rear shock position? hoop/bed cage build ideas please

HGSR

HGSR

craigslistaholic
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Location
kings mountain nc
ok i have to 16 inch fox shocks on the way, and 22 feet of 1 3/4 dom tubing laying in my floor. so ill be getting ready to build a hoop set up thats tied together. so my questions are.. proper shock location? straight up and down or lean them in? i see both when i google it. and hoop ideas/pics/links. how did you do it or would you suggest doing it. i will tie them together in some way. a slight beg cage i guess you could say


thanks
 
My old truck...
ai320.photobucket.com_albums_nn330_sgtbriangreen_100_0118.jpg

ai320.photobucket.com_albums_nn330_sgtbriangreen_100_0117.jpg


My current 4runner...
ai320.photobucket.com_albums_nn330_sgtbriangreen_100_0207.jpg



Shocks work best at 90* angle to the axle.
 
thanks for the pics. 90 deg to the axle? it seems there would be a bind if they were at a straight up and down. i see a lot of trucks running them like your 4-runner
 
Look at how I oriented the bolts on the 90* setup on the pickup. The lower mounts are perpendicular with the axle. The top mounts are parallel. The axle has a little bit of forward and rear movement but not enough to really hurt anything. The bushings will absorb that small amount. There is not really that much side to side movement.
 
Shocks work best at 90* angle to the axle.
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^but they also 'work' at other angles. I think the idea here is to mount them as close to 90degr as possible. Some of the time you'll run out of room though on long travel suspensions in the rear so you'll have to angle it. Both ways works but the closer to 90 the better.
 
The closer to 90deg the more resistance you will get out of your shocks (what they are intended to do)...but you will also bottom them out sooner. Mine are angled quite a bit so I get the most use of the travel they have but not quite as angled as brians runner is.
 
HGSR said:
ok i understand now. ideal would be 90deg but its not do or die.
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well, 90deg. to axle rotation (flex angles) but now we are getting too picky.

Its not a rally race car so I would just do them how ever they work for you.

Xjay's dad always used to say "you aren't building a piano"
That phrase has stuck with me since his passing and I found it really is the truth.
 
If you think about it, the hardcore buggies run 90*. OEM puts shocks at various angles to the axle. Some are tilted forward/rear, some are tilted inward like what I have on my runner but not as much of an angle.


It all depends on what works for you and your style of driving. If you are gonna do a flatbed/bed cage, I would try to get them as straight up as possible, but dont build the rear end around the shocks.
 
iam gonna cut the bed floor out, and when the bed sides are beat into submission ill go tube bed. so the shocks they need to be as close to the spring as i can get?
 
HGSR said:
... so the shocks they need to be as close to the spring as i can get?
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the closer to the end of the axle you mount the shocks, the more resistance you get.

i would stay just inside the springs.
 
10 to 15 degrees angled in at the top. Very important question, are they gas charged or hydrolic shocks! Gas pressure shocks add to spring rate and takes away flex! Hydro shocks do not. If you add gas shocks and do not adjust leaf springs you WILL add spring rate!
 
Realistically you want the shocks at 90deg when the axle is at full stuff.

For instance if the pass rear is at full compression on the bumpstops then the shock should be 90deg to the housing.
 
thanks for the help guys i got a good idea what to do now. new problem tho, the fox shocks i ordered are stiff as hell. so ill have to more than likley revalve them right out of the gate. guess i should have mail ordered them from a place that offers 1 free revalve.... o well
 
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