Ride quality - shocks

[marolf101x]

You must remember, after the coil over compresses it must then extend. You want very little compression damping. . . That's the job of the spring in ride quality. Once the spring is compressed it will force the shock apart. Rebound damping MUST slow this down. If it does not the suspension will continue to bounce.

Ride quality is odd. Sometimes the more force you have, the more control it provides, the better the car feels. Like a stock chevelle we test with. . . Floated all over the road with worn out Monroe's. added RQ smooth bodies (and that was it) and it was controlled and predictable. Everyone voted the ride quality got better, even though the shocks were stiffer.



Since ride quality is such a subjective beast I think we need to explain your current ride quality in terms of a new car. You say it's harsh or stiff. Is it "BMW M3" stiff, or is it F550 stiff? There's a huge difference between the two!

[Yelcamino]

What effect does rebound have on ride quality? Given these aren't prone to packing.

Am I looking for a lower number?

As Britt stated, the rebound slows down the coil following compression. Keep in mind, a 300 lb/in coil won't need as much rebound force as a 1000 lb/in coil. That's where the HQ shines - you can adjust the rebound force to suit your coil rate and your personal preference.

At low velocities (1-3 in/sec) you want the rebound force to make a nice ramp up to 200-300 lbs or so. Of course the force should continue to increase as the velocity increases.

Like a stock chevelle we test with. . . Floated all over the road with worn out Monroe's. added RQ smooth bodies (and that was it) and it was controlled and predictable. Everyone voted the ride quality got better, even though the shocks were stiffer.

This Chevelle is bone stock with original rubber bushings, springs, etc. It was incredible how just installing a set of the RQ smooth bodies improved all aspects of the ride!

[CFster]

You must remember, after the coil over compresses it must then extend. You want very little compression damping. . . That's the job of the spring in ride quality. Once the spring is compressed it will force the shock apart. Rebound damping MUST slow this down. If it does not the suspension will continue to bounce.

Ride quality is odd. Sometimes the more force you have, the more control it provides, the better the car feels. Like a stock chevelle we test with. . . Floated all over the road with worn out Monroe's. added RQ smooth bodies (and that was it) and it was controlled and predictable. Everyone voted the ride quality got better, even though the shocks were stiffer.

Since ride quality is such a subjective beast I think we need to explain your current ride quality in terms of a new car. You say it's harsh or stiff. Is it "BMW M3" stiff, or is it F550 stiff? There's a huge difference between the two!

Not F550 stiff - we have those and nothing as stiff as one of them. Maybe M3 stiff.

Again, one it's past the initial movement it's fine - as in, the small bumps are the worst - just kind of hammers. Anything more than that is fine - I can go over rises and dips in the road and it's fine. The suspension moves, the car goes up and down it's fine.

[andrewb70]

Not F550 stiff - we have those and nothing as stiff as one of them. Maybe M3 stiff.

Again, one it's past the initial movement it's fine - as in, the small bumps are the worst - just kind of hammers. Anything more than that is fine - I can go over rises and dips in the road and it's fine. The suspension moves, the car goes up and down it's fine.

Just out of curiosity, do you know how much your wheels weigh?

Andrew