Shock's

[milla85]

Hello. I am in the process of putting 2wd f-150 springs with a 5" shackel onthe rear of my 85 right now and dont know whick shock length i should get. I know i should just be patient and wait for the suspension to be done and cycle it.... but iam not. So anoyone that has done a swap like this you help would be greatly apperciated. I was thinking that the 12" billstiens would be right but not 100% sure. Thanks - Nick

[Rockcrawlintoy]

wait til you are done to get shocks.

[milla85]

Yeah i think thats what i will do! Thanks - Nick

[79coyotefrg]

12 " travel  should get you close,  but  you really  need to flex it  out 

[milla85]

Yeah i wa thinking 12s would do the trick. Would the be any advantage to say running a 14" shock, mounting it higher on the frame and lower on the axle? Would i get more travel out of the shock? Or would it just be the same as a 12 mounted closer together?  (12 /\)  (14 /  \)  making the longer shock more up and down would give me less body roll? Sorry for all the questions - Nick

[Duffil]

actually, mounting the longer shock more vertical will kill your compression travel.  All things equal, the shock will only travel as much as needed.  The angle of the shock affects it's damping properties, not it's travel. although when you angle mount shocks it will increase the amount of travel needed per shock to not bottom/top out.

Shock effectiveness is as follows:
take your calculator and input the angle of mounting.(say45*)
then hit the cosine (cos on my calculator) and that will give you your shock effectiveness.
thus, a 45* mounting angle will yield a 70% effective damping rate, IIRC.

[DTB]

actually, mounting the longer shock more vertical will kill your compression travel. 

how is this if the shock is not fully compressing?




this is a good article on 4x4review. should answer some questions for you http://www.4x4review.com/feature/shock-genius.asp

[Duffil]

I said all things equal meaning shock mounts being in the same place, etc.  A 26" compressed shock will not fit well in a 24" compressed suspension.

basically, a 10" travel and a 12" travel mounted the same way, if the numbers aren't right, the 12" will limit compression.