Rebound vs Compression

[RecceDG]

[quote] Car obviously became much stiffer, not as comfortable, but also stayed much flatter and much more controlled through the test "chicane" I go through. [quote]

Here is part of the problem: drivers, left to their own devices, like a lot of rebound. Rebound slows down roll - it doesn't change the *amount* of roll, that's a spring/bar change - but rebound slows down how fast you get to max roll angle. If the element is sufficiently transient, you can be in and out of the transition before the car makes it to max roll.

If the car is softly sprung, and within reason, this can be an acceptable way to pick up a little transient response without hurting ride comfort. Some of the electronic suspensions out there work this way - they have a servo on a rebound knob, and g-sensors and steering angle sensors and whatnot, and when the computer figures you're in a high-g maneuver, it jacks the rebound for a bit. It's a little crude, but it works (my Stealth does this)



But much beyond the level of acceptable tradeoff on transient roll control, extra rebound starts hurting grip. But it's subtle stuff - and it is largely masked by the feeling that the car is more "planted". Drivers like lots of rebound. But that feeling is totally illusionary. In car after car (including my own) we forced the driver to pull out rebound - and the car got faster. It took a little more trust from the driver, because the car was rolling around more... but faster is faster.