best street suspension with S60 axle
03-14-2017, 09:26 PM
#21
So they used a different piston design, different fluid, tighter tolerances, larger range of adjustment, lighter materials or ....? I'll stop derailing this thread, but when I look at two shocks that are the same technology (twin tube, non-gas charged, adjustment on the shock body) that have been built by the same people it's hard to settle for "this one is just better". </rant>
"Engineering brought up a good point about the sealing system. They said while the seals are important we’ve found the component it’s sealing against is actually the most critical thing. If the component it’s sealing has a rough finish or is out of spec, the seal could fail. This is why we moved much of our machining of our shock components in-house. Some of the shock components we now manufacture in house are bases, bodies, glands, pistons, base valves amongst others. These components play the biggest role in overall shock operation, consistency and quality. This allows us to control the quality from start to finish, and ensures tight tolerances and proper surface finish. Parts prep and assembly also plays an important role in shock performance. We underwent a full renovation of our shop in 2011 with manufacturing and assembly in mind. We brought in new personnel, CNC equipment, tools and work stations and the results have been fantastic. Continual improvement continues to be an emphasis for us, and we’re constantly making improvements as new technology, tools and ideas come about."
Kass also mentioned that since they're ISO certified, continual improvement is actually a requirement, not just something you do. I know this firsthand from implementing ISO at a previous job. You can't just leave a product as-is and keep your certification.
Kass sent me their current dyno chart for the 4th Gen shock. Whether or not you agree with twin-tube/monotube, piston size, or the shape of the curve, the QA1 is very similar in damping to the Viking Warrior. This means the average human driver can run double QA1's or double Vikings and the car will feel similar. I think it's probably like Ford and Chevy where some like one and some like the other, and fiercely defend their brand.
Guess what though, if you buy from UMI, we know how to read the charts, and we race on all the stuff, so we can help you decide. There are multiple options to pick from and there just may be something right for you.
PS here's the Viking graphs.
https://umiperformanceinc.wordpress....1-dyno-charts/
03-15-2017, 02:46 PM
#24
Unfortunately no one has them all (not many are going to drop $6k to test setups they aren't interested in).
The other thing is that in the opinions of a fair amount of this board they aren't worth directly comparing: Viking and qa1 are twin tube, non-gas charged drag shocks that are very good at making your car go fast in a straight line while the UMI/Strano setup, koni or Ridetech use a gas charged mono-tube shock very good at making your car go right or left. The closest comparison you'll see is the UMI Auto-X car that ran vikings for a season and switched to the UMI/Strano setup while they were developing that.
Lots of vendors on here push the Viking stuff pretty hard because most people are interested more in street/strip than street/auto-x, but then have to reference the crusader series to get the valving correct for stiffer springs which then puts you in the price range of the more handling oriented mono-tube shocks with gas charging and adjustment on the piston.
In this case I was calling out the qa1 vs viking comparison because as far as I can tell they're the same shock, MWC is saying viking is better and they have fast strip cars, but what I'm asking is how are they better.
The other thing is that in the opinions of a fair amount of this board they aren't worth directly comparing: Viking and qa1 are twin tube, non-gas charged drag shocks that are very good at making your car go fast in a straight line while the UMI/Strano setup, koni or Ridetech use a gas charged mono-tube shock very good at making your car go right or left. The closest comparison you'll see is the UMI Auto-X car that ran vikings for a season and switched to the UMI/Strano setup while they were developing that.
Lots of vendors on here push the Viking stuff pretty hard because most people are interested more in street/strip than street/auto-x, but then have to reference the crusader series to get the valving correct for stiffer springs which then puts you in the price range of the more handling oriented mono-tube shocks with gas charging and adjustment on the piston.
In this case I was calling out the qa1 vs viking comparison because as far as I can tell they're the same shock, MWC is saying viking is better and they have fast strip cars, but what I'm asking is how are they better.
http://www.magazinevolume.com/17689BF/#/22/
Last edited by 5.7stroker; 03-15-2017 at 02:53 PM.
