Fortune Auto Dreadnaught Pro Gen5 - anyone tried it on the track with feedbacks?

[RehabJeff86]

Hi, any inputs and feedbacks regarding Fortune Auto Dreadnaught Pro Gen5 2-way or 3 way for tracking are greatly appreciated!!

I was shopping for JRZ RS Pro and one vendor highly recommended Fortune Auto Dreadnaught Pro Gen5 to be as good as JRZ but half the price, unfortunately internet search didn't come up much reviews or feedbacks, wonder anyone on the forum is using this set up regularly for HPDE/Track.

Thanks!!

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by RehabJeff86

Hi, any inputs and feedbacks regarding Fortune Auto Dreadnaught Pro Gen5 2-way or 3 way for tracking are greatly appreciated!!

I was shopping for JRZ RS Pro and one vendor highly recommended Fortune Auto Dreadnaught Pro Gen5 to be as good as JRZ but half the price, unfortunately internet search didn't come up much reviews or feedbacks, wonder anyone on the forum is using this set up regularly for HPDE/Track.

Thanks!!

If that were true, then JRZ/Penske/Ohlins would all be out of business.

[RehabJeff86]

Hey Mike, any experience or encounter with Fortune Auto u can share? PM me if u wanna
keep it private, thx!!

[glamcem]

not the Dreadnaught but I have ordered my FA 500 coilovers with 9k/9k swift and other options. It will be delivered today and hopefully I can finish installing it within the next couple days and then take it to the track events this weekend. I will share my experiences with them

[CSG Mike]

This was posted today... which shows nothing about the actual tech specs. It's just a bunch of shots that were set up to look fancy.

Originally Posted by Jason@DSG

This is why we are Fortune Auto master dealers, these guys are top class

[Jason@DSG]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

This was posted today... which shows nothing about the actual tech specs. It's just a bunch of shots that were set up to look fancy.

Mike,

It was simply to show the work and quality behind their product. The technical specs are all over their site (including full cutaways of everything they do, all the adjustment capabilities, tech specs, etc.). I thought that was obvious but I digress....ive piston

[Jason@DSG]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

If that were true, then JRZ/Penske/Ohlins would all be out of business.

Fortune Auto 2-way have equal or more adjustment than the above. Obviously JRZ and Ohlins are amazing quality but the valving on Fortune Auto is better IMO

FA offer digressive and ultra digressive valving profiles depending on what the vehicle is used for. JRZ offers standard digressive and linear valving profiles.

Don't get me wrong, JRZ, Ohlins, etc. are fantastic quality and have stood the test of time on many track cars but for a Twin that's doing 50% track, slapping a $10,000 set of coilovers to have micro adjustments is ridiculous. FA is the best bang for buck and I can guarantee an FA 2-Way versus any of the above on a 200whp FRS will boil completely down to driver mod. There's no point in wasting money when it can be spent elsewhere on a track car.

[Jason@DSG]

/\ and on that note I recently saw some vids of @RehabJeff86 driving, he's got the driver mod so I'd rather he get bang for his buck rather than some over-the-top setup that will cost him a fortune.

I could easily sell him more expensive ones, it's better for me but I choose not to because I don't want to screw him

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Jason@DSG

Fortune Auto 2-way have equal or more adjustment than the above. Obviously JRZ and Ohlins are amazing quality but the valving on Fortune Auto is better IMO

FA offer digressive and ultra digressive valving profiles depending on what the vehicle is used for. JRZ offers standard digressive and linear valving profiles.

Don't get me wrong, JRZ, Ohlins, etc. are fantastic quality and have stood the test of time on many track cars but for a Twin that's doing 50% track, slapping a $10,000 set of coilovers to have micro adjustments is ridiculous. FA is the best bang for buck and I can guarantee an FA 2-Way versus any of the above on a 200whp FRS will boil completely down to driver mod. There's no point in wasting money when it can be spent elsewhere on a track car.

Alright. I have to ask. How much suspension knowledge do you actually have?

I hate to come off aggressive toward another vendor, but when you're making broad statements like that in a performance oriented subforum, clarifications need to be made.

First off, are you dealers for any of the "high end brands" that you purport FA to compete with? JRZ, Ohlins, AST, Moton, MCS, Penske, Sachs?

Can you explain to me, in detail, how noiseover point on a damper affects the vehicle? Can you explain to me the actual effective differences between a twin tube and monotube damper?

Now the most important question. How are these FA Dreadnaughts superior to the "microadjustment" 10k+ suspension? The high end stuff has an entry point of 4k, retail, including camber plates and mounts. Do you even understand what the adjustments are for and how they work?


Honestly, based on looking at your website, you guys push mostly MCS, and offer a few other suspensions that are readily available to anyone with an account at the wholesale outlets.

Do you guys even do any R&D with the products you sell?



Do you put in high octane in your Ralliart? Why bother? You don't need the octane 90% of the time you drive. I hope you get my point.

[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Jason@DSG

FA offer digressive and ultra digressive valving profiles depending on what the vehicle is used for. JRZ offers standard digressive and linear valving profiles.

I'm curious, do your customers ever ask for dyno plots for the units they're buying, or do you know if they have their own done after they buy a set of coilovers from you?

[simpleisbest]

Originally Posted by Jason@DSG

Don't get me wrong, JRZ, Ohlins, etc. are fantastic quality and have stood the test of time on many track cars but for a Twin that's doing 50% track, slapping a $10,000 set of coilovers to have micro adjustments is ridiculous.

Hmm...if the shocks are properly valved for the type of racing, car specs, and spring rate....isn't the "micro-adjustment" all you really want? Adjustments are there to fine tune the set up, correct?

Why would you need such a wide range of adjustment, especially with a 2-way damper with matched springs?

Also, doesn't the wide range of adjustment come at the costs of being able to fine tune the suspension settings? Most adjusters are linear in their adjustment, so if the adjuster is adjusting in large movements, then won't you loose the ability to really fine tune without a revalve?

[glamcem]

just to clarify, 3 way adjustable Dreadnaught Pro is actually more expensive than JRZ RS Pro and some other high end coilovers according to their website $7K!!! and I am pretty sure if they didn't have their own reasons they wouldn't price it so high

http://www.fortune-auto.com/dreadnoughtpro3way.htm

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by glamcem

just to clarify, 3 way adjustable Dreadnaught Pro is actually more expensive than JRZ RS Pro and some other high end coilovers according to their website $7K!!! and I am pretty sure if they didn't have their own reasons they wouldn't price it so high

http://www.fortune-auto.com/dreadnoughtpro3way.htm

Do you want to see waht a 3 way JRZ costs?

[glamcem]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Do you want to see waht a 3 way JRZ costs?

nope it should be around $7900 or so IIRC ..I am sure someone could benefit from having those ultra high end coilovers for timed events or Pro Racing but I personally think the gains are marginal for all others.." I am one of the strong believers of the term diminishing returns" and think it applies for many folks here

I also like to get bang for the buck mods, cars ... maybe you'll agree with me on this one, many of the European brands are highly overpriced (same applies to cars) I am not bashing their quality or anything just feel that some of them cost more than what they actually should... what's even funnier is it is the complete opposite in Europe good luck getting a Mustang for cheap and maintain..