Are adjustable Coil-Overs the Answer?

[Damn True]

Cute. It is true that the definitions according to Webster are similar. However, Merriam-Webster to the best of my knowedge has never built a shock absorber or designed a suspension system. There is such a thing as a difference between literal definition and contextual. In this case the contextual definitions are not the same.

Dampening refers to the musical technique of muting an instrument while playing it, or soon after, before it has lost its sustain (stopped ringing). It can be used on a wide variety of string and percussion instruments. This may be done with a mute.
Dampening also generally refers to the presence of water in trace amounts. It is found in several different forms, which can cause rot in wood or other organic material, corrosion in metals, and electrical short circuits.

Damping is any effect, either deliberately engendered or inherent to a system, that tends to reduce the amplitude of oscillations of an oscillatory system.

In physics and engineering, damping is mathematically modelled as a force with magnitude proportional to that of the velocity of the object but opposite in direction to it. Thus, for a simple mechanical damper, the force F is related to the velocity v by


where B is the damper constant.
This relationship is perfectly analogous to electrical resistance. See Ohm's law.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping

Feel free though to keep using the incorrect words and being proud to do so. Just trying to help you out.

[XcYZ]

I'm not going to debate accuracy of vocabulary in context of the usage of the term to dampen... but I will say that using Wikipedia as a reference is not the best thing to do. It's widely known that they (the bloggers) have been scrutinized for being wrong or spreading misinformation. Even the owner of Wikipedia acknowleges that. But hey, he's making A LOT of cash. lol

[trapin]

I think we've debated the word "dampen" enough. They guy asked about coil overs.

If this were my thread, I'd be absolutely furious right now.

[Stuart Adams]

Ty, call DSE. This is ridiculous. This is how threads get shut down because of smart ass answers to legitimate real questions.

[Damn True]

Ok, how about Fox Racing Shox:

DAMPER - A fluid chamber with a means of regulating the fluid flow to restrain the speed of the moving end of the damper during the compression or rebound strokes. A set of forks and a rear shock are considered dampers.

DAMPER SPEED - The relative speed in which the moving end of a damper compresses or rebounds. The two different speeds are high and low.

DAMPING - The process of absorbing the energy of impacts transmitted through the forks or rear shock on the compression stroke, and the process of absorbing the energy of the spring on the rebound stroke.

DAMPING CIRCUITS - There are normally four damping circuits which affect the damper’s speed. There is both a low and high speed circuit for the compression and rebound strokes.

COMPRESSION DAMPING - The damping circuit that absorbs the energy of compression forces on the damper.

From Tire Rack:
Shock/Strut/Damper: Convert the suspension’s kinetic energy into heat by forcing fluid through a series of valves within the shock body. Provides control of unwanted suspension motions allowing the tires’ contact patches to better stay in contact with the road surface. Can have a major affect on the vehicle ride quality and handling balance anytime the vehicle suspension is moving through its range of motion.

From Monroe Shock Absorbers:
Damped, Dampened:
A force or action opposing a vibrating motion to reduce the amount of vibration.

http://www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/DG/YHyun-Jan06.pdf
http://www.railway-technology.com/co.../enidine1.html
http://www.tein.com/edfc.html

Regarding the use of a polymer end-stroke damper:
Definition: Hysteresis, or variations in properties resulting from dynamic loading conditions. Damping is related to the fundamental viscoelastic mechanisms of polymers and is characteristic of the plastic as fabricated, the frequency of loading, and the stress. It provides a mechanism for dissipating energy during deformation of a material, without excessive temperature rise, preventing premature brittle fracture and improving fatigue performance.


Yes the two words are often used to the same end, however the vast majority of individuals who work with the technology on a regular basis will use the word "damper" as opposed to "dampener". Factoid: Google returns 300,000 hits on "suspension dampener" vs. 1,300,000 for "suspension damper".

Point is, I tried to help the guy out so that if he called one of the companies he is looking into he would sound more knowledgeable on the subject on the phone thus improving the quality of the answers he is likely to recieve.

[Damn True]

That said, as to your specific question there are a number of answers.
Yes, adjustable coilovers will give you the ability to tune ride height within a given range, and yes adjustable compression and rebound damping will give you the ability to tune the damping within a given range. You didn't mention if you have an OE or aftermarket subframe. If you have an OE there is a point of diminishing returns on a low ride height. At some point you will run into the bump stops - bad. At some point you will get out of the "sweet-spot" for good geometry. Carl C has explored that range quite a bit and has found that the suspension dosen't like to go below a point at which the LCA bolt intersects the middle of the LCA ball-joint. According to him, below that point the front end gets rather "darty" (his words).
If you have an aftermarket subframe, the above may or may not be true depending upon the specific geometry of that subframe.
Spring rates and free lengths must be carefully selected to avoid spring bind and overdamping or underdamping the spring. In addition, it is imperative that the spring rates and damping are tuneable in ranges comensurate with the springs and dampers at the rear of the car. Obdviously, making big changes at one end requires similar changes at the other.

[TonyL]

ooh ooh! defintion wars!

# S: (v) dampen, damp, soften, weaken, break (lessen in force or effect) "soften a shock"; "break a fall"

From wikipedia.

Dampening is the gradual reduction the amplitudes of oscillations, which can be observed, e.g., when plucking string of a musical instrument. In the physical sciences, this effect is also called damping.

Here's bilstien using the word dampening on three seperate occasions.
Requires adobe acrobat

and edelbrock
"Conventional shocks have a fixed dampening rate and can only react to the relative motion between the chassis and the wheel." from here.

From KYB.
"AGX® Sport Adjustable Shocks and Struts allow drivers to adjust dampening to match specific driving conditions quickly." (these are actually a good choice for ya. tyoneal) here.

Its one of those situations where if you look hard enough, you can find something to support your position. That, and I just felt like jerkin True's chain.

[Steve68]

oh please help us!!!!!!!

[Stuart Adams]

Ty, did you make that call yet......

[Beast2831]

Sorry Ty! Some of us do want to help.