Shock travel.

[Z Racing]

Wondering if someone out there could give me some suggestions on how to increase my shock travel on the right rear? Thanks

[Matt49]

Many ways to get more shock travel but why do you want it to travel more? Some changes will make you looser and some will make you tighter.

[ALF401]

Several years ago a retired Dirt Late Model who is in the Hall of Fame now told a group of us that 3 to 4 inches of travel was the sweet spot. Any more than 4 inches you were too soft and any less than 3 inches you were too stiff. Is this a valid statement today??

[Z Racing]

I have 3 1/2 on rf, and 2 on rr. My son is the driver and he says the rr gives out on a slick track. I have 400 on rf and 225 on rr. I just thought if i could get them more even i will be better?

[Matt49]

I don't know that there are any magic numbers on travel. I will say that I think getting maximum travel the RF is a good thing for several reasons. For RR, if you aren't getting enough travel AND you are loose (if that's what you mean by RR gives out on a slick track) you need to get that wheel loaded more. I would start with more j-bar angle or moving the bottom bar down on the frame to get more indexing. Both of these will give you more RR shock travel and add RR tire loading through the corners.

[drtrkr244]

It sounds like you're not getting enough weight transfer. If you have a lot of lead be sure to mount most of it higher. Usually on a late model, most mount their lead on the bar that the fifth coil is mounted to. Try to keep it in that general area, but depending on your drivers weight, you may have to mount some closer to the rearend.

[rakracing]

I agree with moving lead around but I think details are needed, steel engine or aluminum dry or wet sump, what are you percentages in rear and left side.

[let-r-eat]

ALF401's friend is dead on. The reasoning behind why 3-4" is the right amount is why most shocks are designed in the lengths and travels they are today.

You get to doing things outside of those parameters and more than likely you are moving away from the design parameters of the suspension.

Look at off road racing. They are using much more travel and their suspensions are designed accordingly. A typical wishbone suspension with 7-10" control arms and a 7 or 10* spindle is only going to travel so much and still yield a desirable result.

There is a ton of voodoo out there.

[Z Racing]

My left side is 53 my rear is 53.6 my driver weights 235. it is a IMCA late model will a spec engine and dry sump. I have 1 25# weight up high on left rear. Thanks for all the help.

[rakracing]

im surprised your at only 53 with that weight driver I would give it a little more rear and a little less left side, maybe move the weight high and to the right, should help on the slick stuff check and make shore no binds in rear susp, and no bad shocks,

[7uptruckracer]

Is your rear end in the right place? What brand car is this that seems odd? How much fuel are you running and what size tank? Where is motor mounted?

[powerslide]

Maybe he is weighing without the driver and telling you how much he weighs?

[ALF401]

ALF401's friend is dead on. The reasoning behind why 3-4" is the right amount is why most shocks are designed in the lengths and travels they are today.

You get to doing things outside of those parameters and more than likely you are moving away from the design parameters of the suspension.

Look at off road racing. They are using much more travel and their suspensions are designed accordingly. A typical wishbone suspension with 7-10" control arms and a 7 or 10* spindle is only going to travel so much and still yield a desirable result.

There is a ton of voodoo out there.

Lol He didn't get in the Hall of Fame by finishing second a lot!

My real question is about travel in the right front. Wanting to know if the compression number may be a little more or are we jacking the left rear up more?? He was very insistent that too much travel was bad. Don't know if my question has been answered so far here??

[7uptruckracer]

No your compression won't change. These days we travel the RF as much as possible and they are even redesigning the cars so we can go even farther. Raising the racks, Raising the RF frame rail. Running 1 piece lowers with dropped shock mounts, Running super soft setups with bump springs or Dual Stage Stacks. All in an effort to get the RF down. Some is for camber gain. some is for aero to seal the nose etc etc. The will add compression if you are having a car dig rail in an effort to slow that corner of the car for initial entry so it maybe won't hit by the time you bury it into the corner and brake so on and so forth. The new cars are built for it some of the older cars aren't so that COULD be the reason why you were told that. Without knowing what you have and what it was designed for that could be why you got the info you got.