General Motors touts the Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve dampers as a major proponent to track worthiness on the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, but also off-road prowess with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. So, what makes these dampers so special?
Car and Driver cut one open in the name of science to see what’s going on inside the unit that makes it so unique in a road-car application. Compared to a more conventional damper, the DSSV damper uses what’s in the name: a spool valve. This valve varies dampening forces via fluid flow through precisely shaped ports and a spring-loaded shuttle.
C&D’s findings showed six windows per valve to define a baseline force-velocity curve. A shuttle closes a particular window to fluid in the damper, which allows more fluid to flow as movements become faster. Meanwhile, a pin moves the shuttle itself.
Multimatic included bleed paths as well, which allows fluid to bypass the compression spool valve during operation. The components help give cars street comfort and track-ready performance in one tidy package.
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The Canadian supplier’s dampers first appeared in the 2002 CART series, then migrated to Formula 1, and now populate about half the Le Mans starting grid. Aston Martin’s limited-edition One-77 was the first production car fitted with DSSV dampers and Chevrolet’s fifth-generation Camaro Z/28 followed in 2014. With their blend of street comfort and track-ready attitude, DSSV dampers are like shampoo and conditioner in one. Currently you can find them in the Ford GT, the Mercedes-AMG GT, and the Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE and Colorado ZR2. Their simplicity is a thing of engineering beauty, so we uglied one up by cutting it in half with a band saw.
Wouldn’t it be nice if they put the Multimatic DSSV system on all of the HD trucks be it a option or standard equipment. A price increase would not be out of line be it a option or standard equipment.