DSCSport V3 Controller now compatible with factory OEM shocks

[One Viper Bite]

Color me completely confused.

Someone that has actual knowledge of the system's mechanicals please chime in. It is my understanding the oem bi-mode bilsteins equipped on ALL of our vehicles (aside from the ACRs and base SRTs), change their damping rate by changing the reservoir volume. You have volume A (street setting), and volume B (track setting). There is a valve that controls this behavior (flow), on/off, to the remote reservoirs. How are we getting infinite real time changes in a system that (to my knowledge) only allows for 2 firm mechanical hi/low limits. Someone mentioned retrofitting the dampers with another real-time controllable valve?? Which, as someone else pointed out would then allow damping changes within the fixed volume set by Bilstein.

DSC, please provide some color on this.

+1 on this.

I'm not trying to question the product, but I just don't understand how it works. Unless the controller is able to change the valve and amount of fluid in the damper vs. the reservoir hundreds of times a minute, how does it make our stock dampers active vs. passive?

[Bruce H.]

Explanations confusing and making no sense at all. Please articulate better.

[cashcorn]

^^^ thank you!

[Scot@Prefix]

Please re-read the post:
This new shock controller module from DSC/tractive only works on cars that have current magnetic ride suspension!

If you have a car that has the manual shocks which have dials on the tops to adjust rebound/damping this module will not do anything!



If you have two buttons on the bottom of your center stack that say "track" and "street" it is a active suspension. Look at the coil overs on your car, if it has wires coming out the end of the coil over it is an active suspension.
Inside of this coil over is fluid with metal particles, the controller regulates the magnet on the piston thickening/thinning the oil in microseconds, and therefore changes the compression/rebound damping rates.



If your car has coil overs with no wires it has a manual adjustment, no computer is involved. The new module will do nothing for you!
This style of system has two sleeves you can turn at the top of the shock, one adjusts rebound, the other damping. When you turn the sleeves the shock valve opens/closes restricting the amount of fluid passed by the piston in the shock.



The remote reservoir is just that, a reservoir for more oil to keep the shock cool during racing use.
The DSC system is available with or without the remote reservoir.


The DSC system is a great upgrade, the race mode is awesome, and the street mode is a much softer almost bouncy ride compared to stock.

[slowhatch]

Please re-read the post:
This new shock controller module from DSC/tractive only works on cars that have current magnetic ride suspension!

If you have a car that has the manual shocks which have dials on the tops to adjust rebound/damping this module will not do anything!



If you have two buttons on the bottom of your center stack that say "track" and "street" it is a active suspension. Look at the coil overs on your car, if it has wires coming out the end of the coil over it is an active suspension.
Inside of this coil over is fluid with metal particles, the controller regulates the magnet on the piston thickening/thinning the oil in microseconds, and therefore changes the compression/rebound damping rates.



If your car has coil overs with no wires it has a manual adjustment, no computer is involved. The new module will do nothing for you!
This style of system has two sleeves you can turn at the top of the shock, one adjusts rebound, the other damping. When you turn the sleeves the shock valve opens/closes restricting the amount of fluid passed by the piston in the shock.



The remote reservoir is just that, a reservoir for more oil to keep the shock cool during racing use.
The DSC system is available with or without the remote reservoir.


The DSC system is a great upgrade, the race mode is awesome, and the street mode is a much softer almost bouncy ride compared to stock.

I sincerely doubt that the oem Bi-mode bilsteins are magnetorheological fluid filled dampers. I could be wrong, but this is the absolute first I've heard of it. Can someone else confirm?

[Voice of Reason]

I have never ever ever read in the 5 years I’ve owned a Gen V that the 2 mode shocks are magnetic fluid filled. They’ve always been described as “dumb” 2 mode shocks that Corvette owners laugh at us for. I appreciate Scot chiming in on this, if DSC can give a more straightforward and direct answer on this I think his order queue will explode tomorrow.

[Bruce H.]

Please re-read the post:
[B]This new shock controller module from DSC/tractive only works on cars that have current magnetic ride suspension!

The DSC system is a great upgrade, the race mode is awesome, and the street mode is a much softer almost bouncy ride compared to stock.

Numerous replies indicate readers were not aware that the factory Bilsteins are a magnetic type.

I thought the shock controller module was DSC, not DSC/tractive, with tractive being the damper replacement.

