ACR damper settings

[ayousef]

Hi ACR fellas,

I was wondering what are the damper settings that you ended up settling with on the track, considering the SRT manual recommends a "starting" point of :

Front
Compression: 7
Rebound: 5

Rear
Compression: 5
Rebound: 3


I personally find that running the compression and rebound numbers in REVERSE makes the car more controlled, with the low factory recommended rebound damping values causing the car to rebound harshly causing large and sudden unfavorable tire load changes.

Am I the only one that feels this? My goal is to achieve a all around good handling car without having to retune the suspension for different tracks since thats not even an option I can exercise. So basically a good compromise in all conditions, smooth and bumpy.

[str5010]

Gen IV but I didn't settle. I use a different settings for each track given that they're all unique. Just curious, why isn't making damper adjustments at each track an option for you considering how easy it is to accomplish?

Also I haven't read the manual in a while, but I recall the settings being referenced from a baseline position of maximum stiffness. Therefore a lower numeric value would actually mean more resistance to compression or rebound which is counter to what you are describing.

[ayousef]

Gen IV but I didn't settle. I use a different setting for each given that they're all unique. Just curious, why isn't making damper adjustments at each track an option for you considering how easy it is to accomplish?

Because there is only one perfect damper setting for a particular spring rate, the rest gets VERY complicated. If you change the damper on one corner to improve corner exit in a particular track you can cause the car to behave worse everywhere else. I do alot of driving on the street, backroads, mountain passes, and so on. Simply looking for the best all around setting which keeps the sprung and unsprung masses controlled and the rest ill compensate for with my driving, since my main goal is fun and not any kind of competitive racing, hope this makes sense.

Thanks for the reply.

[str5010]

Because there is only one perfect damper setting for a particular spring rate, the rest gets VERY complicated. If you change the damper on one corner to improve corner exit in a particular track you can cause the car to behave worse everywhere else. I do alot of driving on the street, backroads, mountain passes, and so on. Simply looking for the best all around setting which keeps the sprung and unsprung masses controlled and the rest ill compensate for with my driving, since my main goal is fun and not any kind of competitive racing, hope this makes sense.

Thanks for the reply.

This logic is counter to the purpose of adjustable dampers and their existence on this particular car, but to each their own.

I thought you were referencing running the car on tracks of varying surfaces.

Good luck!

[ayousef]

This logic is counter to the purpose of adjustable dampers and their existence on this particular car, but to each their own.

Good luck!

I dont believe so, there are many benefits to adjustable dampers ex: give you the ability to change spring rates (up to a point) without having to revalve the shocks, compensating for additional or less sprung and unsprung mass, tweaking a the vehicles handling balance and I can go on.

[TKO MOTORSPORTS TEAM]

Keep it simple dont over think it. There is no perfect shock setting the variables in the shock setting equation are to vast for one setting to work for all. Shock and suspension settings are always a give an take operation with some strategy mixed in.
If your working with shock and suspension settings Im guessing its safe to say your looking to expand your track performance rather then just go out and have fun and scare yourself. Before you waste time, money and good day at the track make sure your viper is right. Nut & bolted, toe, caster, tire pressures, nothing worn out or broken ( your setup) Also get your self a simple spiral bound note book and few pencils. Right down all your info.
First thing you want todo at the track is what we call " baseline" your car. If you have no info ( track /setup notes) your going in blind. "Baseline" is a generic term we use for all systems and packages on the car " baseline aero", "baseline brake setting" " baseline map".
To "baseline" your shocks simply put them in the middle of adjustment comp and rebound and run your first session. Make mental notes of what car is doing ( whats your ass feels) . If your not an experienced or pro driver mental note taking on track is not the first thing on your mind but you will get the hang of it. Come if from session immediately get hot tire pressures all around and then write down what you felt the car was doing along with your hot ire pressure info.

This is just basic bare bones of running your viper or any car for that matter. If you want to get more in depth and "how to" I would be glad to help.

