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Suspension travel - how much?
Tigers - 21/7/04 at 08:44 AM

Hi guys!
Yeasterday I did some CAD drawing again and discovered that with a current placement of shock absorbers suspension movement on front wheels will be slightly less than 2 inches in each direction (up and down). From your experience - is that enough or not? (Spring rate 375 lbs/in, suspension leverage ~1.9/1)
Or should I try to place the shocks diferently - but then eaven more suspension leverage will be involved and need for firmer springs....

Any input wellcomed.
Thanx,
Janis


JAG - 21/7/04 at 11:16 AM

I've never measured it but +/- 2" sounds about right to me.


stephen_gusterson - 21/7/04 at 11:20 AM

4 ins travel sounds normal - but i have heard it expressed as a 1 inch droop, 3 inch compress...........


atb

steve


pbura - 21/7/04 at 11:32 AM

AFAIK, usual practice is to split the shock travel 2/3 for bump and 1/3 for droop. However, the shock should bottom in bump before your suspension.

One installation guide I saw said to include the bump stop in the total shock travel, but I'm not so sure about this. Seems like the best of all worlds would be to have 2" of travel before hitting the stop, then bottom the rubber before bottoming the suspension. I don't think any car has that much wheel travel, though.

Pete


Tigers - 21/7/04 at 12:15 PM

Thanx guys, this makes me less worried


stephen_gusterson - 21/7/04 at 12:21 PM

most cars have no bump stop capability - on my car the total upward travel is summat silly - like 6 - 8 ins - before the transit top link hits its limit.

The shocker will I think bottom before this total mechanical travel is reached. It would have to be some mother of a pot hole tho!

atb

steve


locost_bryan - 22/7/04 at 03:27 AM

quote:
Originally posted by stephen_gusterson
It would have to be some mother of a pot hole tho!



like the one Gronholm hit in Argentina


NS Dev - 22/7/04 at 09:16 PM

surely with 6-8 ins travel the spring will go coilbound? Maybe not depending on shocker angle but must be a very long spring if not!


stephen_gusterson - 22/7/04 at 10:31 PM

i was talking of mechanical travel with no shocker.... ive not guestimated or measured how far the coil will allow. Its 350lb so I guess its not gonna compress all the way. Id rather it went coilbound than broke the top joint by forcing it past its travel.

atb

steve