What model of Gen V did you personally experience with just the DSC module installed, and were you a passenger or driving? Did you have a chance to experience race mode on a race track, and can you describe how it performed differently..."awesome" is kind of vague.

[Dr.Ron]

I'll jump on the grenade and be the viper test mule if they like for a free or discounted unit.

[Scot@Prefix]

https://www.completestruts.com/Compl...-does-it-work/

Take a look at the like there are two types of electronic struts that we are dealing with a solenoid/servo style or a magnaride setup.
The solenoid/servo style has a canister on the side as show in the photos on the link above.

We have installed the DSC/tractive suspension on both the C7 corvette and various models of the gen 5 Viper. The coil overs and module are almost identical to what is put on the corvette.

I think our Targa mule car is a GTSR and we have tested it on the street not on the track, in race mode the suspension is stiff, car feels good, steers good, and remains flat. On a almost 360 degree freeway entrance ramp we could go 25 mph faster than with the stock suspension.

Been both passenger and driver.

The DSC/tractive system for the Viper has been out for about 3 years, none of this is new, other than the module being available to be used with the stock coilovers.
We had one of the very first systems on our Targa mule car.



Here is the description from DSC/tractive:
DSCSport V3 ControllerScreen Shot 2018-04-18 at 10.47.29 AM
Available for all viper models fitted with PASM, the V3 Controller is a simple Plug N Play controller that replaces the factory PASM controller, offering both improved track performance and street comfort. Like all DSC Sport controllers, it allows users to tune by g-force, brake pressure, acceleration, speed, steering, and control the effective damping range via shock calibration. Additionally, the V3 Controller introduces a velocity table and magnetic motor mount tuning control.

The V3 Controller also introduces the ability to tune by velocity, made possible by the factory four wheel ride height sensors now equipped viper models. Velocity tuning allows adjustment based on the velocity of the piston rod movement, more accurately tuning the chassis to road surface changes. This feature provides a new dimension of tuning that maximizes both performance and comfort.

[slowhatch]

[Tamvette]

From https://www.allpar.com/cars/viper/20...uspension.html

So seems like it is programmable if I am not reading this wrong. It is amazing I didn't know this until looked into it because of this thread. I guess explains the great job Dodge\SRT marketing did with this car.

"Viper GTS uses new gas-charged, monotube Bilstein Damptronic Select aluminum-bodied shock absorbers with large 46 mm pistons. The new two-mode shocks have street and track settings, selectable through a switch on the console. In street mode, the shocks are designed to provide a compliant ride, while still providing damping levels appropriate for the extreme capabilities of the SRT Viper GTS; race mode goes all out."

[Tamvette]

Also see:
https://www.bilstein.com/sg/en/option/damptronic/

[Scot@Prefix]

That' awesome!!!

[Topplayer]

Here is the description from DSC/tractive:
DSCSport V3 ControllerScreen Shot 2018-04-18 at 10.47.29 AM
Available for all viper models fitted with PASM, the V3 Controller is a simple Plug N Play controller that replaces the factory PASM controller, offering both improved track performance and street comfort. Like all DSC Sport controllers, it allows users to tune by g-force, brake pressure, acceleration, speed, steering, and control the effective damping range via shock calibration. Additionally, the V3 Controller introduces a velocity table and magnetic motor mount tuning control.

The V3 Controller also introduces the ability to tune by velocity, made possible by the factory four wheel ride height sensors now equipped viper models. Velocity tuning allows adjustment based on the velocity of the piston rod movement, more accurately tuning the chassis to road surface changes. This feature provides a new dimension of tuning that maximizes both performance and comfort.

Do we have magnetic fluid filled shocks or what? Also are you confirming we have ride height sensors as well now?


This is confusing, I really hope this is all true not not the Ole Snake Oil.

[Jprince]

Please re-read the post:
This new shock controller module from DSC/tractive only works on cars that have current magnetic ride suspension!

If you have a car that has the manual shocks which have dials on the tops to adjust rebound/damping this module will not do anything!



If you have two buttons on the bottom of your center stack that say "track" and "street" it is a active suspension. Look at the coil overs on your car, if it has wires coming out the end of the coil over it is an active suspension.
Inside of this coil over is fluid with metal particles, the controller regulates the magnet on the piston thickening/thinning the oil in microseconds, and therefore changes the compression/rebound damping rates.



