Logging Damper Behavior

[Siestarider]

Since I lost my patience and mounted new coils without dynoing the dampers first, I am looking for ways to log them on track. There are various pushrod and pot operated sensors and recording devices available, mainly from race equipment shops, for over $1K.

But I wonder if solid state accelerometers may be up the the task, and with bluetooth available, recording might be conducted with a phone and lap top. Or some other el cheapo substitute for the expensive data collection methods racers use. It would be really handy to calibrate adjustable dampers to spring rates using real data from the car.

Not my area of expertise, so just throwing it out, maybe someone has a lead?

 

[jeffreylyon]

I guess that it depends what you're looking for. It's not easy to integrate high frequency stuff, like bumps, with low frequency stuff like sustained suspension travel caused by weight transfer.

Are you trying to record the effect the dampener has on the natural frequency of a spring?

 

[Siestarider]

I guess that it depends what you're looking for. It's not easy to integrate high frequency stuff, like bumps, with low frequency stuff like sustained suspension travel caused by weight transfer.

Are you trying to record the effect the dampener has on the natural frequency of a spring?

Yes, the higher frequency stuff. Not weight transfer. I would like to know dampers are matched reasonably well front pair and rear pair, which can be tuned by individual knobs on each, and have a clue as to percentage critically damped with respect to spring rates.

 

[jeffreylyon]

I just took a cursory glance at what's available to the hobbyist. The Bluetooth stuff has update rates of 100-200Hz, which isn't near quick enough for what you're trying to do. Also, I doubt that Bluetooth would make it through the inner fender sheet metal and the firewall.

The wired modules offer a better update rates but they are meant for guidance control; the ones that I saw all have a low pass filter which will filter out exactly what you're trying to measure.

Then there are guys like this : https://www.amazon.com/Acceleromete...0O42/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476278739&sr=8-1 . One of these on the shock tower and one on the knuckle would probably give you all sorts of interesting data, but you'd need a high-speed ADC (analog to digital converter), a little bit of interface electronics, and something like a RaspberryPi to collect and store the data.

My plate is super full at the moment or I'd spend some time sketching something together. Maybe there's an EE student out there that needs a senior project?

 

[Siestarider]

I just took a cursory glance at what's available to the hobbyist. The Bluetooth stuff has update rates of 100-200Hz, which isn't near quick enough for what you're trying to do. Also, I doubt that Bluetooth would make it through the inner fender sheet metal and the firewall.

The wired modules offer a better update rates but they are meant for guidance control; the ones that I saw all have a low pass filter which will filter out exactly what you're trying to measure.

Then there are guys like this : https://www.amazon.com/Acceleromete...0O42/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476278739&sr=8-1 . One of these on the shock tower and one on the knuckle would probably give you all sorts of interesting data, but you'd need a high-speed ADC (analog to digital converter), a little bit of interface electronics, and something like a RaspberryPi to collect and store the data.

My plate is super full at the moment or I'd spend some time sketching something together. Maybe there's an EE student out there that needs a senior project?

This is exactly the kind of information I suspected but do not have the background to express. Thanks for thinking about it.

My guess is there is a commercial opportunity for someone in this line of inquiry. OEM's are using this technology all over new cars' suspension for a variety of purposes. I realize retrofitting is very different. However, the technology has become inexpensive vs the products on the market now.

Maybe I can rent a setup for a weekend, have to look into that. Sebring would be a good place for testing