Shocks

[Kai SRT10]

I just got back from running in my first open road race at the Sand Hills in Nebraska.

The road we were running on was ROUGH! Bumps, washboard, just nuts. Felt like I was in a paint shaker. At 140 mph, I was getting bounced all over the road. It was a bit scary. I'm thinking that the guys driving the rough road in their Lexus luxury cruisers with their nice soft suspension were probably set up better than my Viper with it's super tight suspension.

I want to improve my times next year, but need to do something about the ride. There isn't a ton of tight cornering (slowest corner is about 70mph.)
I'm now thinking of getting some adjustable shocks so that I could soften them up and get a bit less bounce for Sand Hills (and bumpy country roads closer to home), but be able to easily set them back to stiff for the track.

Thing is, I don't want to go out and get a ph.d. in car suspension, and I don't want to have to take my car to the shop for suspension work every time I make some changes to the shocks. Idealy, I'd like to be able to turn some screws and adjust the ride quality. Is this reality or fantasy?

Can I just go out and buy a set of penske 3-way adjustables, experiment a bit with them, and be happy, or is adjusting my shocks going to set off a domino chain of suspension issues that will totally screw up my car's handling?

If anyone who's done some suspension mods on an SRT-10 has any advice for me, it would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to go out an blow $5000 on new shocks if it's just going to screw up my car's handling.

Thanks

Kai

 

[SylvanSRT]

what about the Motons, i think they come one the comp coupe and are a little less money than the Penske's

 

[Brian E]

Kai, I am just finishing up doing some R&D work ( very low tech on my part ) for Aldan Eagle on my 04 SRT-10. I think they have come up with a very good shock/spring combo. What I was able to do was lower my car 1 1/8 all the way around ( you can actually lower the car a total of 1 1/2 all the way around, but I wouldnt recomend it ) and have the ability to adjust rebound and dampening. I have tried multiple spring rates on both the front and rear. Depending on how you plan on driving your car, I could suggest a starting point for spring rates. I have literally spent days trying different combinations.
One added benefit to this new combination is that you dont need to take the rear, upper control arm loose during the installation now. The installation of these coilovers can easily be done by a mechanically inclined individual, although it is a MUST that you have your car 4 wheel aligned if you lower the ride height! You can call Robert at Aldan for any questions you might have. (310) 834-7478

Ps. The Motons are the way to go if you intend on racing your SRT-10, but they are also almost 3 times the price of the Aldans.

 

[Skip White]

Brian I to have been doing a little R/D on the Aldan coilovers. Getting the right combo to fill your needs has been a job, not to mention other issues.

I'd sure like to speak to you about this if possible.

Anyone out there needing a set of these let me know.

Skip White