If your car has coil overs with no wires it has a manual adjustment, no computer is involved. The new module will do nothing for you!
This style of system has two sleeves you can turn at the top of the shock, one adjusts rebound, the other damping. When you turn the sleeves the shock valve opens/closes restricting the amount of fluid passed by the piston in the shock.



The remote reservoir is just that, a reservoir for more oil to keep the shock cool during racing use.
The DSC system is available with or without the remote reservoir.


The DSC system is a great upgrade, the race mode is awesome, and the street mode is a much softer almost bouncy ride compared to stock.

I have a 2014 GTS, and if I understand what you are saying, this upgrade will do the same thing as the full tractive suspension?
If that is the case then why wasn't anyone here told that before they spent $7000 on the full suspension? Please clarify..

[SilveRT8]

We would all like for this to work as advertised
But it sounds too good to be true !
We need more concrete proof, as we were told otherwise since the intro of the Gen5.

[Dr.Ron]

I have a 2014 GTS, and if I understand what you are saying, this upgrade will do the same thing as the full tractive suspension?
If that is the case then why wasn't anyone here told that before they spent $7000 on the full suspension? Please clarify..

Isn't it a new product?

[Voice of Reason]

Where did all of Andy’s posts on this topic go? He weighed in like 15 min ago that it wouldn’t work and now it’s all gone.

So will it or won’t it!?!?

[FLATOUT]

Where did all of Andy’s posts on this topic go? He weighed in like 15 min ago that it wouldn’t work and now it’s all gone.

So will it or won’t it!?!?

Just spoke with Mike Levitas and he is sending me some more info. He says their new version works with the factory setup but he wants us to test it as well on a car here. If it works it will be a nice little upgrade over stock. It won't be like the full tractive setup which is similar to the Porsche, Corvette, GTR versions when only the dsc is added so we will see how much we can actually change the factory dampers via the calibration. I'll see if he can send me one for NVE3 and I will swap it out on one of your cars and play around with it a little.

Andy

[FLATOUT]

We would all like for this to work as advertised
But it sounds too good to be true !
We need more concrete proof, as we were told otherwise since the intro of the Gen5.

The current DSC's do not work without the tractives but now they "do"? I guess we will find out. Mike said he will post something here and if they do in fact work we will get some coming to get out to you guys.

Andy

[Dr.Ron]

Still interested in this!

[Voice of Reason]

Awesome, anxiously awaiting the results!

[FLATOUT]

Still interested in this!

I'll keep you guys in the loop and Mike will post something up in here to address some questions/concerns.

It's the racing season from TPC and VE so info is usually coming out while they are at the track. I believe they are at Barber right now.

[8400cc]

I'm looking forward to hearing how this resolves. If the stock GTS Bilsteins come with magnetic fluid, (to my knowledge they don't make magnetic fluid shocks) then theoretically there should be infinite adjustability atleast within the confines of the softest and hardest dampening the stock hardware will permit. If in fact there is a valve that simply opens and closes allowing for the shock to essentially grow and shrink with reference to the reservoir I can't see how the system could react fast enough to be a true Active suspension. Possibly if said valve turned into an active part open partially when the sensors deem fit to have real time adjustments, I guess its plausible. At least this way the system would still be an upgrade, just not as good as a full magnetic ride. Sure wish someone could chime in and settle this. Hope everybody has a good day.

[FLATOUT]

I'm looking forward to hearing how this resolves. If the stock GTS Bilsteins come with magnetic fluid, (to my knowledge they don't make magnetic fluid shocks) then theoretically there should be infinite adjustability atleast within the confines of the softest and hardest dampening the stock hardware will permit. If in fact there is a valve that simply opens and closes allowing for the shock to essentially grow and shrink with reference to the reservoir I can't see how the system could react fast enough to be a true Active suspension. Possibly if said valve turned into an active part open partially when the sensors deem fit to have real time adjustments, I guess its plausible. At least this way the system would still be an upgrade, just not as good as a full magnetic ride. Sure wish someone could chime in and settle this. Hope everybody has a good day.

I spoke with a Chrysler Engineer earlier and he said that the OE dampers are not magnetic which I think we all know but I was interested to see if each piston set (race and or street mode) could be modified within each set. The Corvette, GTR, Porsche ect will allow a small window of calibration within those sets but we both believed that the factory damper doesn't have a window like that. Mike is an expert though so maybe he has a way around that or there is a small window to move things around on those dampers that we previously could not access.

Andy