GDP Ladder Bars

[CHolman]

This last Saturday I helped install some Ladder Bars from Glacier Diesel and boy are they slick. The Truck is a 05 with Scheid Twins, TST, SMARTY, a bunch of other stuff and talk about pin you in the seat. It did it before, but now, it's crazy... There super easy to install, took all of about 40 mins taking our time. There super heavy duty and ya'll know the saying, you pay for what you get and these are awesome. I have rode in this truck for many miles going places and even up to VA for the East Coast Truck Nationals and the ride quality is 100 times better... For anyone looking to save their drive train some wear and tear and get a really nice ride, no hopin up and down in your seat goin down the road over un even pavement, these are the way to go... I'll be ordering mine after the Holidays... :-laf

 

[GWBourne]

is the truck a long box? short box? stick or auto? 4x4 or 2x4?

im looking into a set of the bars, and would like to find someone who has them with as close as possible a truck setup like mine... that might be hard on the east coast... lol

Grant

 

[Kry226]

For the ladder bar - ignorant (like me), please explain the benefits for the layman in a stock or near stock power configuration, if they exist. Or are these bars simply for high-power drivetrains as a cure for wheel hop, etc. ?

 

[GWBourne]

they will help any rig that tows heavy and may add to the cornering tightness of the truck depending on design. they limit/eliminate axle wrap with higher than stock horsepower, and like i said before, same thing with towing heavy. thats what i need them for now, but in the future, will need them for the high HP part

Grant

 

[raxley]

Wow, cool thread, been wondering about ladder bars for a while now.



How tight do these bars fit under the truck? Are they really noticable, or are they less so?

Do they stick out underneath and provide something to get snagged on?

I wonder what is the difference between Glacier's "Strippers" and "hookers" drag bars and pulling bars between the wall thickness (and price).



http://www.glacierdieselpower.com/dept.asp?dept_id=11-001



If they were unobtrusive (and even if they are a little obtrusive) I'd get them in a heartbeat (after transmission upgrade)

I guess they would put more pressure on my stock transmission, the better traction would, I mean?

 

[CHolman]

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply, it's a 05 4x4 quad cab short bed. The ladder bars will do as GWBourne said along with being easier on your u joints and carrier bearing. I was just amazed at the ride quailty, how much better it was. I knew the traction was going to be better, but the ride is night and day better. They have pictures on their web site mounted on a dually, it will give you a good idea of how low they hang down. I'm getting them because of the differance in ride qualty and hoping to get long life out of my u-joint's now that I've changed them all out and put greasable joints in. So far I've changed 1 carrier bearing and all the u-joints just because I had one go out and while I was under there, just did them all... I fill them with R/P grease, so with ladder bars and R/P I should be good to go I hope for a very long time...



The strippers are lighter than the the Hookers as they are for the strip and Hookers for tractor pullers... They may cost a little more than the others, but like I said these are high quality and GDP will back their product better than the other larger company's IMO... just my 0. 02 Richard is good people...

 

[BigDan]

The GDP bars look and seem to perform great its just they cost way too much for what they are. They are close to $1,000 by the time they show up on your door. I would understand the price if they used some nice HD heim joints but thay only use $10 poly bushings.



I'm not knockin their product at all and the're great for the guys that want to bolt them on and go, but I think they should be around $500-$600.



Yes I know how much steel cost and I am very savoy when it comes to pricing and building parts like this.



There are other cheaper options out there that require welding, but are still a simple install. I wish I wasnt so lazy because I'd just build my own, which I'd basicaly just assemble since there alot of place's to score these type of suspension brackets, rod ends, jam nust, bushings, ect from. There's lots of scorces and tech for this type of thing at Pirate4x4.com.



Like I said If I was made of $$$ I would totally buy GDP's bars... . I just hope other companies start producing them to bring down the cost.

 

[oilrunner]

Hey CHolman,



I just have a few questions about your buddies ladder bars you helped install?

Is your buddies 2005 a 3/4 ton or 1 ton? What ladder bars did you buddy purchase, the hookers or strippers?



Before I spend the $$$ on GDP ladder bars I just want to be sure I will notice a big difference in the ride quality when runnng around town empty?



Thanks,

 

[BigDan]

Ride quality???



These bars are supose to help put a stop to axle wrap or hopping which occurs when you have a high hp rig, or tall lifted rig. It usually comes into play when you got WOT your rear end wants to rotate upward and these keep that twisting effect to happen.



Dont expect these bars to help out when you decide to rally around town and take corrners at 70mph, or give you a softer ride. .



There for the upper crust of bombers that need them to better their ET in the 1/4 mile or slead pulling... hence the name strippers (for the dragstrip) or Hookers for guys that (hook up to a slead)

 

[CHolman]

The truck is a 2500... He lives down a prettty bumpy road and the truck used to bounce all over the road and the rail road tracks it would thud! and kind of go sideways, not anymore... He runs 12. 6's in the quarter pretty consistantly so they are the strippers. TRUST ME, if I didn't think they were worth the money "Because I'm not a rich guy" I wouldn't buy them... I'm buying the hookers for my dually...

 

[BigDan]

If your talking about Luken then just a clarafacation he hasnt ran his truck in the 1/4 since he's installed the GDP bars. The 12. 6 was done without the GDP bars. .

 

[GWBourne]

Ride quality???



These bars are supose to help put a stop to axle wrap or hopping which occurs when you have a high hp rig, or tall lifted rig. It usually comes into play when you got WOT your rear end wants to rotate upward and these keep that twisting effect to happen.



Dont expect these bars to help out when you decide to rally around town and take corrners at 70mph, or give you a softer ride. .



There for the upper crust of bombers that need them to better their ET in the 1/4 mile or slead pulling... hence the name strippers (for the dragstrip) or Hookers for guys that (hook up to a slead)

i dont fully agree, larger tires/rims like myself cause more axlewrap due to unsprung weight... they will help with this. the design that GDP uses with the shackle will help a LITTLE in cornering, where as a single pivot style will help more BUT bind up a bit more and cause a loss in flex.



the GDP bars will help any ride quality unless the road is smooth as glass. . yeah, i have only been driving about 11 years now, but its rare i find a smooth road... PA has some CRAPPY roads. .



i think the design is nice, but am still wondering about clamping the frame as they have.



Grant

 

[BigDan]

yeah, i have only been driving about 11 years now,

Me too 9/3/95



Its not so much the larger tires... its when you lift it to fit the larger tires. I now have more axle wrap do to my 2" lift block in the rear, and people that have taller lifts will have more wrap.

 

[GWBourne]

both heigh and greater unsprung weight add to axle wrap...

but you are right, adding heigh does play a much larger role, especially when you start adding blocks...

 

[RobertP]

the gdp bars are nice but the price turned me to www.anninengineering.com they have a nice set too and they both will perform the same, they both have the same single front pivoit and annen has a hiem joint. i dont mind the welded style.

 

[carfichris]

www.anninengineering.com

 

[RobertP]

www.anninengineering.com

do you use them as well?

 

[JR2]

Any one know if GDP is going to make a set of bolt on's for the 2nd gen?? I would get in line right now for a set.

 

[pipeguy]

Cal-trac is also making a bolt on set for our trucks... .



Anyone using them???? They are $345ish I think...

 

[CStraface]

Yeah, Calvert's were what Diesel Power Mag. used on their Project X truck... actually. . wasn't that a Industrial Injection truck???? Any who, I wouldn't mind some myself... for the right price of course.



I am also wondering about the U-bolt type design on the GDP set-up? Better? Worse?