Shock Length for Lowered Cars

[JWRICH]

What shocks are you guys running with your lowered cars? Were you able to still use "standard length" shocks, or did you need to go to a different compressed/extended length due to being lowered? My build is noted below for reference. (following some of what has been done by @72bluNblu with his Duster... at least in the front. Thanks

I'm building up my 71 Demon as street / autocross car. Hotchkis Sport leafs in the rear which have been relocated under the frame rail. Front utilizes 1.14" bars, SPC Uppers, Reinforced Lowers, and QA1 Adjustable strut rods. I'll be running 18" rims on all 4 corners as well.

I haven't had the engine in the car to see where everything is going to settle out, but starting to look at shocks. I've got my eye on the Hotchkis shocks. Beyond performance, the Hotchkis shocks are about 1.20" "shorter" in compressed/extended length vs the QA1 offering.

 

[dano]

Have you address the front upper and lower suspension stops? The one thing I found with lowering is how do you access the stock adjusters? But with the SPC Uppers that's not an issue in your case. I know with the Hotchkis 1.5 Sport shocks (nonadjustable) they are good to 1/2" of lowering. How low do you plan to go?

 

[JWRICH]

Have you address the front upper and lower suspension stops? The one thing I found with lowering is how do you access the stock adjusters? But with the SPC Uppers that's not an issue in your case. I know with the Hotchkis 1.5 Sport shocks (nonadjustable) they are good to 1/2" of lowering. How low do you plan to go?

I will for sure be using non-standard upper & lower stops so that the ride height is centered up/down on the stops. I'm suspecting that I may just need to hold off on buying shocks until I have the engine in and ride height set. Was hoping others who have done similar builds may have some input on what they did.

 

[autoxcuda]

I’m very low, but run 24.6” diameter 245/50/15 tires.

Have run the basic Hotchkis RCD shock that I think are shorter.

what is the diameter of your front tire? Should be something like 25.6 to 26.0”

I do not run lower control arm bump stops.

I have bottomed out a front shock before.... I went off course at Willow Springs Raceway into a gravel berm..... It bent the steel rim, scratched the front valence up, and bottomed out a QA1 “Star Stocker” I was running at the time.

It just knocked off the shaft snap ring and put a little upward dimple on the upper body shock support.

Whether the car is lowered or not, the end points controlled by the bump stops are the same. In my case I removed the lower one.

since you probably are running larger diameter tires, you should run a shorter LCA bump stop. Something like this: Energy Suspension 9.9132R Energy Suspension Bump Stops | Summit Racing

So.... I’d choose a shorter shock.

BTW most common shocks show same part number for A or B/E bodies. But A-bodies are originally a little shorter.

 

[PST]

Have you considered looking at the Warrior line of shocks by Viking? They are a smooth body aluminum bodied shock that is double adjustable that has the ability for 19 Positions of compression and rebound for a total of 361 different valving combinations. Unlike the Hotchkis shock that is single adjustable and only controls rebound. We are able to offer the Viking at stock ride height or for vehicle that are lowered 1-3" below stock. The Vikings retail at $750 (compared to Hotchkis at $762.99) but with the FABO member discount they are $675 and shipping within the US 48 States is free.

Here is a link to the shocks that I am referring to. Please let me know if you have any questions:

Front & Rear Vi-king Warrior 4 Pack Shocks

Thanks
James From
PST

 

[JWRICH]

Have you considered looking at the Warrior line of shocks by Viking? They are a smooth body aluminum bodied shock that is double adjustable that has the ability for 19 Positions of compression and rebound for a total of 361 different valving combinations. Unlike the Hotchkis shock that is single adjustable and only controls rebound. We are able to offer the Viking at stock ride height or for vehicle that are lowered 1-3" below stock. The Vikings retail at $750 (compared to Hotchkis at $762.99) but with the FABO member discount they are $675 and shipping within the US 48 States is free.

Here is a link to the shocks that I am referring to. Please let me know if you have any questions:

Front & Rear Vi-king Warrior 4 Pack Shocks

Thanks
James From
PST

Thanks James... I'll check those out. From your description, sounds like they'd be comparable adjustability to the QA1 offering, but with options for better fitment on a lowered car. I'll read up on them.

 

[72bluNblu]

What shocks are you guys running with your lowered cars? Were you able to still use "standard length" shocks, or did you need to go to a different compressed/extended length due to being lowered? My build is noted below for reference. (following some of what has been done by @72bluNblu with his Duster... at least in the front. Thanks

I'm building up my 71 Demon as street / autocross car. Hotchkis Sport leafs in the rear which have been relocated under the frame rail. Front utilizes 1.14" bars, SPC Uppers, Reinforced Lowers, and QA1 Adjustable strut rods. I'll be running 18" rims on all 4 corners as well.

I haven't had the engine in the car to see where everything is going to settle out, but starting to look at shocks. I've got my eye on the Hotchkis shocks. Beyond performance, the Hotchkis shocks are about 1.20" "shorter" in compressed/extended length vs the QA1 offering.

I run the Hotchkis shocks on my Duster. It's lowered about 2" overall in the front. The Hotchkis shocks are shorter as already mentioned. I have also run the Bilstein RCD's on my Duster at a pretty similar ride height, that particular set was also for lowered cars and if I recall correctly they were about 1" shorter.

It's also worth noting that the amount you lower the car is not the same as the amount the shock has to be shorter. The shocks are not attached all the way out at the end of the LCA, so, a 2" drop at the spindle is not a 2" drop at the shock mount. On the stock LCA's the difference in the drop at the wheel vs the change in height at the bumpstop is almost half.

