Shock Dyno Plots, Shock Forces vs Spring rate

[Whiskey11]

This is kind of an interesting topic to discuss here. I recently acquired my Ground Control Coilovers (Runs and hides from Sam and Terry [decision was made based on quality vs price, please don't kill me

]) and asked for shock dynos. I also know the spring rates (440/200). Now my understanding of shock forces is very much only the stuff on the surface. I know what the numbers mean, I understand the basics of how shocks work, etc. What I don't understand though is at what point do we reach the correct shock forces for performance driving.

I've taken photos of the dyno plots (asked for 4 separate dyno plots for each strut and shock and only got two... big assumption... at least I got any at all!)

Here is the front struts:

Here is the rear shocks:

What is interesting to me is how much cross talk is in the rear adjustment knob for a "rebound only" shock. I guess I can sit here and pray that I don't run into the same issues I have with the D-Specs on the rear shocks. Testing will tell. The compression side is digressive too although I'm not sure if that is by coincidence or intentional. The fronts are linear on both ends but very little cross talk in the adjuster between rebound and compression.

So, my question is: How do you determine looking at a shock/strut dyno, if you have enough rebound damping. Compression to me is a little easier since it is there for the controlling of the unsprung weight but rebound is a bit of a mystery to me.

Any thoughts?

 

[Full_Tilt]

What shock is that?

Also, whats wrong ground with GCs?

 

[Whiskey11]

What shock is that?

Also, whats ground with GCs?

They are their single adjustable Koni's. The rears are labeled as 1240 Sports (and looking at the corresponding Dyno plot has me concerned since the one labeled 1240 has a lot more rebound force than the other).

By the same convention, the fronts must be 1547's.

As with the above, I "feel" like these are backwards on the dyno plots simply because of the huge difference in damping forces. I would think the end with the stiffer spring would require more damping force.

As for what is ground with GC? If you meant what is wrong, I don't think anything is wrong, but I don't want this thread to turn into a "What am bestest coilover?" thread when that isn't the reason I created the thread.

 

[NEMustang]

I think they just mislabeled the dyno plots. They are backwards...Fronts are 1547spgc and rears are 1240spgc. I'll try to locate mine this weekend and post them for comparison.

 

[GrabberBlue5.0]

Subd to learn

 

[2008 V6]

Very interesting - Thank you for posting - Will check back for up dated data

 

[sheizasosay]

I sure hope that the dyno plot that NEMustang posts doesn't look exactly the same. If they do, you can wad both of them up and throw them in the trash. If that is the case (which I hope isn't) then you would want to look elsewhere for a dyno. Penske would do them for about $20 a damper.

 

[NEMustang]

I sure hope that the dyno plot that NEMustang posts doesn't look exactly the same. If they do, you can wad both of them up and throw them in the trash. If that is the case (which I hope isn't) then you would want to look elsewhere for a dyno. Penske would do them for about $20 a damper.

What makes you think that the shock dyno plots would not be from the shocks that we purchased?

 

[sheizasosay]

Because the likelihood of them being EXACTLTY the same is crazy.


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[NEMustang]

Because the likelihood of them being EXACTLTY the same is crazy.


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They would be the same if they are simply sending everyone the same plot of each type (Front/rear) shock. Does GC have there own shock dyno? I have some new Konis arriving on Tuesday with plots...I will compare them to my old ones and the version Chris (Whiskey11) posted...now if I can only find my dyno sheets!! Where the hell are they?

 

[Whiskey11]

They would be the same if they are simply sending everyone the same plot of each type (Front/rear) shock. Does GC have there own shock dyno? I have some new Konis arriving on Tuesday with plots...I will compare them to my old ones and the version Chris (Whiskey11) posted...now if I can only find my dyno sheets!! Where the hell are they?

Yes, Ground Control has their own shock dyno, or at least Adam (who I did my order through) said they DO dyno their shocks/struts in house to make sure they are as they were requested.

FWIW, the plots should look similar to NEMustang's because we have the same spring rate kit from GC, but I agree they shouldn't be exactly the same. These are supposed to be MY shocks/struts and so far GC has done nothing to make me believe otherwise.

FWIW, I was running the Steeda HD plates/Stock springs/Tokico D-Specs all winter, just got the front GC kit in and the ride has already improved despite over tripling the stock spring rates. Having dampers that actually are matched to the spring rates is pretty friggen sweet. I'm going to tackle the rears (and the watts link) this afternoon. I need to eat!

 

[NEMustang]

Still haven't got any tech on your shock question yet...BTW, what Watts did you go with? I just talked with Filip at Cortex and will be ordering theirs on Monday.

 

[Whiskey11]

Still haven't got any tech on your shock question yet...BTW, what Watts did you go with? I just talked with Filip at Cortex and will be ordering theirs on Monday.

Fays2. I've had it since last year and have no intentions of changing that. Right now it and the Steeda (and I think the Lakewood... <shudders>) are the only legal Watts links for STX/ESP and I personally like the design better than a diff mounted one. It's just easier to tweak and tune with even though I didn't do a lot of that last year!

EDIT: I'm assuming I've hit that "nerve" where those who know don't want to say for fear of either impacting their business or giving away their winning secrets. That's fine. I'm a patient person so if there are those who like helping others openly, I will listen!

Or, the information is somewhere on the interwebs and my Google Fu failed me... or... it's so highly subjective that so long as you are in the ball park with some adjustment range it doesn't really matter. I honestly don't know (obviously! ). In the mean time, a little sidetracking is fine by me although I'd like to avoid turning this into my build thread!