Shock location changes

[Jet⚡Black]

So, other than pull the motor and work on that; I haven't done much else to my bike except let it sit under a tarp.

So today I decided to uncover it and see what some options might be for what I have in mind; removed the rear fender which I can't stand the sight of; to have a looksee.

Instead of buying shorter shocks I am thinking of going an different route and mounting them 90 degrees as pictured; I have the mounting figured out if I move them here.

Note: They are 90 degrees even though they look a bit back(slopping yard), they are also at the softest setting, which I will change to stiffer to compensate for load. Hopefully, this will cut out a lot of travel it also dropped the bike by around 2 inches, and put the swing arm parallel with the ground. I do plan on changing the rake by lowering the front forks a bit to compensate the change in rake and trail.

Thoughts?

[eaglerider]

First, u need to resize your picture/ post...it is way too big, and will not fit on the computer screen...takes up twice the width. Next, I would not reccomend the change u show, for this reason: The swingarm moves up and down, therefore, in the position u show, the shock cannot move to allow the swingarm to work properly, that is why the stock mounting position is the way it is...to allow the swingarm and shocks to function properly. Also, mounted the way u show, the swingarm will be forced futher downward, raising the rear of the bike, not lowering it. At least, this is the way I "see" the situation, and my opinion.

[Jet⚡Black]

I resized the photos; they looked fine in my browser. Hopefully, it's fixed has it only been those like that? If not I can fix those too.

I am probably going to go with struts and just hard tail it; or go with these from spitfire... The stock shocks just aren't going to work out way to massive.

I figured 90 degrees would work fine as many in the 70's were 90 degrees with a swing arm, and the angles added in the 80's up were to increase rear wheel travel...The angle also put's more stress and stiffness to the shock and ride from my understanding.

Still brain storming it out; time will decide.

[chopperfreak2k1]

i tend to agree with you Jet. i recall a lot of old dirt bikes with shocks straight up and down. i look forward to seein what you come up with.

the pix are ok sized for me, but i have to scroll my screen to the right to see them all.

[eaglerider]

Welll, what I really ment was that I too, have to scroll to the right to see all the post.

[Jet⚡Black]

I still haven't made a decision; and certainly haven't ruled out the 90 degree spot...In researching 90 degree shocks and handling; I saw Steve McQueen jumped a fence in the great escape and Evel Knievel jumped 14 buses and a lot of other stuff with 90 degree shocks.

I don't plan on jumping barbed wire fences, buses or canyons...at least in the near future, but I think it's a viable position to relocate them, If I hard tail it with solid struts; I am definitely locating them there.

Thanks for the feedback to problems that might occur or not, it certainly helps with researching into potential issues that can get over looked; I'll update when I get to that part of the build.

[rustbuckett]

What's the problem you're trying to fix?

I'm one of those "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" guys.

Wondering what's wrong with the stock shock location that requires it to be moved. Is it just a cosmetic issue? Or is it a functional/handling danger issue.

[Jet⚡Black]

Congrats on finding a frame.

Nothing really broken, just in the way. I was asking opinions on location changes...to help brain storm things I may not have thought of in planning.

The current stock location will not work for the rear fender modding I have in mind; I also do not like the amount of travel in the rear wheel, and also prefer a level swing arm. I bought this bike for a mod and customization build. Some of the stock things do not match my vision, for what I want to do with it or get in the way; so they are going to be changed, but a lot of things do match.

If I was just restoring; things would stay as is.

[bigun]

I've relocated my upper shock mount further up to drop the rear and the bottom shock mount further back to keep the the shock angle off the swingarm the same wich is about 40ish degrees
(longer swingarm off a 500 vulcan) and everything rides and handles fine, but for anybody out there who knows, what if you changed the shock angle a little, and I mean no more than 10 or 15 degrees, would it effect the handling alot or not much?

[Jet⚡Black]

From my understanding of the gyroscopic effects, the closer to horizontal the suspension; the more the bike will want to stay in a straight line...this is what they do at the salt flats for speed trials, the problem is, the higher the speed the more the wheel wants to spin like a penny instead of roll. With out a dampener at very high speeds with horizontal suspension your handle bars would start slapping the tank.

With vertical suspension, the better your control during very low speed maneuvering.

Effects, the more angled the shock the more stress on the rod; as it was designed to travel straight up and down, under extremes the rod can bend and or the seals can start leaking.

With your new set up; closer to horizontal than stock angle, you can expect more swing arm travel up and down, wearing out shocks sooner, and the more the bike will want to travel in a straight line...increasing the possibility of taking turns too wide, because it changes the counter steering angle slightly as well.

That's what my research into the topic has come up with so far in deciding on my location choices.