Advantages to shocks mounted in front of rear end?

Like the posts says. Any advantages?

Nope

Hmmm, this is Moparts ... I GUARANTY you're going to get enough opinions to totally confuse the issue.

This is as true as anything that will be posted.

Just curious if people have expierance with this or not. I know alot of stock class leaf spring guys do this.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Likely because that's where they were from the factory. From a performance or control issue, it simply doesn't matter. The move to the rear on most race cars is simply a matter of convenience. Easier to mount, more room, easier to adjust.

The shocks simply control the rate at which the housing moves, nothing more, nothing less. So doing that from in front or behind doesn't matter

If the shock body is vertical in both positions, and the same distance from the axle center, they'll work the same.
If they are at an angle (or a different angle), or distance, their leverage changes.

That's why shocks are adjustable and also why how "so and so" has HIS shocks set, usually doesn't matter on YOUR car

Don't think it really makes a difference, that cant be tuned out with a adjustable shock. But there is a mechanical difference.

On a driven axel a shock will have more leverage mounted behind the axel being further out on the axels "lever" mounting point from the front spring eye, then it would be in front of the axel by 6",s or so. Really not needed though, with todays adjustable shocks.

Now on a leaf spring , there may be some advantage of mounting the shock in front. It may help provide more hit to the tire. Because on the hit the rear housing will try to separate down away from the car but also rotate up with pinion wrap.

A shock mounted behind the axel will only see a extension pull from that action.

A shock mounted in front of the axel will First see a rotational compression as the pinion rotates up as will the shocks mounting points before it sees the extension pull forces before the axel arks down and away, thus maybe helping plant the tires on the hit some. Acting like a pinion snubber so to speak.

Have posted before but will post it again. EVERYTHING, leafs, ladder bars, 4-link, truck arm, doesn't matter.......shocks in front, shocks in back...STRETCHES the shock at the hit. Also in the front or behind, the lower shock stud is a short distance from the center of the housing and will do NOTHING to control pinion rise. That is strictly a force control of the front spring segment on a leaf car. You could put a solid bar in place of the shock and it will still roll the front segment up. The housing, spring and shock plate is essentially solid where it mounts together at spring pad and the shock can do nothing to control rotation, no matter where it is mounted. The shock controls reaction of the housing up and down only, not twisting...........Got tons of shock sensor data to back up those facts.

Every car on the planet tries to "throw" the housing out at the hit, even a solid suspended car. Why you think fuel cars flatten the tire at the hit. It can't throw the housing, so it pulls the chassis down and crushes the tire.

I have my shocks in front of rear on my BB dart was for ease of installation and I have ladder bar car.I leave at 3000 and 60's are 1.35-1.36

70 Cuda, slightly narrowed frame, ladder bar setup, Dan. Out of room in front. Put my Koni's in back. When I upgrade to QA1's, it will be much easier to change shock adjustments on the fly from the rear of the car than from the front.

I have asked this question before. I am in process of moving mine right now to improve packaging for a Watts link. Shocks in front might? run cooler, Polar moment in yaw is reduced ever so slightly when mounted in front, shock has less travel because arc length is less with leaf spring, will reduce spring windup on acceleration if shock has higher rates on compression then rebound, reverse on braking. You get to decide what's an advantage.

If using a coil over type shock the springs will
be different due to the ratio/percentage where it
holds up the weight.. on the rear the spring is a
bit softer than on the front.. the shock still has
to control just like on the rear side but in most
cases it has to do it in a shorter distance so the
shock has to be good

Listening to a renowned chassis builder and me not knowing much about shocks, I was advised to put the Konis in the front at about a 45* angle leaning forward at the top. Said it would soften the back of a light car. Most coilovers at the time might have had 3 adjustments, not like today. My car was VERY easy to push down in the back(soft) and would hook on snot. Four-link and wish bone, 2510 # with my 255# butt

My car is 2405# with me.. my shocks at vertical
in the rear.. with 90# springs.. yep its easy to
push down with single adjustables.. its a 4 link
with a wish bone.. I run a 1.19 60' with a 405ci

Having built many different types of stock style,back halved,and different full chassis cars as well as talked with many of the top builders and have had Jim Geese (Vanishing Point/R2B2)build Donny Martiks Blown 65 Dodge we have to agree with Monte assessment.The only caution that has ever been mentioned is the spread of the shock from centerline side to side to help control any oscillation.The attachment of the shock to the housing should be as near to the suspension attachments as possible as try and maintain a minimal degree of angle.This is for dragracing and not to be confused with any other racing.

The simple answer to this question is.......if there was an advantage to them being in the front, that's where professional builders would put them. They don't.

Shocks are very simple devices, as to what they do. They dampen and control housing up and down movement. NOTHING else. The springs hold the car up. If the shock is straight up, it requires less spring on a coilover. Angle the shocks, you need more spring. Simple matter of geometry.

Some guys run 500lb front springs on their small block cars and some have 400lb springs on big block cars. How can that be? Depends on where shock mounts on control arm and at what angle it's mounted. It's called leverage

I put my shocks in front of the axle because it was easier to mount them vertically, i just swapped them side for side ran a tube across the top and modified the bottom mounts.
My car is on SS springs with clamps best 60ft is 1.36. average 1.40-42
Mick