64FJ40
Well-Known Member
Are triangulated rear shocks a bad idea?
IMO, not necessarily. It just reduces the damping effect by a factor equal to (1-cos) of the angle (departure from actual travel path). Just for kicks, lets assume that your lower shock mount moves in a line 10* off vertical from rest to compression. So if your shocks are mounted 40* off-vertical (30* difference), they're effectively only giving you 86% of the damping you'd have if they were mounted at 10*. Of course, the angles all change throughout the compression and rebound cycle, so it's not going to be exact, but you get the idea.
The other effect is that it also effectively reduces the amount of shock travel required for a given amount of tire travel, without having the upper mounts way up high, which can be problematic for people that still have sheetmetal.
I would argue that there are usually better ways to accomplish the same goal, but I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with shocks that are angled. I'm guessing that Brad's objection has more to do with the 'fad' of angled shocks rather than the utility.
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