ARS Shocks

[Mark TMV]

Does anybody have any experience with ARS quarter midget shocks? Are they suitable for FSAE applications?

Here's what I'm referring to : http://www.advancedracingsusp.com/shocks/5500.htm

[Mark TMV]

Does anybody have any experience with ARS quarter midget shocks? Are they suitable for FSAE applications?

Here's what I'm referring to : http://www.advancedracingsusp.com/shocks/5500.htm

[magicweed]

I looked at these shocks and found them to be a far better alternative to anything coming off a mountain bike. A lot of teams are running quarter midget shocks like the 5500's from ARS, and the popular ones seem to be the Penskes. I was torn between using the ARS 5500's and the VRP Quarter Midgets. The guys from VRP seemed like really good guys and were asking for exact design parameters and such, as well as a student discount. Either way, from what I've read, they're damn fine shocks, in any application. As for use in FSAE, the jurys out on that one.

[mtg]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by magicweed:
I looked at these shocks and found them to be a far better alternative to anything coming off a mountain bike. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why is that?

[magicweed]

In my limited knowledge of suspension dampening, I found that the consistency of the shock to be very important. In testing our FOX Vanilla's last year, they were anything but consistent damper to damper. The ARS shocks, being automotive racing shocks, I would assume that the difference between dampers would be much less than that of the mountain bike. They also possess a greater ability to be revalved to change the dampening characteristics than the FOX shocks. I'm not familiar with the other mountain bike shocks, but I'm fairly familiar with Mr. Smiths insinuation that mountain bike shocks have no place on race cars. Not to be one to follow advice blindly, I look forward to dynoing the set of VRP's we purcahsed for our car this year, to see if my assumptions are correct. The lack of adjustability is a bit of a compromise, but it means there are less knobs for the lower suspension monkeys to be turning. We don't have nearly enough experience to have the dampening make the most difference in our car, but having a good consistent shock, in my mind, would be favored over and adjustable one by a third year team.

Since you have a lot of experience with UMR over the years, and you must be good since you ended up with Optimum G, any information to the contrary would be appreciated. I'm always in the mood to learn more.

[mtg]

The whole mountain bike shock bashing thing probably had more ground back when mountain bike shocks were in a more primative state. That's not to say they're ideal for FSAE cars, but 1/4 Midget shocks are made for bargain basement racecars, and sold for way cheap.

My experience with one particular brand of 1/4 Midget shocks was terrible- they were absolutely horrible. I'm not going to bash the company because their customer service was great (when I talked to them), and they weren't really designing the shock for what we were doing. Maybe some other brands are better, but because they are used on circle track "go karts", I wouldn't assume a certain level of quality.

Roehrig Engineering and Ohlins both have some pretty good information on their websites about dampers to help make sense of the shocks.

[js10coastr]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by magicweed:

Since you have a lot of experience with UMR over the years, and you must be good since you ended up with Optimum G, any information to the contrary would be appreciated. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

...yeah, but MTG isn't mentally or financially ready. He's a nice guy though.

From having my mtn bike shock on the dyno, I'm pretty sure that the things aren't designed for an FSAE application, but revalving the things to get different damper curves could be a good idea.