Figuring out 3 ways

In this post we talked about the 50 DA shaft, and what it did. That leads us into a set of questions that has been popping up a lot recently:

• Should I get 3 ways or 2 ways?
• Which set of 3 ways should I get?
• How do I adjust these things?

Below are the three 3 ways JRZ makes:

JRZ RS Pro 3

JRZ 12 32

JRZ 12 52

1) Should I get 3 ways or 2 ways?

With the RS Pro 3 only $500 more than the RS Pro and we’ve heard a lot of feedback similar to: “I don’t know how to adjust 3 ways.” We can help.

To start , the nice part about the RS Pro 3 (and 12 32 for that matter) is that you can put the low speed at full stiff, and the damper acts the exact same as an RS Pro. One approach with the RS Pro 3 is to use the low speed as you become more experienced.

In the graph below, you can see what the RS Pro adjustments are in blue, and what the RS Pro 3 adds in green.

2) Which set of 3 ways should I get?

JRZ offers a pretty wide range of 3 way damper options now. So besides the budget, here’s how we break it down:

RS Pro 3 – The original JRZ 3 way motorsport design. Price and feature competitive to its peers. Easy to tune, robust, and each click gives a noticeable change. The perfect fit for racers and serious track cars who want something that’s just going to work.

12 31 or 12 32 – The original JRZ 3 way design taken to a new level. Larger shafts, slicker seals, completely separated rebound circuit, reworked canister design. Offers better matching, more clicks, and generates less heat. Still easy to tune while offering better overall performance and fine tuning possibility. If you’re looking at data after the session, it’s probably time for the 12 31 or 12 32.

12 51 or 12 52 – An advancement of the JRZ damping philosophy – moving damping force from the remote canister to the main piston – resulting in drastically reduced hysteresis in the damper. The shaft adjustments have much higher sensitivity to low speed damping force changes. Paired with the FA 3030 piston, this damper allows very high levels of customization,. If your dampers are seeing a shock dyno more than once a year and you’re familiar with the below graphs, this is your option.

The classic damper velocity histogram

3) How do I adjust these things?

Naturally, we could produce a tome on this topic, but we’ll keep it simple for now.

RS Pro 3, 12 31 & 12 32: Start with the low speed on full stiff, the high speed at position 4, and the rebound 5 clicks from soft. Increase the high speed damping 2 clicks at a time until the car skips a little bit or feels stiff. Reduce the high speed one click. Perform the same exercise with the rebound. After that, reduce the low speed 1 position at a time until the car feels like it rolls a little too much, increase 1 position. From there, use the low speed to change the understeer/oversteer balance.

12 51 & 12 52: Consult with us directly on your valving & setup to get starting settings. We’re available 7 days a week for support.

– The Olsen Motorsports Team