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Shocks 101
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A quick look at what shock technology is all about |
By Bobby Bennett Jr. |
There's nothing better than a well-cushioned ride when you're driving down the highway. But when it comes to drag racing competition, your car will demand more from a set of shocks than just a cushioned escapade down the quarter-mile. Shocks can make or break your chances to win because they can often deliver an inconsistent car if the right style is not selected, or even worse can put you in the wall if not mounted correctly. In drag racing applications, the main function of your shocks is to maintain the proper ride height for your vehicle. In racing functions it serves as the outlet to fine-tune your chassis and enable you get the proper weight transfer to the rear of the car. The combination of a good working shock and the coil springs can make your racing endeavors more manageable when it comes to applying your hard-earned horsepower to the racing surface. Jim Geese, owner of Vanishing Point Race Cars in Telford , Pa. , points out that learning the proper application of shocks and how to get the most of them is the first step a racer must take if they want to learn more about the function of their car's chassis. The learning phase begins with the proper way to install a set of shocks. Geese addresses the improper way first. “A lot of guys will try to get by using the single shear method,” Geese explained. “That is basically the bolt going through the bottom of the shock into a threaded rear bracket. I certainly don't agree with that. It's an unreliable practice and somewhat dangerous.” continues after ad
Geese recommends the dual shear method which actually utilizes two brackets and one bolt going through it. The reason that Geese prefers this is because when a car launches it tends to put all of the weight on the rear shocks and while carrying all that load you don't want all of that weight making the lower bolt wiggling around. This practice serves to provide more stability and that is something you always want when the car is coming off of the line. This can also lead to a measure of consistency as well. The proper distance apart and the angle in mounting is another thing that you should closely monitor. One should always mount the shocks at a perfect 90-degree angle and not leaning back or forward. Also, be sure that the shocks are mounted as far apart as possible, but not coming in contact with the tire. The shocks should be mounted closer at the top then the bottom. So the shocks will compress instead of trying to lean over, which will prevent a disaster when it comes time to turn the steering wheel. It will also help out in times of tireshake and won't try to lean it over. So what shocks should you use on your machine? If you're running a Pro Modified car or a car that has a lot of horsepower with a heavy chassis, Geese has found that Santhuff shocks with a 7/8 diameter shaft to be the most durable on the market. This may seem like overkill but one must consider that the typical Pro Modified or fast doorslammer car will try to shake and throw parts out in the aftermath. In his personal experience, he has tried to stay away from shocks that are made with a 9/16 shaft for these applications. “When you're launching the car and the shaft is compressing and going into the body of the shock, a lower diameter is going to flex some. That is not going to ensure that the shock is staying perfectly straight. As it is flexing…basically bowing out and inserting into the body of the shock…it's wearing itself out.”
He has found success with double-external shocks when it comes to most Comp, Super Gas and typical bracket cars because they tend to not react in the same way that a 2,700-pound supercharged Pro Modified would. When it comes to a Super Pro or typical bracket car shock, he suggests using a low budget coil-over shock and most of the times, depending on the application, can be more than adequate. When shopping for a set of shocks for your car, one should do the obvious and that is to research the product. Take advantage of any technical support that might come your way when deciding on what product is the best for your racing application. Geese recommends that shock consumers should look for something that gives them adjustment on compression and on the extension. A non-adjustable shock is not recommended for the strip, but works just fine on street applications where you want be tempted to add more weight distribution to the rear. A racecar certainly warrants an external adjustable shock with a 150-pound weight spring. Geese certainly sees more than his share of racecars at his Vanishing Point Race Cars shop with various ailments related to shocks. The most common for Geese is the heavy fast doorslammer cars that use the smaller diameter shocks and get less life out of their shocks, not to mention sacrifice reliability. He also sees a number of bracket cars that don't have the correct amount of extension and that can be directly traced to not installing properly. Geese even related that he's seen racers that wish to have their car sit up high and do so they will push the shock apart by turning the spring up where normally it might be 14” from center of the top bolt to the center of the bottom bolt. That makes the spring full extended at rod height and that's not a good proposition because the car will tend to try and tear the shock apart when it rebounds. Having the shock open at a smaller amount can have an adverse affect as well.
“Of course, following the right procedures with your shocks can guarantee a longer lasting unit, not to mention a more consistent racecar,” Geese adds. “If they aren't mounted correctly or set-up to work in the way they were designed it can also lead you to the left or the right and into the guardwall. “The wrong choice of shocks will hurt your chances of winning more than it could provide a danger factor. Everyone wants a consistent car and a good working shock will help them to maintain a good working chassis.” SOURCE Vanishing Point Race Cars 83 Revenue Drive , Telford , PA 18969 |
