Rear Shock Angle Question?

I'm going to relocate my rear shocks and was wondering what should the angle be on them before I start welding. I've never seen a shock located so that is runs up and down so there should be a little angle, but how much. I'll be adding a notch to the back of the frame and would like to run the top of the shock to the top of the notch. Thanks

 

Hi,
From experience the maximum angle is 15 degrees before the shock begins to loose efficiency, the closer to verticle the better.

 

Shocks can be just as efficient at just about ANY angle as long as they still move. It just takes different valving to compensate for the angle. If you took a shock that was originally designed for an angled application and stood it straight up, it would likely be way too stiff.
An angled shock does not have to be as long as a vertical mounted one to have the same amount of wheel travel and that is why most OEM's lay the shocks over - so they don't have to come through the floor of the car. Use Pythagorean Theory to figure out the perfect lengths.
If you don't believe that angled shocks work just fine, take a look at any off road race vehicle, they angle them quite a bit and then put them in a working environment that is the harshest possible.

 

Is the bottom of the shock outside the frame, or are you angling them out at the top? Just asking, because I've seen it done. The tops should be inboard of the bottom by about 15-20 degrees to take advantage of the roll center of the suspension. If you are using shocks with rubber or urethane bushings, make sure the mounts are parallel in all directions and lined up with each other at ride height. Any misalignment is going to kill the bushings in no time...

 

If you are talking coil over shocks the max angle is about 20 degrees with the bottom mount farther out than the top. Spring rates will change with the angle. If you are fabricating the mounts you might want to make several mounting points so you can tune the system if need be. Verticle alignment is critical for bushing wear.

 

Ok sounds like a general take on the angle. I just have one more question and If I'm getting ahead of myself please stop me. Questions is how do I choose the right shocks for the project as far as length and stiffness? I imagine I'm going to have about a foot in length between both shock mounts. Does this mean I'm going to have to find a shock that 8 to 10 inches in size or should I angle the bottom mount so that I can put a longer shock in? None of the fabricating has been done yet and it probably won't happen till November but I would like to get confident enough that I can do it on my own. Thanks