Nitron Suspension Settings

[BigGriff]

Just got my Nitron kit, but not fitted it yet. Anyone have any advice on the number of clicks on the dampers.

Any advice on set-up generally?

Richard

[joospeed]

Sill amazes me how many posts like this we see! doesn't your supplier have a set-up for you? they should be the first calling place, you don't know you've got the same spec as anyone else so asking others for advice can lead you down all sorts of wrong paths. Set-up is also about personal preference, that's hopefully why you've gone for a top quality adjustable set-up : so you can fine tune the handling and ride to your requirements, not anyone elses? Half the fun of running adjustable stuff (whatever it may be) is in the playing around - if you've had them delivered for fitting yourself presumably you have alignment gauges and possibly corner weighting equipment? We at least need to know your car is straight , plus what springs you're running front and rear and whether you had the valving changed from std griff / chim spec before giving you a (very) approximate guess to get you on your way... I'm sur everyone who sells Nitron stuff is only too keen for you to be completely satisfied with the dampers, so it's important that you've been talked through set-up proceedure and how it's likely to affect the feel of your car, if not then I'd argue your supplier should also be working with you on set-up with the car.

[simon t]

Or perhaps more helpfully......

Ride height (Floor to wheel arch through centre of wheel with me in car)
Front - 610mm
Rear - 660mm

Damper settings
Front 8 from full hard
Rear 12 from full hard

Geometery
As standard

This is the best setting I have have found yet although I am still working on it...

Simon

[BigGriff]

Thanks very much Simon t that's what I was looking for.

Julian (Joospeed: I contacted Nitron and although they were helpful I was more looking for what was a good starting point that has worked for other people. I'm not looking for a guide to fitting them as I will leave that to my specialists who are more than capable of fitting them. Just thought it would be useful to give them the experience of others as a useful base point to start exploring the optimum set-up for me.

Perhaps it was the way I phrased my question, but I thought your reply a bit robust!

Richard

[RichB]

Isn't this what "chat" boards are all about... i.e. chatting? Rich...

p.s. Richard, do you intend to fit them yourself then have a dealer do the set-up, or were you just curious? Rich...

>> Edited by RichB on Friday 10th October 12:57

[BigGriff]

My TVR specialist will fit them and set them up, but on the basis that I could give them a good starting position, based on input from others on PH, I thought I would ask the question.

I realise that others settings may not be where I ultimately end up, but at least I might start in the right ballpark.

Think I will go back to Peninsula (who supplied the kit)for their preffered starting point, based on their experiences as Joospeed has a valid point.

Richard




>> Edited by BigGriff on Friday 10th October 13:14

[victormeldrew]

For what its worth I had Nitrons fitted by Peninsula and the ride height was two inches higher right front to left front. The arse end was (and still is) low compared to stock whereas the the front (right at least) was about the same as stock. It looks like I have a body in the boot.

I leveled out the front myself - which required a lot of preload on the left shock compared to the right.

Damper settings were all over the place, none the same. I have set all four to eight clicks out, seems OK but a touch soft at the front.

So much for "pros" then Jules? Give me an enthusiastic and capable amateur any day, he will be working to a standard not a cost.

[rude girl]

victormeldrew said:

So much for "pros" then Jules? Give me an enthusiastic and capable amateur any day, he will be working to a standard not a cost.

Truth is there are very few people who truly understand suspension. I'm biased of course, but popular opinion is that Joolz is one of those few. He has very high standards and is (maybe unreasonably) disappointed that people pay to have adjustable suspension fitted and don't get the sort of support that he thinks is appropriate. I've known him go with customers on track days, or interrupt Sundays out to nip and see a customer to help them with the adjustment on their suspension - not 'working to a cost', I think you'll agree.

On the other hand, if you go and ask for adjustables fitted and don't explain what benefits you expect to see from it, or what use you expect to put it to, then you're not giving your supplier much to work with, are you? Both the customer and supplier need to work together to get an optimal solution.

I wouldn't take figures on here too literally - no two Griffs have the same dimensions anyway. By all means use it as a starting point, but take care.

