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Ladder bar setup/alignment ??

3K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  Lonnie P 
#1 ·
I'm about to put the rear end back in my 'Bird. It's a narrowed 9" with ladder bars and coil overs. I had to replace the ladder bars that were installed several years ago that got damaged due to my stupidity. I took some measurements between the bolt holes before I got rid of them. So getting it installed square should be close.

My question is what's the best way to ensure the rear end is square with the chassis? Also do I need the complete rear end, pumpkin and axles installed, or can I use an empty housing and install the pumpkin and brakes later? I still need to paint it. I plan on using a wishbone locator setup instead of a diag link.

Any thoughts or advice would be helpful.
 
#2 ·
First, support & level the chassis
Set ladder bars to equal length.
Install rear & center it side to side.

Drop a plumb line from the following & mark on the floor:
front ball joints
rear axle centerline or two of the axle bearing retaining bolts
front subframe to body mounts.

You can put a chalk line side to side through these various points for an easy reference.

By measuring front to rear you can verify wheelbase & measuring diagonally, you will see if any part is off side to side.

It's not uncommon for the front subframe to be out of alignment & if you measure the rear quarter lip vs. lower rockers, they often vary a little also.

Try your best to get the front subframe aligned to the body, then verify the rear axle alignment to the front ball joint location.

After you are satisfied it's square & wheels are hopefully centered in the wheel wells, then you can tweak slightly if necessary to get it to launch straight.
 
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