Picking The Right Shocks
Selecting the right shock absorbers for a vehicle can make a significant difference in its handling on the street, off-road, or on the track. Hopefully this article will provide some much needed shock therapy for you.
Many performance enthusiasts raise the hood of their high-octane toy a minimum of once a week, looking for that last little bit of performance that they can squeeze out of the engine. We wonder when they last got out the jack and took a close look on the underside of the car, specifically, at the shock absorbers.
Numerous race and performance cars and trucks make lots of power, but when it comes down to the wire, they can’t hold up because they do not have a decent suspension set-up, of which shock absorbers are a key element. While today’s bolt-on suspension systems can supply older muscle cars and even trucks with the advantages of contemporary suspension components, picking the right shock absorbers is important for optimal handling and performance .
The sole purpose of a shock absorber is to control the velocity of the suspension movement by developing resistance to the vertical motion of the wheel, or dampening.
The extension cycle of a shock absorber includes a Compression stage and a Rebound stage. Dampening happens throughout the entire extension cycle, regardless whether the shock is on a pick-up truck driving down a rough country road, a nine-second drag car, or a popular circle track automobile heading into a banked corner.
Dampening Rate
How rapidly the piston in the shock moves identifies a shock’s dampening rate. This is in reaction to an uneven spot on the road or off-road surface.
The faster the piston moves, the firmer it ends up being during both compression and rebound, as an outcome of the resistance it experiences as the piston travels through the oil reservoir inside the shock absorber body. The factories set the dampening rate for some shock absorbers. Other shocks use adjustable valving, enabling change of the dampening rate to better fit the vehicle or driving surface area.
Choosing a shock absorber for a high-performance application is as crucial as picking any other component on the automobile. As it is an extremely specialized procedure, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from certified experts.
Shock absorbers designed for specific applications like racing have particular dampening rates. This is to enhance their performance under the conditions common to, and set up within that racing discipline.
If the dampening is too TIGHT, the tires will not have the ability to keep appropriate contact with the driving surface area. This leads to an over-dampened shock condition. If the shock dampening is too loose, the suspension will move too rapidly, also causing the tires to lose contact.
The appropriate shock absorber for any driving application will accomplish critical dampening (a perfect balance). This will provide the right amount of control with no suspension cycling. The easiest method to attain this critical dampening is with single or double-adjustable shock absorbers.
Adjustable Shocks
With all adjustable shock absorbers, an easy turn of a knob can alter the dampening . On single adjustable shocks, the compression setting is fixed, however the rebound setting can be changed. Some racers prefer double adjustable shock absorbers. Both the rebound and compression can be adjusted because they are constructed with special valving that allows it. Koni even provides a double adjustable shock absorber for drag racers that features a remote control for down track rebound adjustment, permitting maximum traction throughout the run.
Various kinds of shock absorbers are customized to make the most of performance in particular applications. Uzbasic Motorsports is happy to bring a full inventory of all kinds of shock absorbers. This is from a variety of brands, consisting of street, track, and off-road.
There are many premium brands and a large choice of shock absorber styles. It’s possible to find the best fit for essentially any vehicle and racing application. Most shock absorber manufacturers’ catalogs consist of handy charts that offer assistance on the ideal shocks for a particular application. These brand companies likewise preserve outstanding tech support by means of phone and web.
Shock Therapy Catalogs
We have several Catalogs available covering all of the major Racing, Show, and Performance categories that we provide parts for.
Whether drag racer, dirt or circle track racer, off-roader, street machine, or hot rod enthusiast. The appropriate shock absorber will not just provide better handling, but also improved traction as well. It’s worth the financial investment of time and cash to give that “pride and joy” vehicle a little shock therapy!
This article was inspired by a post written by Jim Kaekel, Jr. at Motor State.
If you have upgraded the shocks on your truck, you should also check out our 3 Tips for Using Truck Lift Kits.
To put it differently, look at this post on shock length.
