Rear Left Shock bottom bolt alignment

[antimatterparticle]

I had to replace the AT Hankook tires because the exterior side of the tires was completely worn out. This was at 24k miles. I asked to complete an alignment after replacing the tires and check the suspension components. This was at a ford dealership.

When I got home, I decided to check if they had made any adjustments, and there were no signs that any adjustments were made. (Mark on tie rod and bolts were still intact)

So I decided to check the rest of the suspension components, and the majority of bushings are peeling out.

But the rear shock seems to be in the worst condition. It looks like it is not even centered on the bolt/bracket. Should this be fixed?

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[antimatterparticle]

At this point just delete the post if it is going to be moved to a sub-forum that nobody reads.

 

[TaxmanHog]

I've read the post, and hopefully others will see it in time, it's perfectly situated on the

• Suspension / Chassis section

 

[Heliian]

Shocks have one job and it has nothing to do with geometry.

 

[02Reaper]

The shock alignment is perfectly normal. That sleeve can slide in and out to allow the shock to come out and go back in. If you ever have to remove and replace the shock you will understand.

 

[Lpotter86]

Bushings peeling out?

 

[antimatterparticle]

The shock alignment is perfectly normal. That sleeve can slide in and out to allow the shock to come out and go back in. If you ever have to remove and replace the shock you will understand.

I do not believe that to be correct. The force on the lower bolt will increase if there is a shift to the right or to the left.

Assume that the shock was vertical.

To simplify it and I do not want to over think it, let’s get the answer from chatgpt:


Assume dynamic nature of hitting a pothole.

Thank you for the clarification! If only one shock absorber hits the pothole while the vehicle's weight is distributed across all four shocks, we need to adjust the calculations to account for the load being borne primarily by the shock that takes the hit.

### Key Assumptions:
- **Total vehicle weight**: 6000 pounds
- **Additional load**: 2000 pounds
- **Total weight of the vehicle**: 8000 pounds
- The vehicle's weight is distributed across **4 shocks**, meaning each shock normally carries **1/4 of the total weight**.
\[
\text{Normal load on each shock} = \frac{8000}{4} = 2000 \, \text{pounds per shock}.
\]
- However, when one shock hits a 3-inch deep pothole, that shock will bear a much larger portion of the load as it absorbs the impact, while the other shocks momentarily unload.

Let’s estimate that, in this scenario, the single shock hitting the pothole might temporarily bear **1/2 of the total weight** of the vehicle (a rough estimate, since the car will tip slightly, transferring weight to the opposite side).

### Step 1: Updated Load on the Shock Hitting the Pothole
If the shock hitting the pothole carries **half the vehicle's total weight**:
\[
\text{New load on the shock} = \frac{8000}{2} = 4000 \, \text{pounds}.
\]

### Step 2: Dynamic Load Multiplier Due to Impact
As before, we estimate the dynamic load due to the pothole impact to be **2.5 times** the static load.

\[
\text{Dynamic load on the shock} = 4000 \times 2.5 = 10000 \, \text{pounds}.
\]

### Step 3: New Force Calculations for a 3-Degree Shift

Given this new dynamic load of **10000 pounds**, we can now recalculate the vertical and horizontal forces for the 3-degree shift.

#### Vertical Force:
\[
F_{\text{vertical}} = F \cdot \cos(\theta) = 10000 \cdot \cos(3^\circ) \approx 10000 \cdot 0.99863 = 9986.3 \, \text{pounds}
\]

#### Horizontal Force:
\[
F_{\text{horizontal}} = F \cdot \sin(\theta) = 10000 \cdot \sin(3^\circ) \approx 10000 \cdot 0.05234 = 523.4 \, \text{pounds}
\]

### Final Summary of Results:

- **Vertical force**: ~9986.3 pounds
- **Horizontal force**: ~523.4 pounds

When the shock hits the pothole and bears about **half the total vehicle weight** (4000 pounds, dynamically increased to 10000 pounds), the vertical force approaches **9986 pounds**, while the horizontal force reaches around **523 pounds**. This lateral force could place significant stress on the bolt and bushing, though it’s more moderate compared to a scenario where the shock carries an even larger portion of the load.

The stress caused by this horizontal force can have real implications for the durability of the shock mounts and suspension components over time.

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