If you do a quick search (make it all dates), you'll find scores of responses from Joolz giving help and advice on this very subject - they range from fairly simple to very technical (some are in the Cerbera forum too). I'm sure that will keep your appetite whetted until yours are fitted and you can go out to play.

[joospeed]

victormeldrew said:

For what its worth I had Nitrons fitted by Peninsula and the ride height was two inches higher right front to left front. The arse end was (and still is) low compared to stock whereas the the front (right at least) was about the same as stock. It looks like I have a body in the boot. I leveled out the front myself - which required a lot of preload on the left shock compared to the right. Damper settings were all over the place, none the same. I have set all four to eight clicks out, seems OK but a touch soft at the front. So much for "pros" then Jules? Give me an enthusiastic and capable amateur any day, he will be working to a standard not a cost.

you have a major problem with your car, the chim chassis isn't so far out that you need one platform wound significantly higher than the other, either the car is out or the suspension has some anomoly.
PS read your profile .. pissed myself (almost).

[rude girl]

joospeed said:

.. pissed myself (almost).

How very attractive

[davidd]

Big Griff

If you have the kit give Offord a call, they are near Huntingdon and have all the set up equipment for corner weighting, laser alignment etc, etc.

They did a stunning job on my Cerbera as a first pass, it is going in soon for a tweak where they will show me how is done so I can fine tune as I get used to it.

D.

[Guillotine]

94 griff 500, nitrons / poly bushed etc...

4.5" front 5" rear (chassis height to outriggers)

nitons (gas / rose jointed) 15 front (from 14 standard setting) not sure of rears ... bout 12 i think?

-2 degrees camber front -1.25 rear.

all this after a day spent at castle coombe with the afore mentioned Peninsula...all you have to do is ask!

its pretty dam quick now. slight touch of understeer on the limit - just how i like it. I should say that this is with the new spider conversion - see profile and with that TOYO's, which are VERY soft!!! but quite grippy compared to Bridgies. This changed my set up quite alot.

have fun! as Joospeed says, the setting up is THE most fun you'll have in your car (legally and with your clothes on!) short of competition!

cheers

[victormeldrew]

I'd just like to point out that other than the suspension settings my car had a LOT of work done by Peninsula, including a Speed 12 headlight job, and I was very pleased overall. Sorry guys, didn't mean to make you look bad! I'd have taken it back for Peninsual to sort out, but I'm in Rugby and, er, they're not.

I was surprised at the imbalance at the front. Maybe the spring rates weren't exactly what it said on the tin, and one is softer than the other? Or maybe my Chim is bent like a banana.

[GreenV8S]

I'd be concerned about the difference side-to-side and want to check this out. Could be something simple like mismatched springs or one spring not seated properly, but if the body is wonky on the chassis or the chassis is bent/twisted you've got a potentially nasty situation on your hands.

[victormeldrew]

Can't see how the body could be wonky on the chassis, and surely for the ride height to differ the geometry between the bottom suspension arm and the top shock mount would have to have changed, ie the chassis would have to be visibly bent on that side between the two axis. It isn't. Unless of course the new lower wishbone I fitted on the eft side was a different geometry to the old one ... always a possibility I suppose. No, my money is on the spring rates. I'll measure the heights of both top and bottom mounts from a level floor tomorrow (or even just the distance between the shock ends). Hopefully they'll be the same!

[davidd]

victormeldrew said:

Can't see how the body could be wonky on the chassis

the body is bolted to the chassis, who is to say that someone did not accidentaly leave an extra washer or three somewhere.

Of course I doubt this happened and I'm not trying to worry you but it could happen.

D.

[victormeldrew]

I might have noticed that whe I was stripping and refinishing the chassis!

Maybe the nitromors softened the chassis and warped it.

No, its all come clear now, I let this guy drive it on a track day at Donnington, and it spent most if its time in the air bouncing from kerb to kerb. Thats why its bent!

Hey, this won't seem so funny tomorrow when I find it IS bent