The Tuning Process
1) Vehicle Measurement & Use Case
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
• Gather info about your use case, payload, and driving style
• Measure over 60 data points on your vehicle in its current condition in multiple suspension positions
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
• Put your vehicle information into our proprietary Vehicle Dynamics Calculator to establish the correct spring rates to properly match the front & rear of the vehicle
• The spring preload/ride height, crossover position, spring rate & length per corner are all provided
• A baseline valving is installed in the shocks to better match the new springs
3) Desert Tuning
2) Spring Set-Up and Baseline Tune
3) Desert Tuning
• Tune in the desert to refine your vehicle performance to the terrain you actually drive on
• Unlike other shock tuners, we open up the shocks in the desert & change the internals to optimize your tune
• We work sun-up to sun-down to maximize the opportunity to optimize vehicle performance
• Customer is responsible for removal/install of shocks on vehicle
Shock Tuning Philosophy
Using Engineering & Calculation to Optimize Ride
When tuning shocks, we are not only thinking about a tune change to address your needs, but also to address the shock's needs. Using our shock engineering expertise, we are taking into consideration many other factors to prolong service intervals, reduce shock fade, and enhance the quality of the ride of your vehicle.
Here are some examples:
- Springs: Without the right springs, shock tuning will lead to a greater compromise. We can measure your vehicle and run it through our proprietary spring calculator to ensure your are on the right springs, ensuring no coil-bind, proper preload and crossover positions, and even behavior between the front and rear of your vehicle.
- Effective, Direct Tune Changes: Changing too many things at once in a shock can be dangerous. You can't be sure what change influenced which portion of the ride sometimes. Single changes at a time made to a shock will net in a much better result.
- Consistency: Going over the same terrain at the same speed is critical to understanding the effect of your tune change. Once the back-to-back is completed, feel free to hit it faster, and push the limit further.
- Cavitation: Too much valving or not enough nitrogen can cause a vacuum bubble to form in the shock that must be collapsed before damping force is made. Knowing where that limit is, and how to balance it is very important.
- Shim Stress Distribution: We design the tune to distribute the stress that the internal components are seeing, prolonging the life of each component in the shock while still providing a supple feel and smooth transitions
- Crack pressure: This is the spike in pressure that occurs when a shock changes direction. Often times this adds to harshness, and can cause compromises in performance vs. comfort if not properly addressed.
- Shock Pressure limits: Manipulating the tune so the shock stays within proper operating pressures for the given shaft speeds is crucial. The last thing you want is a blown out seal in a critical moment. You can gain perceived force inside a shock without pushing the upper limits pressure!