Just wondering how this option/feature works. What actually does it do?

 

Magnetorheological (MR) shock absorbers use tiny particles of iron suspended in a viscous fluid as the damping medium. A 12-volt electromagnet stationed on the outer surface of the flow channel acts as the valving mechanism; it constricts the flow of the fluid by magnetizing the iron particulates. The amount of constriction depends upon the energy fed into the magnet (usually a maximum of 5 amps). The fluid can go from free-flowing to rock-solid faster than you can read this sentence. Control algorithms take readings from sensors around the vehicle (yaw rate, steering angle, wheel speed, etc.) to determine the exact damping rate needed at any moment, and adjusts the magnetic field accordingly. This real-time damping ability alters the relationship between ride and handling by allowing the use of softer springs and smaller anti-roll bars without adversely affecting body motion and wheel control.

More Info

 

Ok...now in lamens terms. LOL

 

It's Magic!

 

Haha. Does anyone want to explain it in a more simple form? :emb:

 

It measures the bumps on the road and changes the damping rate of the shock at 1000 times per second to keep the tires loaded with as much weight as possible. It is not a soft or hard switch, doesn't do that. It use's computer code to try and keep the tire on the ground. It has a sensor mounted at each wheel and the computer reads what each wheel is feeling over the road. this is the future of suspension, It will only get better as the software codes are refined. Used in Ferrari, Cadillac, Corvette, VW, BMW, etc

 

 

This would be "active". I thought the control on the C-6 only changes the damping as dictated by the control switch position, not actively while under way. Am I wrong?

 

the system is active with two settings according to the web site. (same info as posted above)

lamen's terms:

think of them as electronically adjustable shocks. most adjustable shocks change valving (compresion, rebound, or both) with manual setttings. these systems do it electronically with voltage and try to activly adapt based on the road conditions present. they are supposed to be able to respond faster and do all these great things but the technology obviously is not quite there as the z51 still have more grip on paper. I have not driven a F55 car but know a guy who has one and he says he always runs in sprot so why the need for the two settings and electronics.

I looked at the F55 and Z51 when I ordered. my .02 is get one them I personally went z51.

I personally think the Z51 rides awesome and is cheaper with better max performace. I would avoid the F55 personally unless you like the standard tranny torque capacity and gear splits.

the mx6 is more a wide ration tranny and stock vs stock will have quicker quarter mile and more top end but it also has lower torque capactiy due to the 2.90 first gear. I really like the .57 sixth as I personally think the .5 is just two high unless you run 3.73's or 4.10's

If the system was as good as it sound the f55 would out handle the z51. having now driven the z51 I love the ride and there is no need for softer IMO.

 

Wrong,, it has rotory sensors on the frame that connect to each lower suspension a arm. these give the rate of bump and rebound, and Rate of travel. The computer is fast enough to send the signal to the shocks to change the damping rate at 1000 times per second in real time..
Glad you are happy with your old school Z51.

 

yeah I went back and re-read. you right it is active.

I am happy with my old school. so is my wallet. Like I said sounds good on paper but not really nessesary IMO.

 

Try it with equal tires at any road course that has a few bumps.

 

so your saying pay $500 more and then go buy $1700 tires and I would have been happier?

well crap I hope it would make me happier for $2200.

 

Its not about money. Its about F55 being an active suspension. Any good race team brings a boat load of springs and shocks to each race track they run on. They spend at least one day changing springs, shocks, and revalving shocks to find out what combination will work over the bumps and speed for the track they are running on that day. Its called the setup, and its expensive to find the combo. F55 is the same as having the correct shock in real time for each bump in the real world road that you drive on. You can't have one spring set and one shock set that is the best set up for every road you drive on the street, F55 is tuning real time.
Now about stiff springs. Very old school as they reduce mechanincal grip by unloading the tire over each bump. they are used on racing cars, and are matched to the track. The high downforce cars use high spring rates to control the ride height. but it is a trade off to control ride height and still not be to stiff so as to reduce traction, both forward and sideways. the shocks must be set to control the natural rate of the that spring. A full active system as currently outlawed in Formula One did use active hydrualic cylinders as springs and this is where some of the tech has come from. It just progress.
But. Z51 is a great option. Just, please, don't say F55 is hard or soft. it is doing so much more.

