externally adjustable shock absorbers

[Jadewombat]

I had 10 way (?) SPAX on my Golf years ago. Great units, really handled great. I blew one of the struts out after a couple years, then I was being cheap and put KYBs on the car. Wasn't the same at all, didn't corner and give as much feedback as the SPAX. A dutch guy told me at an autocross in Holland (gymkana they call it) there was a SPAX truck out there a lot. You could pull your shocks off, describe to the guys how your car handled, etc. and they would re-valve them on site and hand them back to you at no charge. That's really standing behind your product.

Of course I say the same thing about the ride quality increase switching to Bilsteins on my bug, but everyone poo-poos the price. You get what you pay for though IMO.

[buildabiggerboxer]

Somehow We have two brands here, Spax in the title discussion, and Gaz as shown in the photos, the two are separate brands with Gaz a relatively new brand, now I can add a third option but I doubt they are known in the states, but I recently raced a circuit Beetle I had no prior knowledge of, nor had I even sat in it until the tannoy called for qualy runs, reasons for this are another story and not relevant apart from the fact that it was a nightmare to drive and threw me off the circuit at about 90 mph in a top gear sweeper, so I did what I could from that point to just get into the events minimum laps rule, then went back into the paddock to deliver my sermon!!
We has about an hour to ready the car for the event, so dived underside with the mechano's to see the set up, it had on Protech shocks, so we dialed in my favoured mid point settings for an unknown entity, re toed the front, then set tyre pressures to my guess for the day at 30 front/ 28 rear with semi slicks.
Now I'm called again for the event, I'm at the back!!
Now off we go for 15 laps and straight off the lights the car is good and I pass others at the sweeper I previously failed at,,, anyway, the point being the car was that good I was laughing,,,, night and day don't come close to a description, but I won the race by a few thousandths, about a wheel!,,,
Now the officials would love to know I was sitting on a first aid box just to fit the car, but those shoxs won the race, no doubt, the car was Beetle challenge spec swing axle, my lap times were faster than I ever did in my own Challenge car with the spec' Spax shocks. Enough said, but I was surprised, here's a link to the Protechs, they are a new company
http://www.protechshocks.co.uk/products ... -absorbers

[PhillipM]

Protech and Gaz have been around for decades, they just concentrated more on the UK/EU market than worldwide for a long time. A lot of the Gaz guys used to make internals for other companies before they started selling their own units as well.

[Bruce.m]

Were the protechs single or double adjustable? & were they running coilover springs or not?

[buildabiggerboxer]

Were the protechs single or double adjustable? & were they running coilover springs or not?

They were single point only on rebound, no coil overs allowed on the challenge cars, but uprated torsion bars and AR bars are allowed.

[shepherd]

I should have changed the thread title to something like "adjustable rear shock absorbers", maybe the moderator can still do it? My original intention was to go with the Spax, but many of the contacts weren't eager for the sale. The one that did get back to me weeks after the initial inquiry blew the price up, quoting new pricing, $100 for shipping, etc. The GAZ rep in florida is old school, but kept his schedule, quickly quoted a price and kept to it, and they sounded to be a good shock so I went with them instead. I saw the protect shocks also, but already had my quote from Gaz ordered..
Some additional info: independent bump and rebound adjustments are available for the GAZ, but more expensive of course. I didn't inquire as I have no need for them, yet.
I took the car to some 1/8 mile drags, and the ability to adjust the rear really helped me get the car launched! I'm still having problems with my clutch, but dialing the rear 4-5 clicks firmer let the car leave faster with less rear squat. Finding a good pressure for sticky new Yokohama radials is another thing to figure out as well..
Back the shock adjustment off and it drove home nicely, it rides really smoothly for a low car with little suspension travel.

[Ol'fogasaurus]

Go back to the first post you made when you came up with the title. By editing the post you can also edit the title.

Lee

[buildabiggerboxer]

Shepherd, don't worry to much about it, and thanks for explaining, you've made a good choice anyway, which is the basis of the discussion, keep us posted as you learn more about them, I'm sure you will find the 26mm rear bars another step up, you will need to increase the damping setting more to control them, if they are too soft you will feel the car oscillate after a wheel deflection, in the worst case, it will 'bunny hop' quite rapidly. I also found them great in the wet, helping to keep away from understeer, I was able to abandon my previous wet settings completely, I Just leave the shock settings as they are., but remove the front ARB function by dropping of one side drop link, or slack of the all clamp bolts completely if Using band type ARB clamps.

[petew]

Sorry guys. Haven't got the spax on the back of the car yet. Waiting on the new motor and trans to go I first. Really don't think ill give you a proper idea of what they're like with a worn out 40horse 1200.

[petew]

I'm off this weekend to my brother's place about 150 miles drive. Just for a laugh, I thought I'd put some oil in the trans... no doubt that will come as a nasty shock to it.

With the wheel off, I thought, "wow, wouldn't be hard to put the new shocks on". So out came the super awesome brazillian shocks and in went the spax adjustable with 'kryptonite' filling (whatever that means).



They went in easily enough except for the one thing.



The shocks are marginally shorter than the old ones. Short enough that at full droop they are too short. I'm not sure about this exactly. However, given that the car has a camber compensator and I'm not racing offroad I reckon it'll be ok.



I'm rockin 'genuine' (Sarcasm) Nexen SB-802s all round. So it's not gonna be a hardcore track comparo, but there it is. Also, both shocks are still set on the softest setting. I'm not really sure what to set them on to be honest. Do I wind it up to the hardest and then back it off or start at the softest and wind it up?

[petew]

Ok, so I did some reading and apparently you start at 0 clicks (totally soft) and work your way up 4 clicks at a time. So far I've put 16 clicks on out of a possible 58. The outcome? As I've stiffened it up, it's got a LOT better. The back end is wallowing much less over big bumps. It's flatter in corners and inspires confidence. Keep in mind, this is an 56' oval beetle with stock front and back suspension besides these shocks and a compensator. So far, I'm impressed.

[shepherd]

Tuning the 2161 some more after the break in miles, and I have gotten it running a little better, and launching a bit harder. I have a kafer style brace, between the rear shock mounts and trans horns, but I was starting to get wheel hop . Tightening up the shocks cut it but then the ride was choppy. Picked up some 28mm sway away bars to install this weekend, and hopefully I can soften up the shocks again. Finding the sweet spot that lets you leave hard, and still handles well is seeming to be a delicate balance. Also snagged an old stock 3" whiteline front sway bar, and made it fit my 4" beam. What a difference!

[PhillipM]

Pete, I would suggest with the internals that are used for the adjusters in those shocks, you start full hard and work your way back out until you're happy with the ride. It's more uncomfortable way of doing things but it does mean all the adjuster needles start from a full stop up against the seats, so you're more likely to get them all on the same setting. (There is some hysterisis in the adjusters, going back from hard to say, setting 4, isn't quite the same as coming up from soft to setting 4, as strange as that may sound)