03-15-2017, 03:03 PM
#25
TECH Veteran
iTrader: (14)
everything minus my LCA's and Ridetechs under my car is UMI. K-member to a arms, tq arm midmount safetly loop SFC's and PHB. There specific setup wasnt even mentioned when I went ridtech otherwise it probably would have been another option to weigh.
03-15-2017, 04:33 PM
#26
Crusader series? Is that what comes in the VCF226-350 package that contains the 150# rear and 350# front springs?
http://www.magazinevolume.com/17689BF/#/22/
http://www.magazinevolume.com/17689BF/#/22/
The VCF kits come with Warrior series shocks. Opting for the Crusaders generally add about $150 per pair of shocks, but well worth it if you are in competition level or high powered demands. The Crusader valving charts are as follows:
Crusader AP
Crusdaer AM
Crusader AJ
compared to the standard Warriors:
__________________
Glenn ***
Sales Tech
www.bmrsuspension.com
813.986.9302
Find a Quality alignment shop near you!
Glenn ***
Sales Tech
www.bmrsuspension.com
813.986.9302
Find a Quality alignment shop near you!
03-15-2017, 11:23 PM
#28
The other thing is that in the opinions of a fair amount of this board they aren't worth directly comparing: Viking and qa1 are twin tube, non-gas charged drag shocks that are very good at making your car go fast in a straight line while the UMI/Strano setup, koni or Ridetech use a gas charged mono-tube shock very good at making your car go right or left.
I prefer a twin tube design on the street to a monotube. Which is why I run Konis. They seem to react a little faster to crap road conditions. Of course, the Konis are very good on the track too. But a smooth track doesn't have as many inconsistencies to deal with, so a solid monotube works very well since it can really take a lot of force and spring pressure.
I've setup some JRZ Coilovers on BMWs and they are insane. I've also done some Bilsteins with Hyperco's on Vettes. They don't ride as nicely as the Konis (did Koni coilovers on BMWs too with TC Kline kits).
I'd just get the Konis and be done with it. Run them with the Strano or BMR springs. I have less clearance than you with the 3.5" DS and true duals. You just have to be careful not to scrape. It rides really rather well. A lot like the BMWs with the TC Kline kits actually.
03-16-2017, 11:13 AM
#29
I thought I'd correct something here. The Koni's are twin tubes as well. They are gas charged, but twin tube.
I prefer a twin tube design on the street to a monotube. Which is why I run Konis. They seem to react a little faster to crap road conditions. Of course, the Konis are very good on the track too. But a smooth track doesn't have as many inconsistencies to deal with, so a solid monotube works very well since it can really take a lot of force and spring pressure.
I've setup some JRZ Coilovers on BMWs and they are insane. I've also done some Bilsteins with Hyperco's on Vettes. They don't ride as nicely as the Konis (did Koni coilovers on BMWs too with TC Kline kits).
I'd just get the Konis and be done with it. Run them with the Strano or BMR springs. I have less clearance than you with the 3.5" DS and true duals. You just have to be careful not to scrape. It rides really rather well. A lot like the BMWs with the TC Kline kits actually.
I prefer a twin tube design on the street to a monotube. Which is why I run Konis. They seem to react a little faster to crap road conditions. Of course, the Konis are very good on the track too. But a smooth track doesn't have as many inconsistencies to deal with, so a solid monotube works very well since it can really take a lot of force and spring pressure.
I've setup some JRZ Coilovers on BMWs and they are insane. I've also done some Bilsteins with Hyperco's on Vettes. They don't ride as nicely as the Konis (did Koni coilovers on BMWs too with TC Kline kits).
I'd just get the Konis and be done with it. Run them with the Strano or BMR springs. I have less clearance than you with the 3.5" DS and true duals. You just have to be careful not to scrape. It rides really rather well. A lot like the BMWs with the TC Kline kits actually.
