Shock absorber mounting - how would you do it?

Don't fit them upside-down
The internal valuing is different between bound and rebound (this i know from experience)

As there is a lot of bolt on goodies there, what is the normal method of mounting the dampers?
Ideally as upright as possible, but they can be angled with an effect on effective damping ability as they are angled

I'd possibly be inclined to get a plate made up that bolts to the big plate just in front of the current top mount for the damper
Would that space it out enough to clear the other bolt heads, and make the damper body almost vertical

I’d put them back where they were originally, or as close to as possible. With that suspension setup they’re acting as roll damping as well as shock absorbers, mounting them how you have removes that function. They certainly need to be ‘across’ the axle and not fore/aft of it like a leaf spring setup.

You need to consider the springs and axle location method when recommending such a setup. That setup is exclusively for twin parallel leaf setups as it uses the shocks to counteract spring wrap, also known as axle tramp. It’s really not suitable for an axle that pivots around a front centre origin like c10 trailing arms do.

The shocks should be mounted as they were originally, like this, perpendicular to the axle


The way they were mounted originally is the right way. Anything else isn’t right and they will bind badly.

Paul, What’s the thinking behind the ‘new’ panhard bar? They already have a panhard as standard so why does it need a different one?

Tbh it looks like poorly designed aftermarket parts that ‘fix’ one perceived problem, only to create another.

I did write a very long reply but then my laptop decided to update itself and that was the end of that!

So - briefly.

Suspension set up is a copy of the guy's truck who consitantly finishes in the top 3 in some Autocross series in the States.

He did a series of articles outlining why he did each mod and the effect each one had on his lap times.

Panhard rod.

A Panhard rod changes its 'length' as it moves through the suspension arc therefore moving the axle left and right. As the truck is lowered it will lengthen the bar moving the axle to the passengers side. You could shorten the rod to take account of this, some bend them others cut and sleeve it.

Second problem with the way it is mounted from the factory is that it is not parallel with the ground at ride height and is relatively short, both meaning that there is a large variation in side to side location.

The aftermarket bar does two things. One, mounts it lower so making it easier to get it as close to parallel as possible at ride height and, two the extra length means that the arc is smaller also meaning it stays more central.

Shocks.

The big anti roll bar takes care of the lateral control so the shocks no longer have that function. Also means more room to route the exhausts to the back of the truck.

On the earlier trucks the shocks were mounted outboard, I am trying to replicate that set up but was looking for another set of eyes on what would be the best solution to my clearance issue. I 'could' buy the kit that does all of the thinking for me but I am skint hence why I am open to try different methods of achieving the same result.

Everything is a compromise, just like everyday is a school day if you are open to the thinking of others.

Really appreciate all feedback, I work in an industry that is anything but polite so you will find it very difficult to offend me!

P.

Good catch! I would like to say that was in my previous version but...

Rob at NoLimit is the chap I am copying - his low buck JT build can be seen HERE

P.

Probably doesn't show too well in the pictures but bracket is a big old unit, and mounted in double sheer.

Think I am going to end up replicating the kit that is available - I already have the top brackets made from the first fitting, just looking to see how best to get the bottom constructed.

I don't really like the way the kit mounts the bottom shock bolt (single sheer) so will have to see what I can do to get the clearance etc needed.

For reference this is the kit available.



P.