How to Set, ADJUST and TUNE Coilover DAMPER settings.

In this video we discuss how to setup suspension dampers that have just been installed on your car. We talk about the what BUMP(compression) and REBOUND settings we use, the theory behind this and how you can tune these settings further on track.
To find out more information check out our article
suspensionsecrets.co.uk/dampe...
0:00 Coilover / Damper settings
0:10 What is Bump & Rebound
1:02 4 way coilovers
1:28 KW v3 coilover
1:46 Initial Settings
3:35 Why too STIFF is bad on track
6:29 Increase rebound for oversteer and understeer
11:35 compression for grip

[@LordMelchiahX]

This was incredibly informative and surprisingly easy to understand. Thank you SOOOOO much for this.

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@raw-amg4396]

Best suspension video I’ve seen great

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks very much! Glad you’re enjoying the videos 👍

[@vacon04]

Great video. You were very clear at explaining what to do depending on the scenario and most importantly why to do those adjustments. Thanks for the help, keep it up.

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment and glad you’re enjoying the content!

[@chrishart5474]

Great video well presented ❤️

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@rikhaemers5130]

Yesss, this is the video we alle wanted to see👍🏻 super explained

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks! Glad you liked it, it’s a tricky subject to try and be concise with.

[@simonmarks7986]

Great video, although I don't understand you're adjustment on corner entry oversteer. You stiffen the front rebound. How does that reduce oversteer? Due to braking the car will dive and causes the front suspension to compress / bump. So the car will be in compression / bump at the corner entry, right? This makes the rear lighter causing less grip / oversteer. I would think that you stiffen the bump setting (and not the rebound) on the front causing the car to dive less thus keeping more load on the rear tires reducing oversteer.

[@emgyee]

Wow guys, thanks for this!!!

[@SuspensionSecrets]

No problem at all. Really glad you're enjoying it!

[@964Luftballoon]

Great video! Exactly what I needed to understand how to setup my new coilovers. Would the concepts be any different on an AWD car? I have a 964 c4 with only rebound adjustment.

[@ivankolev4077]

great video!!!!

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it 👍

[@yichen9418]

Thank you. Very helpful video. One thing I dont quiet understand and would appreciate any further explanation. On corner entry understeer, understand we could stiff up the rear rebound, would firm up the bump on the front do the same thing?

[@jg16161]

Fantastic video! This is exactly what I have been looking for. It would be great if you could combine this theoretical part with video clips from when you drive a car on track and show how X numbers of clicks affects the car's handling. Thanks!

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment! That's certainly something we can work towards in the future!

[@kurtzspecial]

Thank you

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@FreestylerAlbert]

Great informative video! Question: So for example: you have understeer at the corner exit. Which is the better solution? Change the rear coils to stiff the bump, OR put the swaybar to a more hard setting? I don't get when to touch the coils and when the swaybars.

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Great question! So the best way to categorise it is…if the issue is on corner entry or corner exit then adjust your dampers. If the issue is at the mid corner (apex) then adjust your anti roll bar 👍 hope this helps

[@FreestylerAlbert]

@@SuspensionSecrets million thanks!! :)

[@311superfly]

Max grip for sure

[@gregoryflinn3577]

About having 'rear 3 clicks softer' - is the factory initial set-up on a kw v3 (midway all round) already 'softer' in the rear?

[@layoutdeluxe]

This maybe a dumb question but bump and rebound is always explained and adjusted with someone holding up a coilover in front of a car with a wheel off. So, in real life situation, do you adjust these settings with the car just sitting on the ground? Or with car in the air and wheel off? Your video explains everything else really well, thank you!

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for comment! That's usually so that you can see the coilover and the adjusters clearly for the video. You can adjust the coilovers in terms of bump and rebound with the wheels on, off, in the air or on the ground but the biggest issue is access to the adjusters so just depends upon where the adjusters are located on your particular coilover kit.

[@layoutdeluxe]

@@SuspensionSecrets thanks for clarification! Just wasn't sure if you had to take the pressure off the coilovers to adjust.

