@yellow rose Thank You for all the info!! Unfortunately I am a newer to back half cars so I'm learning this stuff as I go. Again thanks for al the details! :)
If you can find a copy of the Alston Chassis book it’s worth it. It’s very basic and it’s a good starting point. Plus it’s very readable. Once you get through that one Dave Morgan’s Doorslammer’s chassis book. It’s more in depth. I think you said you have the Bickle book. So that’s good.
Read all you can and consider what you are doing. The ideal shock mount would be on top of the axle, but there isn’t really a way to get a full sized shock on the axle and not have it poking out the trunk.
Shocks are critical if you want to go fast and be consistent. Spring rate goes along with it. Most cars I see are terribly over sprung. With today’s shocks you can get the valving you need without going through the hassle of moving the shock.