I'll try to make this backstory short... I originally had ProParts shorten/rebuild/revalve some EF Koni sports to RACE spec shocks. There was some miscommunication and they ended up being too short for my application. So I sold them (but I still have the dyno graph they sent me).

Next I found another set and again had them rebuilt/revalved to RACE spec, but this time the length is fine. When I looked at the dyno graphs they looked significantly different from my previous graphs. I called them and they said everything was OK. I finally got around to installing them on my DA... And the car feels a little under-damped and I'm wondering if they put the Sport valving on these shocks instead of the RACE valving.

So, my question, if I scanned and posted the graphs, would it be obvious if there was a difference? I am just not familiar at all w/ shock dyno graphs, so I have no idea.


Oh, and here's some more info:
DA Integra
750f/650r (I was under the impression the Sports were good up to about 500lb and the RACE to about 1000lb springs).

Thanks!

************************************************UP DATE**********************
Ok, so I got the scans finally.


Front, Unknown Valving


Front, SPSS3 Valving


Rear, Unknown Valving


Rear, SPSS3 Valving



Anybody have any input?


Modified by Colin at 7:32 PM 1/24/2008

 

Post the graphs man, lets check em out!

 

Well, I don't have a scanner, but could get access to one if it's going to answer my question... So I just need to know if anybody out there would tell sport vs race valving by the graphs.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Colin &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well, I don't have a scanner, but could get access to one if it's going to answer my question... So I just need to know if anybody out there would tell sport vs race valving by the graphs.</TD></TR></TABLE>

If it has numbers, and not just a curve, then there should be people here who can tell the difference.

For reference:

Sports:


SPSS3 Valving:

 

Yeah, they have numbers. I don't have them right in front of me, as I'm still at work, but iirc the curves look identical, the numbers were just different... which is what lead me to believe they might not have the RACE valving.

I'll see if I can get access to a scanner this weekend.

 

Colin, PM user CRX Lee, he's a Koni Rep of sorts. FWIW, different numbers don't necessarily mean different damping. The actual printed numbers can vary day to day, and the curve is more important. He'd be able to tell you infinitely more than I can though.

 

Yeah, I was going to contact Lee if I couldn't get info elsewhere. I know he must get a billion PM's a day so I figured I wouldn't bug him if I could get my question answered elsewhere.

Hopefully I can scan the graphs tomorrow...

 

wow

 

bump, just posted the scans... check my first post

 

Hmm...that doesn't look the same to me. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to interpret that part of the graph (negative displacement).

 

Yeah, I know so very little that I have no idea what to think. They sort of look different, but then again they are very similar. Plus the graphs themselves are different as far as the gridlines and numbering of each axis, so that makes it even more difficult to compare....

 

anybody? bump....

 

Hate to break it to you, but those graphs you posted are using the wrong variable.

You notice that they plot the 'Force vs. Displacement' when you really want 'Force vs. Velocity'. All you are seeing in that graph is how the force changes at different points in the shock travel. Interesting that it does affect it a bit, which tells you that there is a 'ideal' part of the stroke that the shock would like to operate in (the center hump part). The curves to either side show how fast the shock falls off when it's near the end of it's stroke.

A couple of interesting observations can still be made.

- Very little crosstalk (only the rebound curve is affected during adjustment)
- SPSS3 left/right shocks are pretty close, but differ when set to stiffest setting (not by much though)
- compression valving virtually unchanged by SPSS3 upgrade (interesting)
- force at stiffest setting for 'unknown' peaks at ~ 700lbs, SPSS3 peaks at ~750 (surprised it's not much different)
- rear follows same trends as front except the curve is flattened out (which is ideal) thus making the shock less sensitive to where it is located in it's stroke.

Strange, I'd say you got about 7% stiffer shock out of the SPSS3 upgrade, which doesn't seem like much.


Still, if you can get a 'Force vs. Velocity' graph, it should look a lot different and give us a real performance comparison.


Modified by ginsu2k at 3:27 AM 1/29/2008


Modified by ginsu2k at 3:29 AM 1/29/2008

 

Crap, how did I overlook that? No wonder they looked so funky...

 

Yeah, I knew they weren't the standard type of graph, but I guess it's just the one they use to test 'em before sending them out?

ginsu2k: I do not know for sure that the shocks have different valving... that is what I'm trying to figure out. Would you say they look similar enough to both be SPSS3?

 

Yeah, they are pretty close. There's like a 7% difference in stiffness, and that could be due to assembly/manufacturing variabilities alone.