Dear Welder Series…
Hey DW
Hope all is well sir and you are having a good year so far.
A question came up in our shop this weekend and I am wondering if you could let me know the correct answer when time permits please!
The axle brackets on your parallel 4 link kits- the 3 holes on the rear for shock mounts- are the 3 holes used for initial ride height setup ONLY, or are they options to be used for future ride hide adjustments??
Great debate here on whether they are meant to be used adjusting the ride height whenever you want or if they are meant to be a ‘one time’ use during the chassis build.
Could you let me know the official response please? (I have a $100 wager on this)
Regards,
John
Dear John…
Hi, John.
DW suggested we give you the answer you want for a cut of the action… (Just kidding…)
My “official” answer is: Nobody loses this bet.
Usually the 3 holes are used as a lower mounting point for coil-overs or ShockWaves. They can be used as shock mounts when conventional air bags are used, but my first thought is for coil-over suspension. That’s the basis for my answer.
Coil-overs and ShockWaves have a “designed ride height”. http://welderseries.com/tech/tech-sharing/coil-over-mounting-offset/. We feel a custom vehicle should be built with the suspension at ride height. http://welderseries.com/Right-Height-Vehicle-Set-Up-Tool-p83035424. Physical constraints might dictate the (ideal) location for the upper coil-over mount. The 3 axle bracket holes will give some flexibility to the upper mounting hole location, since the (fixed) coil-over ride height is important to the vehicle ride height. So the wager winner is the initial ride height setup only… maybe…
The 3 holes allow for future adjustments that might involve different coil-overs, different wheel/tire combinations, or a different “look” desired for display at a car show. I have moved the lower coil-over up a hole when going on a vacation trip with a “kitchen sink” in the trunk. So the wager winner winner is the adjustable person… maybe…
I hope you two have a laugh over this and save your money for Welder Series parts.
Thanks for writing. It’s been fun answering.
Paul Horton
Dear Welder Series…
Thank you very much Mr. Horton
As always I appreciate your responses. (I will selectively edit parts of your response and attempt to cut you guys in as I might lose now)
Another question if I may- wouldn’t adjusting up or down a hole as you suggested at the bottom throw off your driveline angles? Or would the difference be minimal?
What brought this about is a wager on my Model A coupe- it rides a touch too high in the back & the wager was whether you can drop it a hole and not throw everything off.
Thanks, John.
Dear John…
Raising or lowering the rear by 1” on a Model A will change the driveline angle by less than 1/2 of 1 degree. I’d consider this minimal and should not cause a problem… unless the driveline angle is already borderline. Lowering the rear could be offset by shimming the transmission mount.
Dear Welder Series…
Well sir I appreciate your insight very much regardless of the $100 I just lost haha
Thank you very much regardless
John.