Quote:
Originally Posted by JAJ
Most damper companies make similar claims about their adjustable products.
I've done this with most of the major damper manufacturers - Penske, Bilstein, Koni, Ohlins, JRZ, AST, KW, Sachs, Moton, etc. The damper curves don't vary nearly as much as the prices do.
I'm challenging the notion that high end racing dampers produce materially better damping curves than less expensive clubsport dampers. I have carefully stayed away from getting into a debate about who has the best adjusters. My thoughts on the issue you raised go like this: I listed nine high-end damper makers including the two you talked about. Are the other seven so incompetent that they can't make adjusters with no crosstalk? I doubt it. The real question is "why do seven of the nine not bother to do it?" I don't know why they don't. Maybe they do and they just don't make a fuss about it. Maybe their customers, professional racing teams, simply don't care. It's an interesting question, though.
|
I'm less an engineer and more a driver - I've driven some impressive dampers from 1-way Konis all the way to 5-way Ohlins. The difference is incomparable, it's like driving 2 different vehicles.
I think you might have a good point as i have always wondered what the difference between a $300 Single-Tube 2-way Koni is versus a $600 JRZ Single-Tube 2-way.
I understand the 2, 3, 4-way difference ... but not the price difference between the same features on different damper manufacturers.
Having a 7-post dyno in the US is a big + for KW in terms of setting up race cars.
And they definitely make a great product.
In this case however, i choose the Pepsi blind taste test, as Ohlins are used in some of the fastest handling cars in the world pushing 5g lateral = F1
So if it came to a choice between a $3500 2-way KW CS and a $12,000 Ohlins 3-way ... i would def go with the Ohlins due to the reputation and proven track wins and $3,000 per damper price tag
I think your point is well thought out and it's beginning to be proven true on the amateur racing circuit, where AST is making great dampers with some minor quality issues perform as good as the more expensive JRZ and Motons.