Stewart Development revalved Bilstein group buy feeler
03-05-2010, 01:16 PM
#103
do not have bilstien revalve your shocks. It's much, much worse than stock. Much. Worst car I've ever driven. I would regularly lose contact with the ground, or go bouncing off from a mere two bumps. TERRIBLE.
Question on the ride height... How critical is it? I've been doing my measurements from the lower control-arm mounting bolt, and it really defines the mass of the car's position. The drawback is you have to be more precise.
General question: How do you know when to shorten? When have you shortened too much? I keep my car an inch or so below stock ride height. I might go as far as one more, but basically it's not a heavily lowered car....
Question on the ride height... How critical is it? I've been doing my measurements from the lower control-arm mounting bolt, and it really defines the mass of the car's position. The drawback is you have to be more precise.
General question: How do you know when to shorten? When have you shortened too much? I keep my car an inch or so below stock ride height. I might go as far as one more, but basically it's not a heavily lowered car....
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03-05-2010, 01:23 PM
#104
. Dammit... I think I'd need custom valving.Bilstien did this:
Bilstien Revalve Job:
Direction Original Revalve
Front Comp 40 60
Front Rebound 400 700
Rear Rebound 40 50
Rear Comp 330 600
I'm not 100% sure what the numbers mean, but I can tell you it's wrong :-)
I think SM is 500/375, because to get my shock values, they multiplied their "Standard" values by 1.5. Which doesn't work. Perhaps I should say this again. :-P
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03-05-2010, 07:43 PM
#109
Newb
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 18
Total Cats: 10
A couple things to mention:
The car that ran the 25 Hours @ Thunderhill is Rob Gibson's (he and his brother run RJ Racing). That car has been running Fat Cat shocks for about a year and a half. He sent the shocks to Stewart before the 25 Hours for a fluid refresh/bushing change, a service Bernie does on Spec Miata shocks. Just needed to clarify who did the original custom valving on that car to make it faster!
Our methods are very detailed, analytical and based on real-world experience owning and racing a Miata (since that's what's being focusing on in this thread). I've had a former Indycar and NASCAR team manager comment that he rarely sees such detail even in NASCAR. Our mathematical modeling/spreadsheets (JasonC_SBB has been a tremendous help) allow us dial in the entire vehicle's balance very carefully. I don't assume a customer knows all what spring rates/sway bars are actually optimal for a given application; including those who think they do
The car that ran the 25 Hours @ Thunderhill is Rob Gibson's (he and his brother run RJ Racing). That car has been running Fat Cat shocks for about a year and a half. He sent the shocks to Stewart before the 25 Hours for a fluid refresh/bushing change, a service Bernie does on Spec Miata shocks. Just needed to clarify who did the original custom valving on that car to make it faster!
Our methods are very detailed, analytical and based on real-world experience owning and racing a Miata (since that's what's being focusing on in this thread). I've had a former Indycar and NASCAR team manager comment that he rarely sees such detail even in NASCAR. Our mathematical modeling/spreadsheets (JasonC_SBB has been a tremendous help) allow us dial in the entire vehicle's balance very carefully. I don't assume a customer knows all what spring rates/sway bars are actually optimal for a given application; including those who think they do
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03-05-2010, 07:49 PM
#110
Newb
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 18
Total Cats: 10
For those who want to run stock class autocross, Variant 1 makes a lot of sense. For coilovers and aggressive track/autocross but wanting street comfort, being able to soften the damping helps (Variant 2). Many people run our setups in various weather and track conditions without needing to change anything except tire pressure.
Keeping it real...
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03-05-2010, 07:56 PM
#111
A couple things to mention:
The car that ran the 25 Hours @ Thunderhill is Rob Gibson's (he and his brother run RJ Racing). That car has been running Fat Cat shocks for about a year and a half. He sent the shocks to Stewart before the 25 Hours for a fluid refresh/bushing change, a service Bernie does on Spec Miata shocks. Just needed to clarify who did the original custom valving on that car to make it faster!
Our methods are very detailed, analytical and based on real-world experience owning and racing a Miata (since that's what's being focusing on in this thread). I've had a former Indycar and NASCAR team manager comment that he rarely sees such detail even in NASCAR. Our mathematical modeling/spreadsheets (JasonC_SBB has been a tremendous help) allow us dial in the entire vehicle's balance very carefully. I don't assume a customer knows all what spring rates/sway bars are actually optimal for a given application; including those who think they do
The car that ran the 25 Hours @ Thunderhill is Rob Gibson's (he and his brother run RJ Racing). That car has been running Fat Cat shocks for about a year and a half. He sent the shocks to Stewart before the 25 Hours for a fluid refresh/bushing change, a service Bernie does on Spec Miata shocks. Just needed to clarify who did the original custom valving on that car to make it faster!
