adrial
10-27-2009, 10:27 AM
I'll start off by saying that I'm a Rutgers Formula Racing Alumni that graduated in '06. I was the suspension team lead at that time.
Back then we used the Tanner Gen 2 because it was a good, affordable damper. They leaked fluid and that was something that we just had to deal with. We were told they wouldn't leak when we moved from the Tanner Gen 1 to the Gen 2 in 2005, but that was not the case.
As alumni, we have been maintaining the 2005 car. Recently we got tired of the constant leakage problems, despite replacing the "seals" (if you can call 2 scrapers a seal). We would fill them, go drive for a day and that'd be about it ...
We replaced the Tanner Gen 2 with the Shadow Racing Shoczilla. I have not opened them up yet (since I have had no need), but the build quality appears to be FAR above that of the Tanner Gen 2 for a relatively similar price. The Shoczilla does not have any external adjustability, but in my opinion that is not neccesary for most FSAE teams. Thus far (1 full drive day) they have not leaked at all.
Included in the box we were pleased to find dyno curves, something not typical of dampers in that price point in my experience. This was a damper I was able to take out of the box and bolt to the car and be confident that it was valved appropriately.
I will say that one of the guys behind Shadow Racing is an RFR alumni from the mid 90's and while that did influence my decision to try the Shoczilla, that has no influence whatsoever on my opinion of the Shoczilla.
http://www.shadowracing.com/
Back then we used the Tanner Gen 2 because it was a good, affordable damper. They leaked fluid and that was something that we just had to deal with. We were told they wouldn't leak when we moved from the Tanner Gen 1 to the Gen 2 in 2005, but that was not the case.
As alumni, we have been maintaining the 2005 car. Recently we got tired of the constant leakage problems, despite replacing the "seals" (if you can call 2 scrapers a seal). We would fill them, go drive for a day and that'd be about it ...
We replaced the Tanner Gen 2 with the Shadow Racing Shoczilla. I have not opened them up yet (since I have had no need), but the build quality appears to be FAR above that of the Tanner Gen 2 for a relatively similar price. The Shoczilla does not have any external adjustability, but in my opinion that is not neccesary for most FSAE teams. Thus far (1 full drive day) they have not leaked at all.
Included in the box we were pleased to find dyno curves, something not typical of dampers in that price point in my experience. This was a damper I was able to take out of the box and bolt to the car and be confident that it was valved appropriately.
I will say that one of the guys behind Shadow Racing is an RFR alumni from the mid 90's and while that did influence my decision to try the Shoczilla, that has no influence whatsoever on my opinion of the Shoczilla.
http://www.shadowracing.com/