Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical?

Posted By: GY3

Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:09 AM

...rather than staggered?

It's a street car with Cal-Tracs and split mono leaf springs.

Posted By: Sport440

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:36 AM

No, less leverage.

Posted By: Cab_Burge

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:36 AM

If this is a drag only car yes, if street and strip car and you don't want any roll control from the shocks while cornering run them straight up

Posted By: Thumperdart

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 04:11 PM

Made a hugh difference on my Dart and most of the fastest cars on the planet have em that way for a reason...........

Posted By: TRENDZ

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 04:18 PM

Shocks will be most effective when they operate in the same arc as the suspension travel.

Posted By: Porter67

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 04:24 PM

If your traction on the street is marginal it helps I think, I went from a trace of tire smoke on the launch to just enough wheel spin to get up on things and hook.

Posted By: 1967dartgt

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:16 PM

Yes helped my car a lot, I see no ill effects on the street from making the change. It seems to handle and ride the same, of course I didn't build my car for cornering. I would recommend it.

Posted By: MR_P_BODY

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:18 PM

You have to look at where the "applied load" will
be.. a drag car its simple.. but on a road race
car its a different applied load.. so number one
thing is to figure out what will the car be used
for.. then work from there.. I set my Rampage up
as a drag/street car but with the drag race part
as the primary.. so I put the shocks in vertical
and it also has ladder bars with a diagonal link
so it doesnt like to go around corners but it does
it fine.. with ladder bars the rear end doesnt like
to twist in the chassis(very rigid) but works great
in a forward motion

Posted By: dizuster

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/21/17 05:50 PM

Shocks see more vertical load when they are angled. A 30 degree shock will see approximately 15% more load (and need to be 15% stiffer) to act the same way as vertical shock. The further the angle, you're trading vertical stability vs. side to side stability.

For what it's worth, Mark Mencer (http://www.menscermotorsports.com/) told me not to bother going through the trouble to make mine vertical. My car has been a best of 1.38 60ft on 275 radials at 3740lbs with caltracs.

If you were building a new car from scratch I would surely make them vertical, but I can tell you mine has been fine on the factory angles down to the mid 9's.

Posted By: GY3

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/22/17 01:00 AM

Originally Posted By dizuster

Shocks see more vertical load when they are angled. A 30 degree shock will see approximately 15% more load (and need to be 15% stiffer) to act the same way as vertical shock. The further the angle, you're trading vertical stability vs. side to side stability.

For what it's worth, Mark Mencer (http://www.menscermotorsports.com/) told me not to bother going through the trouble to make mine vertical. My car has been a best of 1.38 60ft on 275 radials at 3740lbs with caltracs.

What shocks do you use?

If you were building a new car from scratch I would surely make them vertical, but I can tell you mine has been fine on the factory angles down to the mid 9's.

Posted By: dizuster

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/22/17 02:58 PM

I have custom valved shocks from Menscer on the rear (Double Adjustable Afco's), and standard (non-custom) double adjustable afco's on the front.

I am an advocate of good shocks. I went from erratic 1.60's to rock solid repeatable low 1.40's with the shock change.

Of course I'm in a situation where I can really overpower the tire, but the shocks alone allowed me to really put a lot more of it to the ground.

Posted By: jcc

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/22/17 05:26 PM

Originally Posted By dizuster

Shocks see more vertical load when they are angled. A 30 degree shock will see approximately 15% more load (and need to be 15% stiffer) to act the same way as vertical shock. The further the angle, you're trading vertical stability vs. side to side

My thinking is they actually see less load, and they need to be stiffer to effect the smaller load they are seeing at a steeper angle ,to exert the same final amount of overall control?

Posted By: moparx

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/23/17 02:12 PM

Originally Posted By jcc

Originally Posted By dizuster

Shocks see more vertical load when they are angled. A 30 degree shock will see approximately 15% more load (and need to be 15% stiffer) to act the same way as vertical shock. The further the angle, you're trading vertical stability vs. side to side

My thinking is they actually see less load, and they need to be stiffer to effect the smaller load they are seeing at a steeper angle ,to exert the same final amount of overall control?

according to AFCO, [example] "a 200#/inch spring mounted at a 20* angle gives a 176#/inch rate when figured for ride rate [200x.88]". it goes on to give the multipliers for different mounting angles.

mount angle : 0*, 10*, 15*, 20*, 25*, 30*
rate multiplier : 0, .97, .93, .88, .82, .75

this is for coilover springs, but i would think it should apply to regular shocks as well.

Posted By: dizuster

Re: Is it worth it to set the rear shocks straight vertical? - 04/23/17 03:44 PM

Yeah for sure the steeper the angle the stiffer the shock needs to be to compensate.