And like autoXcuda said the shorter shocks really come in when you start altering the bump stop heights. To lower that much you'll have to run a shorter lower bump stop. And with the larger torsion bars you will also need a taller upper bumpstop. On my car I have to run both, it basically re-centers the suspension travel the match the new lowered height.

Have you considered looking at the Warrior line of shocks by Viking? They are a smooth body aluminum bodied shock that is double adjustable that has the ability for 19 Positions of compression and rebound for a total of 361 different valving combinations. Unlike the Hotchkis shock that is single adjustable and only controls rebound. We are able to offer the Viking at stock ride height or for vehicle that are lowered 1-3" below stock. The Vikings retail at $750 (compared to Hotchkis at $762.99) but with the FABO member discount they are $675 and shipping within the US 48 States is free.

Here is a link to the shocks that I am referring to. Please let me know if you have any questions:

Front & Rear Vi-king Warrior 4 Pack Shocks

Thanks
James From
PST

Looks like a nice setup James!

 

[67autocross]

Have you considered looking at the Warrior line of shocks by Viking? They are a smooth body aluminum bodied shock that is double adjustable that has the ability for 19 Positions of compression and rebound for a total of 361 different valving combinations. Unlike the Hotchkis shock that is single adjustable and only controls rebound. We are able to offer the Viking at stock ride height or for vehicle that are lowered 1-3" below stock. The Vikings retail at $750 (compared to Hotchkis at $762.99) but with the FABO member discount they are $675 and shipping within the US 48 States is free.

Here is a link to the shocks that I am referring to. Please let me know if you have any questions:

Front & Rear Vi-king Warrior 4 Pack Shocks

Thanks
James From
PST

I have purchased these shocks(through PST) and feel the valving is to stiff, once you get past about 6 clicks in on compression or rebound they are just too harsh.

 

[autoxcuda]

I have purchased these shocks(through PST) and feel the valving is to stiff, once you get past about 6 clicks in on compression or rebound they are just too harsh.

what size torsion bars do your run?

what shocks did you have before that ?

 

[67autocross]

what size torsion bars do your run?

what shocks did you have before that ?

I have a set on a car with 1.14 bars and a set on a car with .85 bars...through the years I have run every shock from KYB to bilstein

 

[72bluNblu]

I have purchased these shocks(through PST) and feel the valving is to stiff, once you get past about 6 clicks in on compression or rebound they are just too harsh.

Interesting. Where does that put them in their range of adjustment?

 

[67autocross]

Interesting. Where does that put them in their range of adjustment?

On an A body with 1.14 bars you can put about 2 to 3 clicks of compression at the most from full soft and maybe clicks 6 clicks of rebound.
On the car with small bars maybe 6 or 7 compression at the very most and 3 to 4 rebound max...

 

[autoxcuda]

I have a set on a car with 1.14 bars and a set on a car with .85 bars...through the years I have run every shock from KYB to bilstein

I hear you. I gotta shelf full of shocks.... Koni, kyb, QA1 star stocker, Herb Adams, air shocks, most old and toasted.

I got RCD’s on there now with 1.14” t-bars

Mitch Lelito recommends Vikings, but not sure if he runs them. He’s the type that would want custom valved.

 

[PST]

Viking also has what they call the Voyager line. This lines is designed for cruise/street applications. So the valving will be softer than the Warrior Line.

But if you are looking for a more tailored shock that would Vikings Crusader line. They have a pro- touring, drag high, or drag low specific valving

Thanks
James From
PST

 

[racerjoe]

What shocks are you guys running with your lowered cars? Were you able to still use "standard length" shocks, or did you need to go to a different compressed/extended length due to being lowered? My build is noted below for reference. (following some of what has been done by @72bluNblu with his Duster... at least in the front. Thanks

I'm building up my 71 Demon as street / autocross car. Hotchkis Sport leafs in the rear which have been relocated under the frame rail. Front utilizes 1.14" bars, SPC Uppers, Reinforced Lowers, and QA1 Adjustable strut rods. I'll be running 18" rims on all 4 corners as well.

I haven't had the engine in the car to see where everything is going to settle out, but starting to look at shocks. I've got my eye on the Hotchkis shocks. Beyond performance, the Hotchkis shocks are about 1.20" "shorter" in compressed/extended length vs the QA1 offering.

I have a very similar setup to yours with the exception of a 1.08 bar. I just installed the new Hotchkis non-adjustable shocks and they are light years ahead of the KYB garbage that was on the car. I just used those because I had them and wanted to get the car back on the road after a rebuild. I can't speak much about other high end shocks since I have no experience, but there was a very noticable difference with the change I made. I've read mono-tube shocks are better than twin tube, but without doing a side by side comparisson, who knows. I'm sure Viking, QA1, and all the other performance shocks on the market today perform better than parts store junk.

 

[JWRICH]

Appreciate all the feedback. I hadn't thought about the difference in drop at the wheel vs drop at the shock...something I'll need to take a closer look at for sure.

My new shop will be finished within the next couple months. Can't wait to get it all set up again and back to working on the Demon! (parts are starting to stack up... haha)

 

[67autocross]

Viking also has what they call the Voyager line. This lines is designed for cruise/street applications. So the valving will be softer than the Warrior Line.

But if you are looking for a more tailored shock that would Vikings Crusader line. They have a pro- touring, drag high, or drag low specific valving

Thanks
James From
PST

Anything past about 6 clicks of compression damping on the warriors and I think that it's starting to put too much stress on the shock mounts in my opinion.