Can someone give me the simplified definition of bump and rebound? How does this affects the handling / performance of the car? Also, how do you determine the best spring rate / shock combination?

Thanks,
Scott

 

First, the whole object is to keep the tires planted flat on the road at any speed and any condition.

Think of this example:

You're driving down the road and one tire rolls over a 2" log (yea, I'm real creative...). The first thing that would happen is the wheel/tire will be forced up (compression or "bump") some distance. Too little shock control (on the compression side) (at that speed) could allow the suspension to bottom out, too much throws the car up in the air. Once you run over the log the front wheel/tire will be forced down at some rate (rebound) as the spring looses compression or expands. The rate at which all of this happens is dependent on many factors but it is up to the shock to control that combined rate of motion and make sure the tires stay on the ground. The main thing is, if the shocks don't control these motions, you car feels like, and might be, all over the place.

I use to have Eibach Sportline springs, LG sway bars, and deCarbon shocks. The car was great on smooth roads but terrible in bumps and the main problem was the shocks. They couldn't control the motion of the car and suspension.

There are many different combinations of parts but some have been proven to work. The best advice I can give you is to call Sam Strano talk with him for a while. You will end up with the right pieces without any of the guess work.