Well, I bit the bullet. I bought a set of Lakewood traction bars(21715). They don't list them for "older" trucks, but they fit just the same.

They came with all hardware and some shims to adjust them. Of course I had to fab up some of my own as they ones they give weren't going to work for me. I removed the lowest "helper" spring out of my spring pack and that made things fit too tight. I made up some 1/4" thick spacers and bolted everything on.

I took it for a spin, and they work. I won't say as well as my previous ladder bar set up but at least they won't pound the spring eye bushings out after 20 yrs(I didn't have floaters, so the suspension was basically in a bind if you moved it too far).

Now that I put a few miles on it, I need to reshim it slightly as things have settled and the snubbers are right up agains the spring eye again. Makes for a very stiff ride. In all, at least now I can enjoy driving it again(ie: beat on it a bit). I do have a complete ladder bar/coil over kit sitting there but just haven't wanted to cut into it. With the truck at normal height, the front mount for the ladder bars is really, really low. I don't like it. I'm not lowering the truck as I don't care for that look either.

I have a few pics, but don't have them uploaded yet.

 

I have way more power than traction so I don't end up with any wheel hop. Do ladder bars help keep the truck in a straight line when the rear wheels are spinning? Or are they just there to help keep the power application smooth when you have enough rubber for traction?

 

Congrats Train. Now that you have those on there I hope your local roads are better than the ones in Toledo were when I left.


Turbo. A spool will give you a straight line launch. Both axles will get the same power rather than power shifting from one axle to the other.

 

Not meaning to hijack this...I have a 4.10 Trac-Loc with 29" tall Mickey Thompson tires and I still need to go around a corner ever now and then. I think a spool is too aggressive for street use.

 

They are. I was "just sayin' ".

 

I've had a spool in my '69 for near 20 yrs now. Ya, it is kinda rough getting around corners and I don't parallel park it anywhere!! Really bad since I have a little 16"(?) wood steering wheel. Takes a real man to drive this one, as it has only 4" front runners to boot.

I too run 29.5 x 12.5 MT sportsmans on the back. 35 spline Moser axles, spool and Strange 3.25 case. Go big or go home.

I used to have just generic non adjustable ladder bars on it. A typical ladder bar set up with leaf springs NEEDS floaters. That allows the rearend to slide on the springs as the springs and ladder bars are usually different lengths which puts things in a bind when the suspension moves. I never haul anything(but azz) so I was never really concerned. It worked fine til 20 yrs later it finally beat the front spring eye bushings out and the truck started wandering. I removed everything and just put a new housing in. The original stock springs wind up badly and with any kind of power it would jump around and sooner or later it was going to spit the driveshaft out.

The slapper bars help with springs wrap up, though they do have some air gap it is not instantaneous and that is what I meant by not working as well as ladder bars. I can still feel the back end move around even when powershifting. For now, it at least makes it better to drive and not pretty you have an eggshell under your foot.

The truck has a 428CJ/4spd/4.56 gears. It has run 13.4's at 97 mph back in the early 90's. It was pretty quick and could eat up mustangs or camaros back then. Today it is a slug compared to the 8 second turbo cars running around.

Bars


New spacers


Installed



My ride

 

This was about 3 years ago...

Gearset:



old housing:



new housing:



rebuild springs:

 

HO HO HO Train. You been holding out on us there Buddy. Now I understand how you came up with "Freightrain". Too bad you and Bobby are so far apart. I'd like to see a Vid of your two rigs going down the 1/4.

 

If I ever get to put ladder bars on I'll be switching a coil over shock setup. I guess I'm not as aggressive with just 4.10 gears and a Trac-Loc. Not much need for parallel parking in my part of the country, but mine is still for the street.

 

I hope you didn't think I meant yours is a slouch Turbo. Not at all Buddy. As an example, I would think a 10 second Bump and a 11 second Bump are both Awesome.

 

I have a video on YouTube that is from 1992. I will have wait til I get home to link it.

 

Here it is, summer 1992.

 

SWEET! Love it. Thanks for sharing. Was that a Roadrunner you spanked?

 

I'm trying to remember, likely a 383 car, automatic, street car.

In todays standards it's really slow. Back then it held it's own and like my wagon it was known by many.

My wagon: has ladder bar/coil overs. It was no problem with traction

 

And that was Before wagons were COOL. I'm glad this your thread train, so I won't feel guilty about . Let me guess...427 8V ? 4 speed. 5.14 gears?