Latest uprated shocks for Road.

[robert green]

I've read this thread with interest, and am surprised how strong feelings run on this issue!  My zetec car was running the original bilsteins which were certainly tired. I wanted to replace them, and following the chorus of advice on blatchat to speak to Simon at meteor, did just that. I decided on the core single adjustable dampers supplied by Simon to his recommended spec for road use. They were fitted by the team at pgm who also set it up on their flat floor. 
I am not qualified to breakdown where the improvements have come from, but whilst I would say the car may be marginally firmer, it is significantly more comfortable on the bumpy roads in France and uk that I enjoy most in my car. The confidence improvement is huge, and the speed that can be carried where before I would have had to lift off was very noticeable to me and to those in our little convoy to sarthe. I am sure the magic worked by pgm is a big part of it, and maybe the original dampers were shot and new billlies would have done the trick, but I certainly haven't ruined the ride and am enjoying the car more than ever before. It wasn't cheap, but I am very happy, and can now stiffen things up on track and that will be a whole new world of experimentation and fun. I hope that's useful, but of course caterham get very good results with the std dampers, so if people prefer that, good on them! 

[Beagler]

 

" I would say the car may be marginally firmer, it is significantly more comfortable on the bumpy roads in France and uk that I enjoy most in my car. The confidence improvement is huge,"

Thanks Robert, good to hear.

[Iamscotticus]

The 7, regardless of make, being so light, and all being individually different, would have to be dialed in individually.

These cars are so sensitive that another's damper, spring and rubber formula wouldn't work the same on a different car with different suspension rubber compounds, weight distributions, etc.  Its very individual.  Its very difficult to develop any damper that can be "sold" as a universal road damper.  Combinations of dampers, settings and various combos of springs and tyres and wheels that are reported to be suitable.

I would be inclined to work with the brand that can give individual support based on your specific car.

I wish there were a matrix table of data for choosing spring rates by corner weigh, etc, then add driver weight and all else.  If anyone had put together such a study for the benefit of the retail consumer, I only know of Meteor.  I would work with them exclusively.  If I weigh the number of positive reports, I would say the bulk of them go to Meteor.

Having said all that, there is probably some little long forgotten English damper that would be perfect if we only knew what it was...

SPAX?

No, It wouldn't be that.

 

What did Chapman say?  Light springs and stiff shocks?  Or light shocks and stiff springs? 

 

[anthonym]

My BDR is now on new Bilsteins and associated springs. The ride feels like it always felt which is distinctly bouncy over big bumps. Is that the shocks or the springs? 

[Gareth H]

Holy thread resurrection! (Sorry) but the comment about a matrix table caught my attention.

Some (probably irrelevant) ramblings.

First, I plead guilty to being a serial suspension upgrader, ranging from KW V3 on E46 M3 (outstanding) to the same on a Monaro (so stiff they were dangerous, I later found out that they had been developed in America where it would appear all roads are perfectly smooth), to several cars with Bilstein / Eibach, which worked ok but I had 3 dampers fail spectacularly  inside the first year, and another couple within 3 years (the guy who did my suspension work now refuses to fit Bilstein's because he's had so many failures)

A few years back I had an Aero 8, the suspension set up was awful, driving it quickly, which the car was quite capable of, had you almost airborne most of the time, I had a chat with Simon (I'd had Quantum's for a Caterham and Nitrons for a motorcycle from him previous;y), he suggested bringing the car up and he'd assess. It was a really interesting process, an optimum suspension frequency was determined for road use and then the suspension measured to determine ratios, and the car corner weighted, this info was fed into the computer (not sure what software was being used) and a spring rate calculated to achieve the required frequency (obviously dampers can then be selected to match the springs.)

So I guess it wouldn't be impossible to put a spread sheet together for a Caterham showing different spring rates and how they affect frequency (although some assumptions may have to be made for tyre compliance)

Unfortunately I was seduced by a shiny 410 Exige and the Aero got sold (although I do hanker for another and if I do it will go to Simon to be sorted), interestingly the 410 Exige had 3 way Nitrons from the factory and was way more composed on the road than the 350 Exige ( on non adjustable Billies) I had owned previously, Although I did have to tweak compression damping by a couple of clicks so that the car flowed over poor surfaces.
 

I also got to drive a 430 Evora which came on Ohlins from the factory back to back against a 410 on Bilstein's, the quality of damping was very obviously better on the Ohlins car, which is quite difficult to put into words, but it could be pushed with confidence on bumpy roads where the standard car had my bum squeezed very tight!

Rambling finished :)

[Beagler]

"First, I plead guilty to being a serial suspension upgrader,"

You now risk being branded a heretic by some on here. Hope you've got a tin hat. 
 

[aerobod - near CYYC]

 I later found out that they had been developed in America where it would appear all roads are perfectly smooth)

 

Definitely worse roads than the UK in most States in my experience, but it doesn't matter if you bounce around a lot, as there is plenty of leeway in not hitting anything and still looking cool with the stiffest ride around.

[Gareth H]

I plead mitigating circumstances, my CSR came on race suspension which was too low to run on the road, so the perfect opportunity......

[Golf Juliet Tango]

I plead guilty to being a serial suspension upgrader, 

Go for it.  It won't be a cheap hobby!

[Simon.Rogers]

All of you are welcome at any time to visit the shop for a technical visit/workshop tour.

We have the Porsche Owners Club visiting next week.

We could even run a virtual tour if someone had time to organise.