under damped? | Retro Rides

VW Posted hell of a lot Posts: 6,000	under damped?VW @vw
	Sept 25, 2016 19:06:51 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	So, just had a nice weekend around snowdonia in the CF. Its shown up a couple of issues though. Front end is lowered but thats not really relevant to this question. The suspension, generally, feels good. It handles ok too. Front end is a bit crashy on potholes but I think the bumpstop is being distorted and I'm getting metal to metal contact. Ill sort this and maybe raise it a touch. What is bad though, and it did this before lowering and its the same front and back, is it bounces alot. Over whoopy bumps, or speedbumps, when the van comes off the bump the suspension compresses alot then the rebound seems to throw the van up higher than ride height and then it crashes back down again. One one road with a bit of a ripple it set it up into almost a pogo situation. Normal driving and bumps its fine so I don't think its too softly sprung?, does it sound under damped? It has new kyb shocks all round and they felt about the same as the ones I took off in so far as stiffness. They don't feel awfully stiff. I know its an old van, and wont be great, but country roads get a bit ridiculous at times, verging on dangerous! Any thoughts?


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welshpug Posted a lot Posts: 4,334	under damped?welshpug @welshpug
	Sept 25, 2016 19:14:31 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	height matters quite a bit, as its lower you need a stiffer spring to stop it twatting the bumpstop, to go with the firmer spring you need more damping rate.
	ZX 16v, 205 GTI. my ZX's project thread - retrorides.proboards.com/thread/151997/16v-project-pt2-power-upgrades

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VW Posted hell of a lot Posts: 6,000	under damped?VW @vw
	Sept 25, 2016 19:35:48 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	Bump stops have been moved to accommodate the drop. It does it front and rear and did it before the lowering anyway. I assumed the shocks were shot so bought new ones. I was surprised when I took the old ones off and they felt fine and the new ones felt no stiffer. There is something amiss with either the stiffness and damping in relation to the vans weight, or there is something wrong with the relationship between the springs and the shock. I just don't know if its over sprung, under damped, or what.


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VW Posted hell of a lot Posts: 6,000	under damped?VW @vw
	Sept 25, 2016 19:39:21 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top
	The front will be stiffer though, as you say. Its fine at its stiffness but it wont be helping if its already under damped. It has a camping interior but its not carrying as much weight as it is designed to so I guess the back is stiffer than it needs to be too so maybe also under damped for its current use? Ill try and get some stiffer shocks and try them if people think thats the right road to go down.


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