i have my ladder bar built and am making the shackle now. it will be a goofy shackle and i need to determine the over all length. i read that a ladderbar in the rear can produce some anti squat. i have also read that preloading the ladderbar can reduce antisquat produced by the ladderbar.
does this make sense? if so, how much preload. it makes sense that some amount of down preload might work, but then again i could be thinking about it completely backasswards.

I'll be interested to know also! I have standard leaf springs with a sams style traction bar in the back and I have TONS of antisquat in 2wd, it's a little better in 4. It acts just like a grumpy stink bug! I was planning to make a shorter shackle and this will induce some preload.

The higher you raise the front mount, the more lift you will have. Lower it and you will have less.

I don't think it is possible to pre-load a single ladder bar set-up like Sam's. On a drag car that has two ladder bars, you can adjust one different from the other and "pre-load" it, but what you are really doing is putting the suspension in a bind. It may work great for going fast in a straight line on flat concrete......but it sucks for flex!

Originally posted by Flipper
The higher you raise the front mount, the more lift you will have. Lower it and you will have less.

I don't think it is possible to pre-load a single ladder bar set-up like Sam's. On a drag car that has two ladder bars, you can adjust one different from the other and "pre-load" it, but what you are really doing is putting the suspension in a bind. It may work great for going fast in a straight line on flat concrete......but it sucks for flex!



i dont get what your saying.
it will outflex the heim in the shackle now, hence the goofy.

Originally posted by Flipper
The higher you raise the front mount, the more lift you will have. Lower it and you will have less.

I don't think it is possible to pre-load a single ladder bar set-up like Sam's. On a drag car that has two ladder bars, you can adjust one different from the other and "pre-load" it, but what you are really doing is putting the suspension in a bind. It may work great for going fast in a straight line on flat concrete......but it sucks for flex!

The higher the angle of the arm and related shortness of the link can increase antisquat and "crawlunder". The shorter the link, the more the axle wants to walk under the rig, afaik.