Suspension tuning has always been seen as a bit of a black art. To make their car handle better most people will simply buy a handling kit, bolt it on, and have done. Those with a bit more pocket money will often opt for a set of coilovers, twiddle a few knobs, adjust the ride height, and think they then have the perfect handling motor.
But that’s not always true, is it? Some will find the setup too hard or too soft and will also find that the car will handle better on some roads than on others.
The reason is all to do with how the dampers are built and their characteristics.
Dampers are much, much, more involved than people think, and there is an awful lot of brain power that goes into developing and producing one. That’s why we spoke to the experts to find out what goes into making the perfect suspension damper.
WHAT IS A DAMPER?
Before we start looking at the complex make-up of an uprated damper, first we need to understand exactly what one is and what it does. Often incorrectly called shock absorbers, the damper doesn’t actually absorb any of the shock from running over an uneven surface. That is the job of the springs. What the damper does is control the oscillation of that spring to give control over the ride quality. With dampers that are too soft for the desired use, the car will pitch and roll all over the place because the damper won’t be able to react quickly enough to the oscillation in the spring. By the same token, a damper that is too hard will give a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride. The art of suspension tuning is getting this compromise just right.
