emilio700

iTrader: (3)

We get asked for "the best setting" of the damping adjusters fairly often. So I wrote a brief outline on how to adjust damping settings. The process is applicable to any shock with a single damping adjustment.
https://supermiata.com/adjusting-xida-damping.aspx

"What is the best setting for Xidas?"

Just like the amount of salt on your fries.. it depends. There is no correct setting for every possible situation. That's why they are adjustable
For the same reason there is also no "starting point".

Xida single adjustable shocks have 20 positions (19 clicks). Full clockwise is full stiff. We call full stiff "0" clicks. Full soft would be "20".1. Softer springs and shocks always equals more mechanical grip, so try to run as soft as you can.
2. Stiffer controls excess body movements and makes the car more responsive to driver inputs. Don't be fooled by too stiff settings that feel responsive but reduce overall grip or make it skittish. Add just enough damping to get rid of the wallow or excess float.
3. Front and rear will often want different damping settings.
4. What works for one driver, weather condition, tire, may not work for another. Unless someone has the exact same car setup, same tire, same track, weather (as in a spec series), don't assume their settings will work for you.
5. Top level drivers may even adjust different left to right to fine tune to a particular track or course.
6. As a general rule, the lower the tire grip or rougher the surface, the softer you might want the shocks. More grip or smoother surface might want firmer damping settings.

Simple process to get shocks dialed in means investing a few sessions to learn the sweep (total damping adjustment range) of the shocks and how they affect the car. Start near full soft. Bring fresh tires up to temp. Do not try to dial in shocks on worn out, heat-cycled tires. Do a few laps, making note of handling characteristics. Add 1-2 clicks more damping on each shock and go back out for a few laps. Make notes after each setting change. No need to write an essay, just quick thoughts. Keep doing that in steps.
At some point the car should feel about right. If you have time, continue adjusting stiffer and evaluating each change. Then go back to what you feel like your favorite setting was. You may then want to experiment changing just front or rear independently.

Spending this time will give you a much better idea of what effect the damping settings have on handling. This makes it much easier to adapt to changing conditions in the future without it being a guessing game.

The takeway should be that no one here, on forums or social media can magically tell you exactly whats right for you. Gotta experiment!