bent spring hanger

[rmk57]

Doing a little inspection of my rear suspension and noticed the right side spring hanger is bent out about 1/2". Just wondering if it's something I did or if the factory tolerances are that liberal.
The rubber bushings would take up some of the misalignment but I'm replacing them with aluminum which may cause binding.

[SkylinerRon]

I'd replace the shackle.

You only need to use aluminum in the front mount of the rear spring.
The rear doesn't effect traction the same way the front mount does.

Ron.

[rmk57]

Oddly enough the shackle wasn't bent, just the curved hanger. Anyway I heated it up and pulled it back with a come-a-long then reinforced it from the back. I'm shopping around now for an adjustable rear shock to try and limit or dampen the rear from lifting to much.

[SkylinerRon]

If racing (aluminum was the clue) you want some rear lift, it drives the tires into the ground.

Ron.

[rmk57]

Yes I know you need some rear lift, trouble is I'm getting to much to the point of topping out the shocks and bending a spring hanger. My clapped out Monroe-Matics cant cut the mustard. I need a much stiffer rear shock to control or dampen the rebound I'm getting on my shocks/ springs.

I'm looking at a Caltrac 9 way adjustable's or KYB-AGX which are also adjustable. Either should be adequate for my needs.

Randy

[John Palmer]

The angle of inclination of the shock changes it's impact on suspension movement.  For example placing the shock at say a 45 degree angle (as in stock) reduces the shaft movement by 50% compared to the axle up/down movement.  Changing the top of the shock mounting point bracket to a more straight upright position will stiffen (but also increase) the shock travel movement.  Remember the Cobrajet Mustangs that had offset shocks, to reduce spring wrap?  Basically, the pinion gear is trying to climb up the ring gear and it unloads the suspension.  That is why you only have one side bent.  You could very well end up having an extra leaf added to one side, they can make a spring stiffer, without increasing the ride height.  On our 1963 Falcon drag car, we ran a stiffer spring on one side "and also" a Air Lift bag to give up an "adjustable" launch suspension.  We set the car up to launch first "with a open" differential.  Then after we had it producing good 60 foot times we switched back to a locker.   

You want a 50/50 shock on the rear.  It needs to have equal compression and also rebound dampening.  The 90/10 shocks are for the front end.  The common street shocks that only offer soft/firm/stiff settings are not what you need.  You need a true adjustable racing shock that has something like 36 settings so you can tune both right and left sides separately.

You need to have a positive limit of travel in both directions, and it should not be "bottoming out" the shock.  Adjustable racing shocks start at about $300 and you do not want to damage them.  Bump stops control the down travel limit.  And you can use the limit straps made for off road guys, for the up travel limit.  They are sold in one inch increments, and when new, they stretch about one inch, so take that into consideration during your order.