DSCSport V3 Controller now compatible with factory OEM shocks

[TA Two Oh]

Hey Doug, I do hope to data log but when I previously tried at Circuit Mont Tremblant the logging failed, perhaps it couldn't get a GPS lock in the mountains or something.

Bruce. It's obvious to me that you're driving far too fast for your Data Logger to keep up. I'm surprised that you weren't able to figure that out...

[Bruce H.]

Bruce. It's obvious to me that you're driving far too fast for your Data Logger to keep up.

I've surely got the talent but the car's going to need a couple of mods

[SilveRT8]

I've surely got the talent but the car's going to need a couple of mods

Next wednesday you'll try mine with a couple of mods....just to see if you get the mod-bug ?

[Bruce H.]

Next wednesday you'll try mine with a couple of mods....just to see if you get the mod-bug ?

It's a slippery slope, but if I get bitch-slapped I just might consider it

[SilveRT8]

The DSC Controller got delivered today, took about 10 minutes to install, 3 bolts with 5/16'' socket and 2 plugs, and off I went to test it on the roughest paved street I could find. Just some street and highway cruising with my TA 2.0
Car feels basically the same except all the cracks and sharp bumps feel about 10- 15% smoother. Not a big change but I can feel an improvement over the stock controller.
The biggest surprise was when I toggle to the Race mode, still street driving, everything felt the same as the Street setting, unlike the stock Controller that goes from firm to stiff suspension.
I felt like I could leave it in Race position and all was fine just cruising around.
I'll drive around with it some more, but the real test will be on Track next wednesday with Bruce H testing the unit in his TA.

[Bruce H.]

Hi Claude,

Good to hear the positive initial feedback. I suspect your impression of the DSC Street and Race modes feeling the same indicates that they are basically the same under the street driving conditions of lower speed, braking and steering inputs which makes perfect sense.

I'm curious though if you've done any harder launches before and since the controller swap to be able to comment on any differences there. If the stock controller automatically switched to Race mode under hard throttle but low vehicle speed, which I don't think has been confirmed yet, then the DSC could surely make an improvement in launches by keeping the dampers in their Street valving mode, or some tweaking of that with Race mode valving.

You've got lots of experience on that track in your previous G5 GTS, and at least some in your 911 Turbo S, so I'm looking forward to your impressions and feedback as much as my own!

Bruce

[TA Two Oh]

Likewise... great to hear your positive initial feedback!

[SilveRT8]

Hi Claude,

Good to hear the positive initial feedback. I suspect your impression of the DSC Street and Race modes feeling the same indicates that they are basically the same under the street driving conditions of lower speed, braking and steering inputs which makes perfect sense.

I'm curious though if you've done any harder launches before and since the controller swap to be able to comment on any differences there. If the stock controller automatically switched to Race mode under hard throttle but low vehicle speed, which I don't think has been confirmed yet, then the DSC could surely make an improvement in launches by keeping the dampers in their Street valving mode, or some tweaking of that with Race mode valving.

You've got lots of experience on that track in your previous G5 GTS, and at least some in your 911 Turbo S, so I'm looking forward to your impressions and feedback as much as my own!

Bruce

Last week I ran some 0-60 mph from the car's Chronos menu, Temps were 55F and I had 1/2 a tank of gas and I got a repeated best of 3.5 sec with Traction control both ON and OFF, but with it OFF it would sometime spin too much and I would get the smell of the clutches. Suspension was in Street mode.
I went back today, Temps were 71F and I had a full tank of gas. With suspension in Street mode, I still got a best of 3.5 sec but the spinning was better controlled when I ran without Traction control.
I also tried with supension in Race mode, Traction control OFF and the tires spun that time with lots of very little wheel hops, like ripples instead of a few big wheel hops.

[sharmut]

Awesome news, sounds promising.

[Bruce H.]

Claude and I were at Circuit Mont Tremblant yesterday. Beautiful day, full sun, about 70F or so. We ran both cars for 2 sessions before swapping the DSC controller from his modded '16 GTC TA into my stock '14 TA. So I had 2 sessions to get myself up to speed and very familiar again with the car's handling at the limit on the stock damper controller.

Great track to highlight the limitations of the suspension. There's corner exits where the rear usually steps out ever so slightly under aggressive throttle, tight esses where it's tough to get on the throttle as early as you'd like on exit, high speed 4th gear sweeper with the tiniest of dips that you wish you had a bit more confidence in the rear staying planted, a pretty major dip in a near-full throttle 3rd gear mid-corner that's always good for white knuckles and a major pucker when the rear steps out, and a fast corner where you need to slow upon exit where the rear gets lose as you breathe off the throttle on entry. Lots of places where you are keenly aware of being on the edge, and really focused on smooth inputs and weight transfer.

We had lots going on in the paddock and by the time I went out for the 3rd session I had completely forgotten I had the DSC installed and then it suddenly dawned on me that I had it. That was fortuitous for testing purposes, almost like a blind test, where I was just focused on driving the car at my normal pace and my normal style. I hadn't noticed any difference in handling, and then became consciously focused on all the aspects of car control that would normally be handled on a subconscious level to see if any differences would be revealed now that I was laser focused. Nothing felt or behaved differently.

