Javelin ladder bars

I have never installed or run Ladder bars so cant say good or bad about them but can tell you the Caltracs work pretty good for me. I am using new stock rear leaf springs and cheap gas shocks out back. Up front CE 19/10 shocks, 6 cly springs (new), sway bar removed from car, junk 360/TH400. With my setup a little bar adjustment makes a big difference.

I would not say as far forward as possible but more than it is with just the spring if you did not have to worry about spring wrap/wheel hop. Every car will have a different front point (IC) and as the track changes you will need to change the IC point.

For now you might find a cheap set of slapper bars. You know they hang below the spring and have a rubber bumper out front. That bumper is to hit the front of the spring where the bolt is not behind it. If you find a set too short  just get some square metal stock that fits inside the bar to extend it and remount the rubber to that part and call it done.

Slappers will improve launch and handling. You can adjust the snubber on the front to change both characteristics somewhat. For handling they work similar to a sway bar -- when one side spring starts to compress the slapper end contacts the spring and checks compression (will still compress some behind the axle, but compression is greatly reduced) and the other side is forced to compress, which keeps the car flat in the rear -- exactly what a sway bar does. Get the snubber too close and you will have a rough ride and not much handling improvement though -- you need some spring movement. Easy enough to adjust until you get it right, and the bars are cheap. I'd rather have Cal-Tracs, but if you need something until you can afford them slappers will work.