Damping and Tire grip?
#1
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Damping and Tire grip?
So I've decided to [try to] do things the right way and buy a proper set of coilovers for my NC Miata. Since the NC Xida doesn't exist I'm looking into the FM Fox shocks offering. There just isn't much documentation of user experience with them unfortunately. So I'm looking at the dyno plots.
Emilio from 949 compares the Xidas to the Fox setup here: https://www.miataturbo.net/suspensio...7/#post1258635
he mentions the need for increased compression damping with grippier tires. Can anyone speak to why this is the case? Right now I'm thinking it's a necessity for turn in responsiveness with the increased grip, as well as maybe controlling the weight on a given corner due to increased cornering loads?
Emilio from 949 compares the Xidas to the Fox setup here: https://www.miataturbo.net/suspensio...7/#post1258635
he mentions the need for increased compression damping with grippier tires. Can anyone speak to why this is the case? Right now I'm thinking it's a necessity for turn in responsiveness with the increased grip, as well as maybe controlling the weight on a given corner due to increased cornering loads?
#2
You're on the right track. Grippier tires mean well.. you can force more load on a given corner, and faster. More compression damping would probably serve to keep the car more composed over transitions.
Ohlins and FEAL 441s are both also available.
Also: That was NA/NB stuff. NC valving should not be the same. Or at least i'd really hope it's not the same.
Ohlins and FEAL 441s are both also available.
Also: That was NA/NB stuff. NC valving should not be the same. Or at least i'd really hope it's not the same.
Last edited by concealer404; 07-12-2017 at 12:45 PM.
#3
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Grippier tires will chatter mid-turn without enough compression damping. They will grab, the spring will compress, the car will bounce back due to not enough damping, the tire loses grip then catches again. So it will chatter and skip a bit. There's not enough damping available to contain/moderate the energy imparted to the spring as the grippy tire loads up.
I experienced this for the first time running Toyo RR's on the same settings I had been running RS2's on my gen 1 xidas. Two more clicks damping took care of it.
I experienced this for the first time running Toyo RR's on the same settings I had been running RS2's on my gen 1 xidas. Two more clicks damping took care of it.
#7
Grippier tires will chatter mid-turn without enough compression damping. They will grab, the spring will compress, the car will bounce back due to not enough damping, ...
I experienced this for the first time running Toyo RR's on the same settings I had been running RS2's on my gen 1 xidas. Two more clicks damping took care of it.
I experienced this for the first time running Toyo RR's on the same settings I had been running RS2's on my gen 1 xidas. Two more clicks damping took care of it.
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Point ceded re: my description of events. Single adjustable Xidas adjust rebound & compression together. At least my current ones do; Gen 1 I am not positive. We are in agreement, though, that grippy tires can deliver energy into the spring more quickly, and require more damping for proper control?
#9
Point ceded re: my description of events. Single adjustable Xidas adjust rebound & compression together. At least my current ones do; Gen 1 I am not positive. We are in agreement, though, that grippy tires can deliver energy into the spring more quickly, and require more damping for proper control?
Either that or you're deeper in the bumpstops which increases effective spring rate which need more damping. How long are your bumpstops?
"Grippy tires can deliver energy into the spring more quickly" makes no sense to me.
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I can't spent $2000+ for coilers based on this evidence
Without getting bogged down w/ specifics, Emilio's point seemed to be that the Fox setup couldnt hang with a Xida at high tire grip levels. The way I see it is a tire with more grip and response can load the suspension more quickly and with more weight. I am imagining two scenarios; 1: requiring more compression damping ~1in/s for steering response to stay in line with tire capability, 2: mid-corner the damper now has (for example) 1.3x more weight on it than with the less grippy tire. In order for it to properly control that weight and the spring, the damping (maybe both compression and rebound) need to increase.
Ohlins seem nice. Its either Fox, Ohlins, or Tokico/FM springs and I spend the rest on other fun bits.
Without getting bogged down w/ specifics, Emilio's point seemed to be that the Fox setup couldnt hang with a Xida at high tire grip levels. The way I see it is a tire with more grip and response can load the suspension more quickly and with more weight. I am imagining two scenarios; 1: requiring more compression damping ~1in/s for steering response to stay in line with tire capability, 2: mid-corner the damper now has (for example) 1.3x more weight on it than with the less grippy tire. In order for it to properly control that weight and the spring, the damping (maybe both compression and rebound) need to increase.
Ohlins seem nice. Its either Fox, Ohlins, or Tokico/FM springs and I spend the rest on other fun bits.
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It blows my mind that this is actually a comparison between Ohlins and Tokicos/Springs or Fox, but then again I also see that you have Megans on an NA.
I don't have first hand evidence to feed to you, going to have to do some searching so you can satisfy yourself on that one.
I don't have first hand evidence to feed to you, going to have to do some searching so you can satisfy yourself on that one.
#16
he mentions the need for increased compression damping with grippier tires. Can anyone speak to why this is the case? Right now I'm thinking it's a necessity for turn in responsiveness with the increased grip, as well as maybe controlling the weight on a given corner due to increased cornering loads?
You want to choose your spring rates (ultimately the wheel rate/frequencies, determined by springs + sways) to match your tyres / grip level. Then damp that system appropriately, not the other way around as there's no appropriate level of damping for a tire without knowing the wheel frequency/spring rates. Start here: Autocross to Win (DGs Autocross Secrets) - Suspension