Step 12: Adjust Damping Ratio Compression / Rebound
Damping Ratio (Compression) %
“The damping ratio is the proportion of damping force when no-oscillation is
set at 100%. You can set the compression-side ratio here. Higher values
correspond to greater damping force, making the springs compress more
slowly. Conversely, lower values will cause the springs to compress more
quickly.”
Damping Ratio (Rebound) %
“The damping ratio is the proportion of damping force when no-oscillation is
set at 100%. You can set the rebound-side ratio here. Higher values
correspond to greater damping force, making the springs rebound more
slowly. Conversely, lower values will cause the springs to rebound more
quickly.”
This can be confusing. Assuming that the main purpose of shock
absorbers is to prevent vehicle’s oscillation (compress-uncompress) after a
bump, let’s simplify: the stiffer the shock, the faster the dampening; also, the
stiffer the shock, the faster the weight transfer occurs. We don’t want weight
transfer to be too fast, because it might result in sudden loss of grip. We
want smooth transfer instead, so we can reach maximum grip point gradually
and not cause sliding.
COMPRESSION:
● The stiffer the front damper, (higher the number) the tighter the car will
be when braking.
● The stiffer the rear damper, (higher the number) the looser the car will
be under acceleration.
REBOUND:
● The stiffer the front damper, (higher the number) the tighter the car will
be under acceleration.
● The stiffer the rear damper, (higher the number) the looser the car will
be when braking.
Try to find balance in pitch-dive transition, with good grip and agility.