I always track in ESC-Track and damper Street Mode. So that's the way I had gone out blindly with the DSC. Then I tried Race Mode. Now maybe the DSC automatically toggles to damper Race mode (they call it Sport) like the stock controller apparently does, I don't know. But I suspect it maybe does because once again I couldn't notice any difference in the numerous track sections where the car is on the edge. I wasn't really expecting much difference but I was confident that if there was a difference that it would be noticeable on this track in one or all areas described above, and "any" improvement at the edge would be worth the price of admission for the DSC controller. I really wanted to notice a difference, an improvement large or small.

I would have liked to run it a second session and purposely run over some curbs and turtles to test both stock and DSC under those conditions that you definitely do run into at some other tracks. Claude ended up having to leave early but I was satisfied that I had adequately tested every damper/handling limitation that I've experienced at this track. While I did not find any improvement with the DSC unit at this track with my car's otherwise stock set-up, it's possible and likely that there would be some track conditions or car set-ups that would expose improvements that I could not. One such condition exists at my home track, Mosport, where you exit a slow speed 90 degree right corner (T5b) in 2nd gear and accelerate as hard as the tires permit through a quick left (T5c) that launches you onto the back straight. Rear grip with 2nd gear torque is iffy through T5c and I really wonder if the DSC might show an improvement there, or anywhere that you nail it in 2nd. Tremblant uses 3rd and 4th so I wasn't able to test that aspect. I also didn't test it for 1st gear launches or for street ride comfort but Claude did in his comments above.

Now I just need to get Claude to come to Mosport so I can try it there!

Bruce

[Dr.Ron]

Did you log lap times to see if there were any deltas with the DSC?

[Bruce H.]

I did but can't upload the file to my laptop to analyze as I'm getting a "waiting for DB synchronization" message...whatever that means.

[sharmut]

I was afraid you were going to come back with those findings. I was really hoping you'd notice some improvement, but does echo similar results I've read in the GT4 forum. One GT4 user reported improvements (less dive), although he was able to address the dive by changing the spring rate.

Guess for the Viper it's replace the OE Bilsteins with Tractives.

[SilveRT8]

Thank you Bruce for your Track input, it was a great pleasure to meet with you again !
On my part, with only 1 1/2 Track session, I felt that the car just behave good and a bit better planted with the DSC controller vs the OE unit. Not a night and day difference (like the full Tractive suspension comments from others) but I would say an early to late afternoon difference, so to speak. Maybe it's just my impression but I felt more in control or confident with the DSC. Unfortunatly my car went into limp mode halfway through my second session and had to leave early, on a flat bed !!! One of my O2 sensor wiring was not zip tied properly, so it moved with the air pressure at high speed and touched the headers near the trans tunnel, creating a short and P2670 code. Too bad as I wanted to compare the Stock unit again while Bruce had the DSC on his car. I'll do some more street testing and report back again.

[Dr.Ron]

Thanks for testing this guys. I'd rather see if there are any actual lap time improvements over stock. If not and it's just more of a "feels better" thing, then it's not for me.

Ron

[Bruce H.]

The car's handling feeling better is a fundamental to improving driver confidence and lap times. It's huge, like learning how to drive better with coaching. When you flush and upgrade brake fluid so the pedal doesn't go the the floor you don't need to measure 60-0 mph stopping distance to know it's better. Lap times are notoriously unreliable for quantifying small improvements in a car's set-up as the change is likely to fall within the normal lap time delta between runs even with no set-up change at all!

[Dr.Ron]

I hear that, but if there are no lap time improvements and one is just more comfortable, I see no real useful value in it. Lap times before and after will prove if the unit is helping or not, no? If it is I'd feel more comfortable because the car is reacting and handling better yielding better lap times, not for just psychological reasons I feel. If you feel better but aren't faster, it seems irrelevant if you're buying it to help get faster. You can feel more comfortable with just more seat time, as 1 example. Jmho

[Dr.Ron]

This thread seems to be dying.
Bruce, are you going to get the controller based on your brief time trying one out?

Has anyone else purchased one? If so, any impressions to share?

Ron

[sharmut]

Ron,

Let it go. Don't bother with the DSC controller-only option. Anything less than the DSC/Tractive is pointless.
Just ordered the VE stoptech package and plan to get the Tractive RTX package(392/728 spring rates) next. If the TA needs more than this, then it makes more sense to buy an ACR-E.

[Dr.Ron]

I was just curious. Lol
If it yielded decent improvements I'd have considered it.

Ron

[Cpunlamd]

Back from the dead. Seeing how the DSC controller is now an “active” unit, why would it be necessary to keep the dash switch? Shouldn’t it be a set it and forget it thing at that point? Drives Cush when all the parameters are being read as driving around town, and when you’re flooring it and G-levels increase, etc. Pitbull mode should automatically engage no?

[Bruce H.]

Switching between programmed modes isn't what "active" refers to...that would be called "psychic". High G's would be treated differently in a street vs race program, which is why more than one mode is desirable for those two very different uses, and in some cases different set-up (ie street vs race tires).