FV Front Shocks

[bcvinar]

Can anyone give me a recommendation for vee front shocks? I am in need of a set for my project, and as of right now, is still a completely stock front beam.

[Hardingfv32]

What is your performance goal for the car? Budget?

Brian

[bcvinar]

Well its actually not being built to race in FV as it's a modified Vee with a turbo motor and aero bodywork. I plan to race it in the FRCCA and EMRA. I would say budget is less than $300 for the pair because the whole project is a bit of a budget build. I would like something adjustable.

[mikehinkle]

Are you using the stock beam on that frame? When are you going to post some pictures so we can all take a look????

Anyway if it is not a Vee I would try to put something like this on it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARCTIC-CAT-F...lYn54P&vxp=mtr

Cheap air adjustable shocks from a similar weight toy.

Real racing shocks that are adjustable like Penske's will cost more $$$

[bcvinar]

Hey Mike,

Been real busy lately and haven't been on here often. I should get some pictures up this spring. I am, in fact, using the stock link pin front beam. I originally built the car around the notion of being a hillclimb car and still essentially following that route, although I am also looking to partake in the FRCCA series and ultimately Pikes Peak. So it's common for people to use snowmobile shocks on these cars?

[bcvinar]

Does anyone have any experience with QA1?

[mikehinkle]

No its not common.

Most cars use what is known as Penske 'blacks' These shocks are the cats meow very light and thin and have all kinds of NASA space age parts in them.

Penske stopped making them a long time ago.

They recently started making another formula vee shock however.
http://shop.penskeshocks.com/7120-FORMULA-VEE/

These start at $495 per shock if you want them adjustable.

Some have ran the Penske reds
http://shop.penskeshocks.com/PENSKE-...LE-ADJUSTABLE/

$455 for single adjustable shock.

Of course you can get MUCH MUCH cheaper then this.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...79949124199093

[Hardingfv32]

QA1 are fine for the price. It would be easiest to use a coil-over combination.

You have a bigger problem.... you have NO idea what you are going!

A link pin on any race car is complete stupidity. Piles Peak is a very optimistic dream. It is all paved now and very fast. They might still have buggies on the hill but most have long ago moved on from any type of VW front end.

Note: Adjustable shocks have operating ranges related to spring rates etc. Do you have any idea how much weight will be on the front end... static and aero?

Brian

[grapefarmeral]

or if you're just figuring things out and don't want to spend much....VW bus steering dampers. Formula Vee used them for years until everyone thought you needed to spend more money. Bump and rebound are identical and not far from the dyno trace of the Penske blacks. I put one on my dyno a few years ago, but don't have the file anymore... Plus you can buy them for $25-35.....

[veeten]

When Penske first asked about doing Ft Shocks, they asked me to collect some examples
of what everyone was using in the N.E.
They dynoed them and just about copied the Steering Dampeners with a bit more rebound
control and a bit shorter.
The blacks were inspired by a snowmobile shock.
I carry a set, just in case i need to lend them out.

[grapefarmeral]

Now that you mention it, it was a bit more rebound than the damper. I once saw Jim Kearney finish second in a hotly contested national with one damper dangling from the shock tower...then again Jim had some talent..

[WNYVeeRacer]

I've used the steering dampers for years... and they've worked well... Even able to catch ( tho not pass) Al ;-)

and when one breaks at the mount--- a replacement costs only $25 - $30 !!!

Dennis

[mikehinkle]

Pretty sure you can get the dampeners at quixoteracing.com

If not Dietmar can tell you where to get them cheap.

[WNYVeeRacer]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Damper-Steer...item281e9c6400

here's a Chirco link on Ebay........... but if you google " VW Transporter steering damper" or the # they list you may find them cheaper

dennis

[WNYVeeRacer]

But-- I forgot to add..........Of Course.. Quixote racing is a good place to get ALL sortsa pieces/parts

dennis

[sagero]

Does anyone have any experience with QA1?

I bought a set of the QA1s last year. I'm new to the class so can't speak much about comparisons. That said, you can custom order the QA1s with different bump and rebound specs. Mine are not adjustable, but can be rebuilt by customer with different valving.
These will cost quite a bit more than the steering dampers, but about half the cost of the Penskes.