Our methods are very detailed, analytical and based on real-world experience owning and racing a Miata (since that's what's being focusing on in this thread). I've had a former Indycar and NASCAR team manager comment that he rarely sees such detail even in NASCAR. Our mathematical modeling/spreadsheets (JasonC_SBB has been a tremendous help) allow us dial in the entire vehicle's balance very carefully. I don't assume a customer knows all what spring rates/sway bars are actually optimal for a given application; including those who think they do
Last edited by miatauser884; 03-05-2010 at 08:08 PM.
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03-05-2010, 08:02 PM
#112
No, you do NOT need to have adjustable for a 'double duty' setup. Once you have the right baseline valving for the vehicle, it should work (and does work in our case) very well wet or dry, autocross, street or track.
For those who want to run stock class autocross, Variant 1 makes a lot of sense. For coilovers and aggressive track/autocross but wanting street comfort, being able to soften the damping helps (Variant 2). Many people run our setups in various weather and track conditions without needing to change anything except tire pressure.
Keeping it real...
For those who want to run stock class autocross, Variant 1 makes a lot of sense. For coilovers and aggressive track/autocross but wanting street comfort, being able to soften the damping helps (Variant 2). Many people run our setups in various weather and track conditions without needing to change anything except tire pressure.
Keeping it real...
While I appreciate you keeping it real......I would appreciate it if you didn't advertise your product in this group buy for a competing product. It's just Tacky
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03-05-2010, 08:18 PM
#114
Newb
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 18
Total Cats: 10
Mine either, though it's important to understand what a customer gets dollar for dollar.
Your comment in this thread about double-duty and the need for adjustable damping prompted my reply. Be careful making generalizations and I won't need to be 'tacky' by clarifying when adjustable damping is needed
Your comment in this thread about double-duty and the need for adjustable damping prompted my reply. Be careful making generalizations and I won't need to be 'tacky' by clarifying when adjustable damping is needed
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03-05-2010, 10:34 PM
#116
Mine either, though it's important to understand what a customer gets dollar for dollar.
Your comment in this thread about double-duty and the need for adjustable damping prompted my reply. Be careful making generalizations and I won't need to be 'tacky' by clarifying when adjustable damping is needed
Your comment in this thread about double-duty and the need for adjustable damping prompted my reply. Be careful making generalizations and I won't need to be 'tacky' by clarifying when adjustable damping is needed
Correct me all you want. Put your personal **** in your own thread.
Note: I edited the thread so that the inaccuracies would not be conveyed to the suspension uneducated like myself.
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03-06-2010, 12:22 PM
#119
I'm Miserable!
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 112
Total Cats: 0
Email I sent to Shaikh to clear things up.
Hello,
I am not trying to get in on this pissing match with everyone, but I would like to clear up something. Rob Gibson did not run your shocks at the 25 hour race, he ran our set-up. He initially sent a set of shocks done by you, which I called you about. Rob asked if there was anything I would change and I stated to Rob I did not want to modify your valving. On that note, I did a simple oil and bushing change, and he sent a second set of shocks. The second set of shocks were non-modified standard SM shocks, and these are the ones I did my valving on. These are also the ones he ended up racing.
Bernie Stewart
Stewart Development
1321 West Fairfield Road
Suite #110
High Point, NC 27263
(336) 899-0072 Office
(336) 464-2764 Fax
STEWART DEVELOPMENT INC. - WELCOME
Hello,
I am not trying to get in on this pissing match with everyone, but I would like to clear up something. Rob Gibson did not run your shocks at the 25 hour race, he ran our set-up. He initially sent a set of shocks done by you, which I called you about. Rob asked if there was anything I would change and I stated to Rob I did not want to modify your valving. On that note, I did a simple oil and bushing change, and he sent a second set of shocks. The second set of shocks were non-modified standard SM shocks, and these are the ones I did my valving on. These are also the ones he ended up racing.
Bernie Stewart
Stewart Development
1321 West Fairfield Road
Suite #110
High Point, NC 27263
(336) 899-0072 Office
(336) 464-2764 Fax
STEWART DEVELOPMENT INC. - WELCOME
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03-06-2010, 12:33 PM
#120
Which were featured in the GRM I just finished reading...
Good to have you here Mr. Stewart, and thanks for the input.
I hope your parts do all the plugging you'll ever need to do to make plenty of sells in the Miata community, and you'll thus be able to avoid online pissing matches.
Good to have you here Mr. Stewart, and thanks for the input.
I hope your parts do all the plugging you'll ever need to do to make plenty of sells in the Miata community, and you'll thus be able to avoid online pissing matches.
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