rear shock setting

Bill Harris · 07-05-2007, 12:49 PM

Hey, no disrepect taken! I'm no suspension expert. I just decribed the operation of a leaf spring setup as I understand it from experience and a little physics. I'm not sure how the shock settings affect a four-link style suspension. A four link is a much more complicated (and sophisticated) suspension than a leaf spring. The fact that there are upper and lower control arms that are transferring the energy to the chassis in a push/pull manner is a completely different process than a leaf spring. It may very well be that the shock setting affects the launch differently with that geometry than the leaf spring.

I like Myron's analogy and his experience is the same as mine with leaf springs and traction bars. I always soften my shock settings on loose tracks and tighten them on tracks with good bite and the car responds accordingly. My analysis seems to explain the action from an simplistic energy perspective. If the car is doing anything other than moving forward, then energy has to be going somewhere other than to the tires. The greater the motion in a direction other than forward, and the longer that motion takes place, the less energy is being applied to the tire/track interface.

I'll have to pay attention to the four-link style suspended cars on launch to educate myself. Do they have a tendency is to squat on launch?

07-05-2007, 12:49 PM	#8
Bill Harris Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ooltewah, TN Posts: 421 Likes: 13 Liked 26 Times in 13 Posts	Re: rear shock setting Hey, no disrepect taken! I'm no suspension expert. I just decribed the operation of a leaf spring setup as I understand it from experience and a little physics. I'm not sure how the shock settings affect a four-link style suspension. A four link is a much more complicated (and sophisticated) suspension than a leaf spring. The fact that there are upper and lower control arms that are transferring the energy to the chassis in a push/pull manner is a completely different process than a leaf spring. It may very well be that the shock setting affects the launch differently with that geometry than the leaf spring. I like Myron's analogy and his experience is the same as mine with leaf springs and traction bars. I always soften my shock settings on loose tracks and tighten them on tracks with good bite and the car responds accordingly. My analysis seems to explain the action from an simplistic energy perspective. If the car is doing anything other than moving forward, then energy has to be going somewhere other than to the tires. The greater the motion in a direction other than forward, and the longer that motion takes place, the less energy is being applied to the tire/track interface. I'll have to pay attention to the four-link style suspended cars on launch to educate myself. Do they have a tendency is to squat on launch?