[ViperGeorge]

I use the manual's recommended track settings. My ass is not "pro" enough to detect the subtle differences a few clicks on the adjusters would make.

[Scott_in_fl]

^^^ But as the speeds increase, the impact on handling that changes with each click becomes much more magnified. For top level racers on faster tracks, everything is so important to track, record, make tiny adjustments, repeat. Setting a car up for something like a 'Ring run by a pro is a massive undertaking. Whereas setting up for an AutoX event in a parking lot is probably not even necessary (as the entire range of adjustments would likely result in similar times).

[ViperGeorge]

^^^ But as the speeds increase, the impact on handling that changes with each click becomes much more magnified. For top level racers on faster tracks, everything is so important to track, record, make tiny adjustments, repeat. Setting a car up for something like a 'Ring run by a pro is a massive undertaking. Whereas setting up for an AutoX event in a parking lot is probably not even necessary (as the entire range of adjustments would likely result in similar times).

Agree and if I were that good a driver I'm sure I would appreciate all the adjustments. Not to say I suck on track, I'm reasonably quick thanks to the Viper but when you ride with a pro or semi-pro I realize how much better they are than I will ever be. NASCAR drivers can apparently feel the difference a 1/2 pound change in air pressure can make. I'd be lucky to notice a difference with a 2 pound difference.

[Scott_in_fl]

Yeah, to watch a pro driver up close is nuts!

[Bryan Savage]

Yousef, I'd assume that there's no such thing as a "set and forget" setting for something that's built to be adjustable. Sounds like you've already found a decent setup with reversing the recommended setup in the manual.

What's the process for changing compression and rebound settings on an ACR? Just twist and click the dials? Or do you have to unload the wheel to change those? Surely you have to unload a wheel to adjust ride height...??

How many tracks do you drive on in the UAE?

If the settings are easy enough to change by hand, why not just keep a note pad in the car, play around with the settings at each track, and write down what you change. Maybe by trial and error, you will end up iterating the "best" set-and-forget settings for your driving style.

Orrrrr trade that heap in and get a TA! I just push the Race button and go!

[Arizona Vipers]

On my stock ACR, I run factory recommended track rebound/compression settings and the car feels great and is VERY successful with NasaProRacing.com
Spend your time elsewhere, like tire temps!

[ayousef]

On my stock ACR, I run factory recommended track rebound/compression settings and the car feels great and is VERY successful with NasaProRacing.com
Spend your time elsewhere, like tire temps!

Too late, I have custom sway bars, spring rates, rake and alot of differences in sprung and unsprung mass that requires me to run different settings.

[ayousef]

I use the manual's recommended track settings. My ass is not "pro" enough to detect the subtle differences a few clicks on the adjusters would make.

Since theyre only 10 clicks each, I can even feel half a click change, yes you can put the adjusters half way, infact you can even de-click the dampers, not sure what caused my dampers to get declicked but I like the infinite adjustability I have now.

[Arizona Vipers]

Too late, I have custom sway bars, spring rates, rake and alot of differences in sprung and unsprung mass that requires me to run different settings.

What sway bars are you running? What spring rates? What's your rake? (Frame height front and rear)
Mine has a lot of changes too, but I still run the stock settings car seems great. (I'm about 250 lbs lighter than stock and running extended splitter and strakes and Michelin slicks)

[TKO MOTORSPORTS TEAM]

Since theyre only 10 clicks each, I can even feel half a click change, yes you can put the adjusters half way, infact you can even de-click the dampers, not sure what caused my dampers to get declicked but I like the infinite adjustability I have now.

The ACR bilsteins are very progressive shocks when you see them on the dyno. The adjustment is very aggressive so im not surprised you can feel minor adjustments ayousef. If your looking to fine tune your shocks and suspension we just came out with shock packer kit for the ACR Bilsteins. Same style and function shock packers and install/removal tool that we offer for all our race shocks and street shocks. TKOSROD1476K 2013-2017 VIPER ACR BILSTEIN SHOCK PACKERS.