Jump to content
  •  

Understanding Adjustable Coilovers


Jas Gajaria

Recommended Posts

Hey Guys,

So I'm trying to understand the concept behind shock tuning. Not to the level where you remove the shimstack from inside the shocks and change it completely, rather about the "tuning" knobs on the coiler suspension itself. 

Top of the Line Coilovers come with DSC adjusters or Dual Compression Adjusters and I am trying to grasp my head at how you would want to tune the shocks in two scenarios: Road and Desert.

1. High Speed Compression and Rebound

2. Low Speed Compression and Rebound

 

Thanks for the Suggestions in advance!

Cheers, 

Jas

  • Like (+1) 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have separate damping and rebound control or just one screw controlling both?

I have no clue nor have I got any interest about setting up for off road but I could tell you how to set them up for road/track use, controlling over/understeer etc

  • Like (+1) 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Barry said:

Do you have separate damping and rebound control or just one screw controlling both?

I have no clue nor have I got any interest about setting up for off road but I could tell you how to set them up for road/track use, controlling over/understeer etc

Hey!

Its 4 Way Adjustable, so I can control low speed damping and rebound as well as high speed damping and rebound. If you could explain that it would be pretty sick! Would lead me in the correct direction for sure :D

Cheers, 
Jas

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 way is a bit complicated if you have no experience of setting up suspension, it’s a pretty steep learning curve. First you need to understand what it means and what the settings do. 

 

You have,

 

Low speed damping. This controls how the suspension compresses in normal use and is used to stop you from bottoming out after a single jump 

 

Low speed rebound. This controls how fast the suspension will extend after being compressed in normal use

 

High speed rebound. This controls how fast the suspension will extend after being compressed multiple times, ie if you’re driving over rough ground and bouncing up and down

 

High speed damping control. This controls how fast the suspension compresses after hard impacts, ie bouncing over rocks

 

Like I said, I know nothing about for setting up for off road but for on road, the most simple way to put it is for understeer, make the back harder and the front softer and for oversteer make the back softer and the front harder. It’s just going to be a matter of playing with things until you find something that suits your car and your driving style but if you have half an idea of what the settings do you have a fighting chance. 

  • Like (+1) 2
  • Thanks (+1) 1
  • Totally Agree (+2) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think coil over shocks with 4-way damping adjustment are wasted on vehicles that mostly do dune bashing. Sure, having some adjustment to firm up the suspension is a nice thing to have if you do lot of soft sand, but for the most part, these kinds of shocks are much better suited to track racing applications to improve steering, braking, and general high-speed cornering ability. 

 

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not an expert on suspension technologies and go much with my user experience. I had a rally bred Aragosta suspension with 18 settings on each wheel. Tried almost every god damn setting and never enjoyed that Patrol on road. On off-road as @treks mentioned at medium hard it was plenty for sand.

So as a best rule of thumb, go all options mid way and then go backwards to understand what solves your need better.

If you are trying to achieve OEM softness for road comfort then don't waste your time. Off-road suspension are made, shown and advertised splashing sand, jumping dunes as that's what they do the best - except road comfort on tarmac.

image.png

  • Like (+1) 2
  • Totally Agree (+2) 3

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I would follow Baja Truck settings as they seem to just glide over rough terrain Fast compression with slow rebound.

You jump or attack an obstacle and you land the soft compression absorbs up all the impact and with a slow rebound you don't bounce back up like a spring 

  • Like (+1) 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, desertdude said:

I think I would follow Baja Truck settings as they seem to just glide over rough terrain Fast compression with slow rebound.

You jump or attack an obstacle and you land the soft compression absorbs up all the impact and with a slow rebound you don't bounce back up like a spring 

You make a good point here, but the problem is that many SUV's are so heavy that it is very difficult to control the compression rate without the suspension bottoming out. We see this all the time on grade 1 & 2 off road trails that allow SUV's on them- some people spend large fortunes on suspension mods and especially on coil-over shocks with multiple adjustments, but in the end, the sheer weight of their vehicles defeat even the most expensive suspension mods.  

  • Like (+1) 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, treks said:

You make a good point here, but the problem is that many SUV's are so heavy that it is very difficult to control the compression rate without the suspension bottoming out. We see this all the time on grade 1 & 2 off road trails that allow SUV's on them- some people spend large fortunes on suspension mods and especially on coil-over shocks with multiple adjustments, but in the end, the sheer weight of their vehicles defeat even the most expensive suspension mods.  

That's true but you are talking of full loaded and kitted out with steel overlanders. Might work for a empty nearly stock regular swb 4x4. No harm in trying as he's already got them

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of use