Active vs. passive suspension: your experience?

[14Accent]

Just curious, for those of you who own/have owned a vehicle with some type of active suspension: how do you like it?

My '12 Regal is the first vehicle I've owned with active suspension. It rides on Sachs CDC dampers, and I can truly feel the difference when stepping from comfort to sport to GS mode. Beyond that, when in comfort mode, the ride quality even with 40 series 19" tires is stellar. I feel the same way when comparing say... a GMT900 with and without ride control. Those trucks drive so much better with an active suspension.

I realize that the downside to active dampers is usually the price of replacement, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that RA stocks the complete rear assemblies for $180/ea and the front struts for $280/ea. Not cheap compared to standard dampers, but a heck of a lot cheaper than $400 a corner they get for most Magneride units.

 

[atikovi]

Not cheap compared to standard dampers, but a heck of a lot cheaper than $400 a corner they get for most Magneride units.

Figure over $1000 a corner for some euro imports air struts.

 

[97prizm]

I'd be curious on how long parts would continue to be made, how many vehicles like yours were optioned that way unless it's standard equipment. The reason that I ask is that when I work sales for a Lexus dealership a couple came in wanting to trade in their RX330. Unbeknownst to me the RX330 offered an air ride suspension option for a year or two from the sounds of it. The couple wanted to keep their vehicle but were shocked when the dealership quoted $1k per shock and $1k for a new compressor. Not sure what it would cost to do it yourself but parts were difficult to come by.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I like an air suspension if it's done right (cross linked side to side so it functions sort of like a solid axle off road), like how Land Rover does it. Otherwise I'm neutral on it. Neither of the Land Rovers in my sig have had significant issues with the air suspension (and the LR3 is at 230k miles). Spent less on air suspension parts than springs/shocks for my Liberty or what I will to replace the suspension on the Wrangler.

 

[Cujet]

As a lifelong driving enthusiast and automotive critic, I prefer a very high quality set of conventional dampers and progressive springs. The idea that magnetic dampers can instantly adjust is quite nice, but the reality is that they don't seem any more capable than the best conventional offerings. And are known for performing well for only short stints.

Take a look at motocross bike suspension for examples of how accurate valving, and proper design, can provide adequate damping under nearly all conditions. (the stack of grey spring washers here is what performs the magic, as they bend to allow oil flow)

My current car, a Jaguar F-Type has the magnetic dampers. The car clearly handles well and rides well. However, owners improve the performance by removing the magnetorheological dampers and installing Bilstein's.

Quote:


"The MRC dampers are incredible...for one lap on a smooth track.

Yes the MRC dampers are incredibly quick and have a wide dynamic range, which is great. Especially for putting down a hot lap with a pro driver and getting the magazines to write a great review. But they aren't all they're chalked up to be, and we're going to talk about why.

Pros:
• Incredibly quick response time
• Wide dynamic range

Cons:
• Due to magnetic particles, prone to hysteresis, stability, wear, leakage, and sedimentation issues.
• Limited to symmetrical compression vs. rebound curves
• Not serviceable
• Diminished damping capability subject to temperature

Magnetic Particles
The magnetic particles in the MagneRide fluid, at the end of the day, are abrasive. Over time they will wear the seals within the shock rather quickly. On top of that, the shocks aren't serviceable.

Further, the magnetic particles seem to have difficulty de-magnetizing in all situations, which leads to instances of what we call magnetic hysteresis, which can cause instability."

Magnetorheological dampers for Porsche - Rennlist - Porsche Discussion Forums

997 Turbo Forum - Magnetorheological dampers for Porsche - I was just reading about the Comaro ZL1 and its dampers with sensing and damper response 1000 per second. I know Ferrari and others use them on their cars giving performance and comfort . I was wondering if anyone looked at using these...

rennlist.com

 

[14Accent]

I put active dampers and air suspension in different categories. Airbags carry load, dampers control chassis movement. Plenty of Ford's out there without active suspension but with air ride.

 

[Malo83]

With the optional 20" rims on my 17 GS car runs smooth only complaint is the Pirellis are noisy, use the Sport mode when doing high speeds on the freeway and GS mode on hilly roads and mountains, overall the GS is a joy to drive.

 

[JohnnyG]

Not only does my car have active air suspension, but the front seats too. And yes, even though I don't use the Sport+ stuff too often, it does come in handy once in a while. Even a short ride on the local beach is nice when you can raise the car a couple inches or so.

 

[14Accent]

With the optional 20" rims on my 17 GS car runs smooth only complaint is the Pirellis are noisy, use the Sport mode when doing high speeds on the freeway and GS mode on hilly roads and mountains, overall the GS is a joy to drive.
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I couldn't agree more with your impressions. I'm just running RT43's on mine, so there's not much "sport" in the rubber, but for the way I drive it's perfect.