[Shotimes] Is our suspension travel really that short???

[Dave Kegel]

It  might be worth throwing this thread over to SHOTech.  There are a few
suspension gurus over there that aren't on SHOtimes.

Dave Kegel
----- Original Message -----
From: "Josh Salaets" <jsalaets@msn.com>
To: "David P" <jpotter8@bellsouth.net>
Cc: "SHOTIMES" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: January 24, 2003 12:27 PM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Is our suspension travel really that short???


> > I think they mean that once the car is settled on it's own weight, there
> is
> > an inch of downward travel before the car hits the bump stops.
>
> Yeah, that's what we mean.  It's real easy to see how much suspension
travel
> you have with the car sitting on the ground with coilovers and no dust
> boots!
>
> > Yes, the suspension is indeed that short. A total of 7 and something
> inches
> > of travel total, and an unmodified SHO sits right around 3.5" on the
> shaft.
> > This is not, however, total suspension travel at wheel center. The front
> > LCA's are short, and the pivot angle is what determines total travel.
> Maybe
> > someone else can calculate it out. I'd guess that wheel center sees
25-30%
> > more travel than the strut.
>
> I figured the tire would move more than an inch, but it still just seems
> like so little travel for so much weight up front.
>
> > Let us know how the car with one inch of downward travel does. I bet you
> > don't actually hit the bump stop except on seriously undulating roads.
One
> > inch of travel goes a lot further than most people know. Especially
since
> > most people don't know that the tires may absorb up to three inches of
> road
> > height changes.
>
> I am pretty sure I have stayed off my bump stops even on terrible roads
> since replacing a blown Koni last summer, so even though there is very
> little travel, I guess the SHO can handle it...