How much can you go above the recommended brace ht.?

[huntin_sparty]

Got a new string for my bow put it on and set it up to old string specs.  It has a twang and some handshock so I kept increasing brace til it lessened.  Recommended is 8 to 8.25 it felt best at 8 7/8s is that too far from recommended?  Can it be bad for the bow?
Thanks,

[sagebrush]

no and no. I had a bow that I couldn't get to quiet down. I kept raising it just to see. It is about an inch and a half above recommended height. But it is very quiet now and shoots great. Gary

[Whip]

Won't hurt the bow a bit.  In theory, it might make a smidge of difference in speed because the string is traveling a shorter distance.  But in the real world I can't think that you would be able to tell.  Stick with whatever makes it the quietest.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Generally raising the brace will also increase needed spine. Maybe the new string is "slower" than your old one causing the arrow to be too stiff?

[royking]

there is usualy a sweet spot on all bows with the arrows you use

[olddogrib]

Chris,
If raising the brace height slightly shortens the power stroke, it would seem that would decrease the needed spine (or make a given arrow act stiffer).

[Winterhawk1960]

olddogrib.......you are correct. Increasing the brace height shortens the power stroke and will DECREASE the needed spine on your arrows. Decreasing the brace height increases the power stroke and therefore will INCREASE the needed spine on your arrows.

Me thinks..........    

Winterhawk1960

[akbowbender]

I've heard it both ways about spine, but even with the reduced time on the string, the draw weight increases with the increase in brace height, so you'll increase the needed spine, or weaken what you have.

[Blackhawk]

Draw weight increases with increase in brace height?     Can someone explain this if true?  

I know you can change wt. with ILF bows, but never heard of adjusting your bow weight by brace height.

[Don Stokes]

It's contradictory- shortening the string means you have to pull the tips farther to reach the same draw length, which increases draw weight, but you don't get a performance increase because of the shortened stroke. The converse is true. Lowering the brace height lowers draw weight, but "dwell time" of the arrow on the string increases so that more energy is transferred to the arrow.

The difference in draw weight is too small to matter. Changing stroke makes a bigger difference.

[olddogrib]

Now I'm really confused. If you increased the brace height by 1/2" it would seem that all you're doing is placing more pre-load on the limbs and reducing the distance you will draw to get to your anchor by 1/2", but that stored energy is "factored into" the higher brace.  I don't understand why draw weight should be affected.  It seems if you draw to 28" you should hit the specified poundage whether you started at 7 or 7-1/2"?  What am I missing?

[MattS]

Here's how I look at it, right or wrong. This is an over exageration, but it will explain why I think your draw weight will increase.  Imagine this, draw your bow back and anchor up, then have someone measure the distance from tip to tip at full draw. Now string the bow with a new string using that measurement. Now lets say it's a 50# bow at 28". With the shorter string installed the bow is already pre-loaded to 50#. Even if you only have to draw the bow 6" now to get to anchor, your having to start at 50#. Depending on the bow, you could see an increase of 2lbs for every inch of draw from that point. Make sense?

This is my first post, hopefully it's helpfull. Just getting into traditional archery after many years of shooting wheelie bows. Have been learning alot reading the posts on this sight. Thanks!

Matt

[Don Stokes]

olddogrib, maybe what you're missing is that with the shorter string you have to pull the tips farther back to reach your anchor point when you draw. The bow has to be bent farther with the shorter string.