Front shock angle

[Neal]

Im getting ready to make some front shock/headlight upper mounts.I was curious what is a good angle in degrees to set them up too.Right now they are at 17 degrees.Thanks for your help...Neal

 

[rooster57]

I think the angle is going to be determined by the amount of room you have . If you are going to the shackle from a headlight mount you may have more room. I wanted mine to disappear and look like part of the front end instead of being the first thing you see on the front end.

 

[Neal]

Thats understandable..I have made two different types of mounts.I am trying to make a mount that does'nt take away from the front of the car too.I'll post some mock up pics later and see what you guys think..Thanks

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Here are some pix of my front shock set-up. I designed the shock towers and had RPM make them.

 

[Ted Brown]

OK Lee, I caught you with out your safety on... hehe washer that is...I do not trust a Heim joint without one... Try and make your shocks to be in the middle of their travel with all the weight on the car, because it is not good on the shocks to bottom out on the down stroke, up, not so bad... :thumb: ride safe

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Actually Ted, those are the same pix that you caught me on last year. I put safety washers on all my heims right after you ragged me about it!. Thanks for lookin' out after me!

 

[Neal]

Thanks guys.I like both of your set ups.I just finishing making my mounts.I made headlight and shock combo mounts.Hopefully they will look cool when im done.I still have to drill some lightning holes in them.I like both of your set ups so maybe mine will be ok if not back to the drawing board..lol

 

[fordsbyjay]

Here is how I did mine. With this style you are really stuck to where they fit because I only had maybe 1/4" of clearance on either side.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

Oh sh*t! Don't let Ted see this. Stand-by to stand-by... you're gonna get ripped a new one!!

 

[rooster57]

I would rather Uncle Ted scold me for a no no than have the radius rod removed from my a$$ 100 miles from home. I know your just kidding me to . BUT i do respect Teds been there done that point of view.

 

[Lee_in_KC]

I am indeed kidding. I have the highest respect for Ted. He may not have the most diplomatic approach... but he knows what the h^ll he's talking about!!

 

[Lee_in_KC]

You know, reading back on this thread one might get the impression that I might have some issues with Uncle Ted (I like that title... thanks rooster). My humor is sometimes a little obscure, but all of my posts in this thread were meant to be humorous. I love Uncle Ted (not that there's anything wrong with that). I wish he was my dad (I don't think that's biologically possible, since I'm 62). Ted, Danny, Tommy and Norm are my heroes... I guess I'll just cry myself to sleep now...

 

[Ted Brown]

Lee hehe That made me laugh a good one... :jester: I need a good writer to soften up what I say it seems... It is just as you say, been there waaaay too many times and fixed customer's cars that either over looked something or under built something.. Even I did those things in the early years, like ) O 2 thin of tubing for important rods, all over the place, Plus now I hardly ever build any brackets thinner than 3/8" material I learned my lesson with all the AG/Super cars, much better to be safe than broken... ALMOST forgot what we were talking about, shocks, I see most are almost all used up sitting still with no people in the car, means longer top mounts are really needed, unless you have rubber travel stops somewhere that stop travel before the shock tries to..

 

[one finger john]

How many inches of ACTUAL suspension movement is there in a typical T front end. How much shock movement should be available? I always thought that the shock should be two inches longer than actual movement to get a larger "sweet" spot. So 4 inches of movement would take a 6 inch movement shock with 2 inches of 'sweet" spot in the middle third.

Or am I wrong? John

 

[Francis Blake]

The shocks I am going to use are on page 92 in the speedway catalog they have approximately 4 inches of travel mounted close to the middle of their travel.

 

[rooster57]

Francis that is the shock i used and i set it at center. Ted pointed out they were to low I already had my brackets welded on so i had to add a spacer to my spring to get her up about an inch. So i think set it just about 2.5 inches with 4 inches of travel. Thats what i had to do yours may be different

 

[fordsbyjay]

Oh sh*t! Don't let Ted see this. Stand-by to stand-by... you're gonna get ripped a new one!!

Hahahahaha, that was during mock up.

The shocks I used and my build up can be found here.

I would definitely suggest a longer shock so you have more travel.

I see most are almost all used up sitting still with no people in the car,

Mine are dead center in the middle of the travel. Short shocks don't have much travel but that is what I had.

 

[Ted Brown]

Like I always say, don't paint it till you drive it at least 1000 miles and not all one trip hehe lots of starts and stops and parking and backing and all that good stuff so you will be Happy with it because you will be making changes, and it is so much easier to do before paint and pretty time...

 

[rooster57]

The same anology should be applied to potential wifes.

 

[Neal]

Thanks for the help guys.I am running the P&J hydraulic shrt shocks.Hopefully they will be ok.My mounts I have built look pretty good but I've got to back the car out and take a better look.