RobNoLimit
03-25-2014, 08:41 AM
There's a lot of competition going on at an auto-x. Running for time, showing off driving skill, tuning skill, building skill, and product ability. Many companies have turned auto-x into a great venue to showcase their products/skills/and knowledge, and many of us that are getting help from some manufactures are doing our best to pay them back by making a good showing. As much as that situation breeds competition, it also creates respect and friendships along the way, and across party lines. At the GoodGuys season opener in Scottsdale, The top spot battle came down to Brian Hobaugh, Kyle Tucker and me. Really, it was Kyle and I battling for second spot. We traded positions four or five times, and Kyle edged ahead late on Saturday. Now, Kyle and the DSE crew all run JRI shocks. I'm a loyal RideTech shock guy, and we sell them included with all of our suspension kits, so there's a bit of competition right there. As I spent the weekend, and most of last season, trying to tame the rear axle under hard breaking, JJ came over and said that he thought it looked like it was unloading the tires. Yes, I said, I've been struggling with that. After some looking, and measuring, he thought the shock mounting length may be just on the edge of being too far open at ride height. Some zip ties and string confirmed this after some runs on Sunday morning. The solution seamed way too simple. Get some 1" longer shock ends from RideTech, install them, and set the spring spanner 1" farther up so that the shock shaft is 1" farther in the shock at R.H., giving it more rebound travel. When I built the truck, it sat 1" lower, and the shock squish was perfect, but that proved to be too low for So Cal roads, so i lifted it 1". I never looked at the shock shaft depth after that. Last week I got the parts, swapped things around and got the truck back together for the Street Machine Nationals in Pomona. The results, the 'hop' under hard braking is 95% gone, (driver can induce the problem, but that's not the truck at all), I can drive in deeper and brake harder than ever before. I won the auto-x on both days, more than a full second ahead of the #2 finisher. So, hats off to JJ @ JRI. The guy is really interested in helping people learn more about shocks and suspension, and making their cars better. Even if it's working with a competitors product. Thanks again JJ.