Wishbone Wisdom: Quarter-Max Talks Wishbone Suspension Theory

The application of horsepower to a racing surface can be a violent affair and that requires suspension parts that are up to the task. There are different types of rear suspension setups and if you’re trying to make big power a wishbone might be something you want to add to help keep everything planted. We talked with Rickie Jones from Quarter-Max about the wishbone and why you might want to think about adding one.

Often, when people think of the rear suspension under a racecar and important parts that go with it, the shocks come to mind. While shocks are important, having a rearend that’s centered under the car is just as critical. That’s the role a wishbone plays in the rear suspension, it centers everything so that all the parts can do their jobs.

“A wishbone is a type of rearend centering device. Centering devices, also known as track locators, restrict side-to-side movement and keep the rear end housing centered in the car. Without this device, the housing would move all over the place, creating many issues with the car not going straight, suspension bind, or even catastrophic failure,” Jones says.

When it comes time to start a suspension upgrade how do you know if a wishbone is a part that should be included in the build list or if it’s even right for your application? According to Jones, adding a wishbone to any rear suspension is a good idea as your elapsed times begin to dip lower.

“A wishbone is a great option to be used with any application, from the street to the strip, but we especially recommend it for cars running quicker than 10.00. Generally speaking, our Quarter-Max Series Wishbone is a good affordable option for cars running in the 9-second range or slower. Our Pro Series Wishbone is a good fit for cars running in the 7 to the 8-second range, and our Extreme Pro Series Wishbones are made to handle the power for cars running 8-seconds or quicker.”

Now, if you plan on making some big upgrades to your vehicle in the future it’s best to get a wishbone installed up front. The benefits of a system like the Extreme Pro Series Wishbone that Quarter-Max offers will add some much-needed strength you can use now or in the future.

“When it comes to purchasing suspension parts, we always advise our customers to think long term about their car. You never know, a couple of years down the road you might decide to add more power to your car. So when upgrading your suspension it is a good investment to go with the best components you can afford for longevity. There’s no harm to putting an Extreme Pro Series Wishbone on an 8-second car or even a street rod, you’ll just be adding that much more quality, additional strength, and longevity to your suspension,” Jones explains.

With a customer base that includes some of the quickest and fastest doorslammers in the world, Quarter-Max gets to see firsthand how hard horsepower is on parts. As horsepower levels go up, so does the ferocity of tire shake, that in turn led Quarter-Max to make sure their Extreme Wishbone Kits were ready for just about anything a racer could throw at it.

“As drag racing cars continue to quickly evolve with more horsepower and more violence to the chassis and suspension, we saw a need to provide an option to provide extra stability and strength for racers who want it. We’ve tested this on few cars already with great success, including Erica Enders’ and Stevie Fast’s NHRA Pro Mods. There are plenty of racers out there that have been upgrading to more and more horsepower over the years, and they do have fast cars. But, a lot of those cars weren’t necessarily built to handle all the power these engines are making nowadays. Trust me you’ll never regret maintaining or upgrading your chassis and suspension components,” Jones says.

You can learn more about wishbone suspensions and the Extreme Pro Series Wishbone Kits right here on the Quarter-Max website.