Monroe Sensa-Trac?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 245
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From: Raleigh NC
Monroe Sensa-Trac?
There's several other shocks like it, but their names fail to come to me right now. Anyways, they're the shocks that supposedly give a firm feel on smooth roads and a softer one on bumpy roads. I was wondering if anybody was running any of these, and how they feel, in both situations. I'm not looking for super-high-performance shocks where I can feel a bump in the road the size of a molecule, but I would like firm handling in the corners.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,361
Likes: 383
From: Plano TX
Re: Monroe Sensa-Trac? (Enkil)
Not all road sensing shocks are the same...
The sens-a-tracs (also made by other companies) work by adding a controlled leak around the middle portion of shock travel. This means that they are soft around where they will be when the car is at rest. When the piston travels away from the center position it firms up. So: soft for small bump, stiff for hard braking, cornering etc. But also stiff for big bumps!
It's a very simple design. All they do is machine some grooves in the tube around the center part of piston travel for the oil to flow through.
Also note that these types of shocks only work well on cars at stock ride hight. A lowered car will position the piston in the stiff area at rest, making for a very bad ride.
Another type of shock is the Edelbrock IAS (Edelbrock bought the design from a company called RICOR). This one is different. The shock is "upside down". The piston is mounted to the chassis, the tube to the wheel. The piston has an inertia valve. As long as the chassis is not moving, the valve is open and the shock is soft. If the chassis moves, the valve closes and the shock is stiff.
This, of course, is more advanced than the sens-a-tracs and works just as well on lowered vehicles.
Drawbacks is that the inertia valve only works on rebound so the bump rate is constant.
I have tried both and the IAS do work much better on roads with big bumps. Handling is about the same (actually I didn't notice a difference).
The sens-a-tracs (also made by other companies) work by adding a controlled leak around the middle portion of shock travel. This means that they are soft around where they will be when the car is at rest. When the piston travels away from the center position it firms up. So: soft for small bump, stiff for hard braking, cornering etc. But also stiff for big bumps!
It's a very simple design. All they do is machine some grooves in the tube around the center part of piston travel for the oil to flow through.
Also note that these types of shocks only work well on cars at stock ride hight. A lowered car will position the piston in the stiff area at rest, making for a very bad ride.
Another type of shock is the Edelbrock IAS (Edelbrock bought the design from a company called RICOR). This one is different. The shock is "upside down". The piston is mounted to the chassis, the tube to the wheel. The piston has an inertia valve. As long as the chassis is not moving, the valve is open and the shock is soft. If the chassis moves, the valve closes and the shock is stiff.
This, of course, is more advanced than the sens-a-tracs and works just as well on lowered vehicles.
Drawbacks is that the inertia valve only works on rebound so the bump rate is constant.
I have tried both and the IAS do work much better on roads with big bumps. Handling is about the same (actually I didn't notice a difference).
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 10,362
Likes: 5
From: San Diego - Deep Within The State of CONFUSION!
Re: Monroe Sensa-Trac? (Enkil)
I've used SensaTracs on everything I own since they came out. I've had them on my 70 Nova, an 83 Regal, (struts version) currently on my 92 Grand Am and also just put a set on the 76 Vette.
I've been "sold" on them for a while! :rolleyes:
I've been "sold" on them for a while! :rolleyes:
