[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by Motobrewmaster

Which shock would you recommend for a 80% street with some auto cross and track day time?

Oh and Ron looking forward to your book(s) and your shop to come online.

When I first started exploring the PT scene, I saw that Ridetech was very popular and didn't really know why. Over the last year, I've gotten to look at a lot of shock valving curves from almost all of the PT Shock manufacturers. After some dyno testing & revalving Ridetech shocks of our own, the picture got more clear. There are many factors that define the actual real world handling & ride characteristics of a shock. The dyno curve is one of them. It’s an important one, but just one of several factors.

The factors that matter most to the ride & handling are:
1. Piston design - defines the valving curves possible
2. Piston seal & friction - self explanatory
3. Bleed valving - controls the initial shock responsiveness control
4. Valving control – in most cases a stack of special shims that deflect & define the oil flow through the piston
5. Adjustability range - To tune or adjust for very different situations like track & street
6. Rebound & compression bleed over - how much does one adjustment affect the other valving
7. Body & overall shock design – affects how it manages the pressure, control & responsiveness
8. Stiction - pressure required to get the shock to initially respond
9. Internal rod/shaft pressure - affects initial shock responsiveness

I’m sure I left some things out, but you get the idea. Items 1, 2, 3, 4 play the biggest role in the valving curve. Items 5 & 6 define the range & accuracy of tuning. Items 7-9 define how well the shock can keep the tire gripping the asphalt over irregular surfaces.

Other things matter too, like ...
• Is it rebuildable?
• Is it revalvable?
• Parts availability?
• Tech support?
• Customer service?
• Warranty?
• Return/repair policy?
• And lastly initial purchase price & TCO ... total cost of operation.

What I learned about the Ridetech shock … and I hope I’m not sharing any of their trade secrets … are:
a. By running larger bleed valve orifices
b. Combined with stiffer main valving from the piston & shim stack
c. Inside an extremely well designed shock
d. Provides the best balance of ride comfort over irregular surfaces & bumps … and handling control with heavy cars in cornering situations.

Other perks or benefits of their design are:
e. Wide range of effective adjustability
f. Very low pressure bleed over
g. Fully rebuildable
h. Easy to revalve for different curves

I have experienced good parts availability, tech support & customer service. Since I don’t own a set of Ridetech shocks on a street car, I can not personally vouch for the million mile warranty or their return/repair policy … but I hear great things from their customers.

Where the rubber meets the road for most guys is initial purchase price. I am super impressed with how much shock you get for your money. In my opinion, the Ridetech shocks are the best shock in their price range by far. Nothing that costs close to the Ridetech shocks can compare to the quality & performance of this shock. It is a heck of a value.

Most people … not all … but most, do not look at TCO ... the total cost of operation. They should, but don’t always think past getting their baby running. When we factor in the million mile warranty and you realize you won’t ever need to replace these shocks. After years of use, if the shocks fail, just have Ridetech rebuild them. So the initial cost is the total cost … well … wow.

I/We have revalved some Ridetech shocks with my “secret sauce” valving to achieve what I call “Mean Autox valving.” In one version, on Lance Hamilton’s 85 Monte Carlo SS, we can tune the valving to be a mean AutoX performer … kicking butt on an amazing list of C6 Vettes, WRX’s & other cars … and the wide adjustability range allows the shocks to be adjusted back to great street ride. In another version, we make the valving “meaner” for competition purposes and the ride can be adjusted back to “pretty good” for the street, but not as well as Ridetech is famous for. This second version is for cars that see less street time & are more concerned with winning events. I was blown away at how well these shocks perform on track with some of my “secret sauce” mean race valving.

Do I feel Ridetech are the best shocks available? No. I hope I don’t hurt anyone’s feelings, but there are a handful of better true racing shocks out there. They cost a lot more, and in higher levels of competition where winning races is king, these other brands are the better choice for racing or all out track performance. But the questions so far on this specific forum thread have been about ride quality & handling performance on the street & occasional AutoX or track day. I feel Ridetech shocks are awesome at this & offer the best value.

For full racing & hardcore track shocks, I rate the top brands as follows, in order:
1. JRI
2. Penske (upper levels only)
3. Ohlin
4. ARS
This rating can change … and has over the years … as shock manufacturers come out with new designs. For all out track performance, the JRI shocks are tops. They cost more, but if winning races & events is important to you, then you will justify the cost.

Just so folks are clear on my business situation & objectivity … I am a dealer for 17 brands of shocks, including most being discussed here.