Quote:
Originally Posted by M0nk3y
OTS Valving
Just IMO, I had DA Konis on my 128 and switching to MCS or JRZs would have made no difference.
I think there is a Huge placebo effect with "expensive shocks" and doing well
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
I agree and disagree.
Yes, a lot of people think if they spend $4k on shocks they will have a guaranteed good setup. LOL. In fact I know someone who spent more - with a highly regarded shock builder, no less - and ended up with a worse handling car than stock because the shock builder set him up with some insane damping forces.
As I'm fond of saying, suspension is a matter of basic physics - by basic, I mean any first year physics student could at least wrap their head around the problems/equations involved (source: I stumbled through one year of physics). So yes, if you switch from Shock A to Shock B but match the settings so the damping forces are the same, there will be ZERO difference between the two. There's really not much reason to go from Konis to MCS, JRZ, Penske, et al if you're going to end up with the same damping range.
Where there are differences, it is in the following:
- durability/reliability
- heat tolerance
- adjuster accuracy/linearity/repeatability
- how easy is it to get a revalve/rebuild
I wouldn't say there will be huge differences between Koni/MCS/JRZ/Penske/etc for the things on that list. But if we start bringing up brands like Tokico, that conversation changes. Now if you had some hypothetical "magic" Tokico that matched the damping forces of the Koni, sure, there will be largely no performance difference (assuming those damping forces hold as the shock heats up).
But more than likely you won't like the damping forces of the Tokico, you won't be able to have someone change them, and the adjuster is potentially a random force generator. Same goes for Tein or anyone else who will refuse to give you detailed shock dynos.
Regarding DA vs. SA: my philosophy is that once the shock damping is correct, you shouldn't touch the shock (barring rain or similar calamity). With that in mind, you can get DA performance from an SA if you're willing to revalve...repeatedly. I'm not convinced you can maximize your performance potential with an OTS SA unless that OTS compression valving just happens to be the magically right value. And even then, that valving will be maximized for one specific tire on one specific surface in dry conditions. DA lets you move to different surfaces or deal with rain.
Yes, if you're talented, you can win on SAs especially in Street classes. The really exceptional Street drivers are those who don't just understand how to drive fast, but can understand a stock car's bad habits and drive around them. I still think DA is generally an edge. Note that Ogburn had DAs when he won CS. Knowing Peters, he probably had DAs when he beat Strano last year in SSR (don't know what shocks Strano had).
Fact is, most of us are not that talented and we need all the help we can get. And even those of us who are talented (Jeff) are ditching their SAs for DAs.
The real bottom line is if you buy an adjustable setup, you need to put in the work needed to find the fast setting. DAs are just a tool; ultimately the driver is the weapon.