Ben 4x4 Shepperd
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| posted on 31/12/03 at 01:52 PM |
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shock settings
How do you know what settings ( how compressed the springs are) to put the shocks on do you just adjust to make the car level etc. or is there a
recommended setting?
Thanks
Ben
P.s. Happy New Year
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alister667
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| posted on 4/1/04 at 11:09 AM |
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When I was building mine I left the dampers at their least stiff, and left the springs at their least compressed. I was at the track yesterday for
the first time (Yeehhaaawww!) and some of the more experienced BEC blokes wound the dampers up to about 8 clicks out of 13. I might adjust the
springs later , as she is sitting quite tall, but the extra clearence will be handy as the roads in N. Ireland are rubbish.
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zetec
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| posted on 4/1/04 at 09:41 PM |
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I started off with about 50% damper rate, springs set to give 4" ground clearance, tyres mid 20s...Far too hard! Tyres now run at 18lb, dampers
set at about 20% of max setting, springs set to give 4" still. The ride is much better and understeer is reduced to give neutral cornering. Go
too hard and the ride knocks the car on public roads all over the place and understeer on turn in. Still will oversteer like mad but that needs my
right foot adjusted! Suspect MK recommended front springs at 325lb too hard for zetec engined car, might change to 275/300lb for road use.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 08:46 AM |
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I've mentioned here before the accident that my son's friend had in his Caterham Superlight. He managed to roll it, which is quite an
achievement! (He'd side-swiped a kerb on a wet road).
It went off to Caterham to be fixed, and when he got it back they said that the springs & dampers had been set to maximum, and that they were
amazed that he'd managed to keep it on the road...
rgds,
David
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alister667
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 06:52 PM |
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By 'maximum' do you man softest or hardest?
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 08:32 PM |
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Mostly it was the shocks set too hard - they were almost solid, apparently. (Isn't it hard to describe the action of a shock absorber in a few
words?  ) - what I'm trying to describe is 'maximum resistance to movement'.
I'm sure I've read somewhere that shocks should be set to the 'minimum amount of damping' that still keeps you on the road!
cheers,
David
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alister667
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| posted on 5/1/04 at 09:55 PM |
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Aye that makes sense. I read in the Which Kit MK INdy Pinto build they were happy with the shocks and dampers set to softest. In my limited driving
of my own car I have no idea about handling, other than don't accelerate too quick out of corners!
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