ladder bars
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 1
From: House Springs, MO
None taken at all. I am just a man...
I'm just trying to devise a way to adapt my 3/4" heims to make the 4 link. What's usually used for the 4-link bars? I'm guessin that 1 1/2" .25 wall is both heavy AND heavy duty. I was thinkin maybe some 1 3/8" .180 wall would be heavy enough? Or should I step up bigger stuff, like 1 7/8" .180 wall?
And while I'm on the subject of hijacking the thread (sorry piperig), why don't I just use the search function? Hey Ivan, what stuff did you and Seth use for your ladder bars? If they can hold up to you two knuckleheads, they oughta last me at least a LITTLE longer...
I'm just trying to devise a way to adapt my 3/4" heims to make the 4 link. What's usually used for the 4-link bars? I'm guessin that 1 1/2" .25 wall is both heavy AND heavy duty. I was thinkin maybe some 1 3/8" .180 wall would be heavy enough? Or should I step up bigger stuff, like 1 7/8" .180 wall?
And while I'm on the subject of hijacking the thread (sorry piperig), why don't I just use the search function? Hey Ivan, what stuff did you and Seth use for your ladder bars? If they can hold up to you two knuckleheads, they oughta last me at least a LITTLE longer...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 3
From: Spokane, WA
Originally Posted by Momudder720
What's usually used for the 4-link bars? I'm guessin that 1 1/2" .25 wall is both heavy AND heavy duty. I was thinkin maybe some 1 3/8" .180 wall would be heavy enough? Or should I step up bigger stuff, like 1 7/8" .180 wall?
Hey Ivan, what stuff did you and Seth use for your ladder bars? If they can hold up to you two knuckleheads, they oughta last me at least a LITTLE longer...
Hey Ivan, what stuff did you and Seth use for your ladder bars? If they can hold up to you two knuckleheads, they oughta last me at least a LITTLE longer...
FWIW White Knight is using pipe for their links, not DOM but they also bend the hell out of them and seem to be replacing links fairly often. To my knowlege they haven't outright snapped a link. I'm unsure of the diameter that they're using.
Btw, my ladder bars are 1" ID schedule 80 pipe with a 3/16" wall.
Butt-Head
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 9,453
Likes: 2,936
From: Reed Point, MT
The ladder bars I made for the 2WD are 1.25"x.125 DOM. I abuse the holy jebeezus out of them and they seem to hold up fine. Granted, they're only 21 inches long, but they are working. Keep in mind that these ladder bars ARE the axle locating links (besides the track bar) and keep the axle in place.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...oid=72954&.jpg
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...oid=72956&.jpg
The bars I made of the monstertruck aren't exactly ladder bars, although they serve the same purpose....to eliminate forward/aft rotation of the axlehousing under severe torque loads. Like I mentioned earlier, I made these bars the length and angle I needed to match the rearward movement of the rear axle under suspension compression (banana leafs). I don't have any good pictures of this setup yet, but it's just a simple antiwrap bar setup. Oh, and I used 1.5" SCH 80 pipe for those with the same setup for rod ends as monsterbaby used. I went to "Big R" and bought two of the 3-point top links with the 1" thread and 3/4" hole. They were cheap and it was VERY easy to weld the threaded portion of the links into the pipe. Plus, they give you adjustability just by loosening the jamb nut and turning the pipe because one end is RH thread, the other is LH.
Cody
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...oid=72954&.jpg
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...oid=72956&.jpg
The bars I made of the monstertruck aren't exactly ladder bars, although they serve the same purpose....to eliminate forward/aft rotation of the axlehousing under severe torque loads. Like I mentioned earlier, I made these bars the length and angle I needed to match the rearward movement of the rear axle under suspension compression (banana leafs). I don't have any good pictures of this setup yet, but it's just a simple antiwrap bar setup. Oh, and I used 1.5" SCH 80 pipe for those with the same setup for rod ends as monsterbaby used. I went to "Big R" and bought two of the 3-point top links with the 1" thread and 3/4" hole. They were cheap and it was VERY easy to weld the threaded portion of the links into the pipe. Plus, they give you adjustability just by loosening the jamb nut and turning the pipe because one end is RH thread, the other is LH.
Cody
Last edited by cleatus12r; Apr 26, 2005 at 07:28 AM.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 8,922
Likes: 153
Originally Posted by ivanribic
DOM is expensive but you only need a short length for the drag link. My drag link is 2 feet long exactly. At $13 a foot (.25 thick wall, 1.5" OD) it cost $26. If your steering box is outside the frame you might need 2.5 feet. It's not that much money but when you don't have it you don't have it. Tell your wife to let go of your wallet Nick! 
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Appleton, WI
Do any of you guys have any close up pictures of how you mounted them to your rear axle. I have an idea how i am going to do the rest of them, I just dont know how to mount it on the rear axle.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,162
Likes: 1
From: House Springs, MO
Wow, Mark! Those are bling-tastic! 
I can't tell on the back there, are the welded up solid, or with bushings/heims?
I can't tell on the back there, are the welded up solid, or with bushings/heims?
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Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
although mine aren't nearly as bling as marks (those look really good BTW) I used 2 pieces of quarter plate cut out to the axle and welded on the front side and also used a ubolt through them. You definatly want to use the ubolts I seen one guy who didn't and it snapped off (expecially with longer bars), and if your a real good welder it can actually tear the axle housing.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
From: Texas
Do they need to be adjustable, or just bushings on each end? Another ?, could you run a single bar from the front spring hanger to the spring mount on top of the spring, would this help with axle wrap?
Last edited by dbhr; Apr 30, 2005 at 11:12 AM.
Hotshot
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 18,423
Likes: 9
From: iowa
I suppose you could just bush the end, I prefer to have mine adjustable although I never mess with them since they are set but if you don't get everything just right then you are gonna have it pulling harder on one side were as with adj on hte front end if you are getting more hook on one side, and it trys to torque in one direction or the other you can adjust the bars to make it pull straight. I have seen the single bar on top of the leaves but have never tried it so can't give an opinion.