 

yeah I have a sneaky suspicion that the F1 sytem is a tad more advanced that the C6. I think they left the touring option off. ha ha. just kidding.

I could find no data in jan about an out of the box F55 system being anyting spectacular when it came to lap times. Factory does not always hit the mark with technology. maybe your right it can be modded to preform awesome but I wanted to just buy the car, put wheels and exhaust and be done.

I went back an edited my post to the correct info right away. I was incorrect and stated that. I re-searched this in JAN and my memory failed me. sorry I admit I was a dumbass and posted wrong.

If you re-read my post I say definatly buy one of them and they gave the reasons why I chose the one I did. IMO means in my opinion. not in your opinion.

 

Was just trying to explain F55 as the op asked. hope we can meet up some day, I'll buy ya a beer,,, or 2

 

hell yeah or 10. beer makes me so much smarter. ha ha. the active suspension has always intriqued me I came real close to ordering it. I was just parinoid if it was not quite the handling I wanted it is not like you can just upgrade the shocks.

If the weakness is mainly in tires or sways it could be corrected by $$$$

 

It is FM technology. and for those who care:


lay·man
Pronunciation[ley-muhn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -men.
1. a person who is not a member of the clergy; one of the laity.
2. a person who is not a member of a given profession, as law or medicine.

 

Sorry, that entirely misses the point of the F55. Just because can't "outhandle" a Z51 car (BTW, a good driver in an F55 could whip a lesser driver in a Z51 -- F55 in Sport is not *that* far away from Z51), that doesn't mean that F55 is not any good. The purpose of F55 (at least in the Corvette application), isn't to provide "uber-race-track-handling performance" -- in the Corvette world it's aimed at an entirely different objective.

To the OP:

The Z51 suspension is strongly biased to track/auto-x performance, while remaining streetable (not perfect, but pretty dang good for an OE setup).

The F55 does two primary things:
(1) it provides the user with the benefits of two suspensions in one, one setting with a softer bias for comfort for folks that want it (I like a firm suspension as much as the next guy, but the war zone that is labeled Constitution Ave. in Wash, DC *forces* me to switch to soft mode, just to keep my spine aligned!), while also letting the driver select a "near Z51" level of firmness for those occasions when they want tighter handling -- a sort of no- (or at least little-) compromise system for *real world* roads, all without the need to reach under the car to make any adjustments;

(2) it provides improved body control, and essentially, safer handling by responding to conditions 1000/sec -- watch the C5 video showing the base C5 go airborne over whoops, followed by the F55 car staying in contact with the ground, followed by the two going around turns, and you'll see what I'm talking about.

I'm not saying you *should* buy the F55, what I'm saying is that it does have its place, and you should test drive both before you make up your mind.

FWIW1: One way to get the F55 closer to the Z51 setup is to install Z51 swaybars -- they're cheap (I think I paid $178 for the C5's bars from Gene at GM Parts Warehouse).

FWIW2: I have F55 on my C5. When I was looking at a C6, I drove both Z51 and F55 -- hoping that I'd find the Z51 good enough for *my* needs/desires that I could save the $$$ for the F55. My C6 has F55 -- and the instant soft/firm switchability is worth every penny to me. I have no idea whether you would have made the same choice in the same situation, but the point is you owe it to yourself to try both, so you aren't always looking back in hindsight and asking yourself whether you should have bought the other setup.

HTH!
Mark

 

I think what always gets lost in these F55/Z51 skirmishes is what "Handling" is. IMO, most people view good handling as a skidpad G number generated by a car magazine or a track time (both of which are done on SMOOTH tracks). In these instances, I believe a Z51 will "handle" (stick?) better than F55. In the real world, where there are bumps and expansion strips and such, the F55 is a better "handling" car, much more planted and more confidence inspiring to drive quickly. This is based on my having owned base and F55 C6convertibles and having spent extensive time in a Z51 equipped C6 coupe. I also think that GM has some issues because they never give the car mags F55 cars, always Z51's. Before everyone screams about the transmission ratios/coolers and all the rest, I think alot of the negative things said (which are true) about the nervousness of the corvette's behavior in the REAL world would disappear. I believe as ZR1's are tested, the goodness of F55 will come to light and legitimize what the vocal minority of folks who have F55 cars have been preaching.

All of this is one man's opinion, if you disagree with the above thoughts, well, that's why we live here!

Jimmy