line the holes up in the brackets. The link takes care of the problem.

 

What is 'articulation stress'?

 

i assume he means when one wheel goes up and the other down

can't see how they would help that

 

Nobody uses ladder bars for articulation.

 

They won't, the bars still have 3 mounting points, and there isn't any give in them anywhere.

They are built for drag racing, not the street. Not to say they won't work as well as a lot of other suspensions I've seen, that's just not what they're made for.

 

Thanks for the replies. Yes, that's what I meant by articulation stress. Not their intended purpose, I was just wondering if it might be a side benefit but it doesn't sound like it would. Oh well, back to my 3 link plan.

 

Could be they are trying to get a little of the effect of the "long-arm" kits available for Jeeps, etc.


The point about the holes staying aligned as you adjust pinion angle is a good one, but the typical turnbuckle style ladder bars have been around for years and seem to work ok without the heim...

 

Hmm, that's interesting, I'll have to read up on it, thanks. Do you know the pros and cons of this setup off hand?

 

You guys are over thinking this. It is an adjuster that lets you set pinion angle without having to remove the bar from the rear end. Left and right thread, like a turn buckle. Easy Peasy.
Nothing more to it, carry on.

 

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]

• [FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]
  [*] Converts standard Ladder Bars into a Ladder Link™
  [*] Allows for on-vehicle, between rounds adjustment
  [*] 1-1/8" steel hex link for quick adjustments using simple hand tools
  [*] One kit converts a single ladder bar
  [*] Welding required[/SIZE][/FONT]

[/SIZE][/FONT]