[@z06van21]

I would like to hear about the ratio of compression to rebound. I have MCS 2-way remotes on my 718 GT4 and even though MCS says no, having played with a ton of different settings, I can tell you that with their base valving, setting all 4 corners for both bump and rebound at the half way point (9 out of 18 clicks), keeps the front and rear axle in sync and makes the car feel more stable. When you start using different compression and rebound settings front to rear, you get more pitching motion on the throttle/braking axis and the front and rear axle start to feel out of sync with each other. I also noticed that if you use less bump than rebound for a given setting, then the rebound stroke has to do more work and that also throws the car out of sync on the vertical plane and causes a harsher ride and a sharper rebound movement. Then I recently watched another coil-over video where they say to run bump as high as possible (before making it harsh) and use as little rebound as possible (without inducing wallowing)

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment. It does vary depending on vehicle mass, weight distribution and manufacturers specs of the dampers. That said for a mid engined rear wheel drive car such as yours we would tend to run the rear compression slightly softer than the front compression and the rebound a couple of clicks stiffer than the bump settings as a starting point. We would then advise to head out on circuit and fine tune each adjuster based on how the car feels. Suspension is also very subjective and different people like a car to drive differently to one another which is why its important to fine tune to your preferences.

[@PROofHAPPYWHEELS]

@@SuspensionSecrets Exactly, he could be pressing the throttle, braking or turning the wheel etc - in a way that enables the car to behave that way. Someone else who may drive the car on the same settings may want to create 'opposite' changes depending on their driving style.

[@lukesibley2896]

One thing I don’t understand is that with coilovers where you adjust the height by moving the spring up and down will this change the settings as the spring will be stiffer or looser ?

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment. This is something we will definitely be covering in a video as it is an area of misunderstanding. We have got a very detailed article (linked below) that covers this for you in the mean time. suspensionsecrets.co.uk/coilovers-installing-and-setting-ride-height-correctly/

[@andrewdrescher6389]

The short answer in no, your ride height won't affect the damper settings. The 'clicks' being adjusted here affect the valving inside the damper strut, affecting how fast or slow the damper reacts, this is not affected by the spring height. Also, changing your spring height (adjustable coilover) has no affect at all on the stiffness of the spring. I understand that you might think that by compressing the spring (to change ride height) you are changing its stiffness, but in fact you aren't. A (regular) spring has exactly the same rate throughout its whole travel, regardless of where it starts, or its initial loading.

[@SuspensionSecrets]

@@andrewdrescher6389 Spot on 👍

[@zzwk24]

Softer shock or softer spring?

[@damians8498]

Ignoring oversteer or understeer as my application is awd, would it be safe to assume that squat on corner exit and nose diving during hard braking could both be reduced with increasing bump on the rear a couple clicks stiffer AND increasing the front rebound slightly?

[@Talynen]

Not quite. Adding rear bump will reduce rear squat on corner exit, but it won't reduce front dive under hard braking. Same story for increasing front rebound -- less rear squat, but no change to brake dive. To fight both brake dive and acceleration squat, you can increase the same kind of damping on both axles (e.g., increase bump damping front AND rear) or you can increase both bump and rebound damping on the same axle. Assuming you've been specific to use the terms brake dive and rear squat, my initial recommendation would be to add bump damping front and rear. However, let's say you realize what's actually happening is not rear squat, but instead the nose lifting on acceleration. In that case, adding front rebound damping would most likely be a better adjustment than increasing rear bump. Similarly, if the rear is lifting when you brake more than the nose is diving, use rear rebound instead of front bump. If the nose is diving AND the rear is lifting under hard braking, add both bump to the front AND rebound to the rear. If the nose is lifting AND the rear is squatting on hard acceleration, add both front rebound AND rear bump.

[@damians8498]

​@Talynen Now that's very helpful! There's body roll too and my understanding is body roll is more controlled by stiffer rebound as well so perhaps your recommendations for more rebound are the way to start and go from there.

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment. Talynen's advice above is very good and has answered perfectly!

[@dpz1985dp]

When i adjusted my coils height i noticed the rear springs were pretty loose, like i can move them up and down by hand. They werent compressd. Is that normal?? Been riding like this for ywars years, and just noticed it recently

[@SuspensionSecrets]

Thanks for the comment. Yes this can happen and isn't usually something to be too concerned about. One way you can combat this is by fitting a helper spring in series with your current springs to keep it engaged on full droop.