Whether it be in road cars, race cars, or some random application a client brought them; JRZ was always good on the bumps. Their core way of making shocks is to hold up the chassis of the car while controlling the wheel & tire (unsprung) mass. When you do this, the results are almost always the same; the feeling of a solid chassis while the bumps are smoothed out. They use a lot of compression blow off force and gas pressure to achieve this. Knowing the right amount of this to apply to get the right results is their most basic competence. Adding too much feels rough and bouncy, not using enough feels sloppy and bouncy. The right amount is uncanny control and smoothness.
It is their belief and mine, that the basics are the most important things. We have applied these successfully over the years to everything we have come across. This is how JRZ developed the AT Pro Line and what makes it special.
For most of its existence, JRZ focused on sportscar racing. A lot of Porsche, BMW, Mustang, Corvette, etc applications graced the factory floor. Every now and then there would be some special requests, but they never really made it to the main show of the product line. This all changed when a friend of a client asked for a system with some very specific demands. This client needed suspensions for the security and military industry. The catch for the security side was that the important people in the back seat needed to have a nice ride while the vehicle also had to be able to make a fast getaway. They had gone through several well-known options and were still looking for something that met their requirements.
What happened next was the birth of the AT Pro Line. We didn’t know it at the time, as we were just doing what needed to be done: apply the basics to the situation. The first sets were beefed up versions of JRZ racing applications, with some reinforced mounts. Performance and client feedback were stellar from the start. The folks in the backseat were comfortable and the drivers could do what they needed to without hesitation. This drove a lot more requests for multiple applications and even extended into military vehicles. Special development was done on hydraulic testing rigs to both compress and pull apart the dampers to find the physical limits. Demand eventually got to the point that JRZ decided to move into the aftermarket. With enough experience and proven performance, it was time to get to details.
There were a few things that were apparent during longer period testing. While initial performance was good, heat buildup could become an issue. For applications that serve overseas in much warmer environments and in especially harsh road conditions; this was a major concern. Generally, considering
heat buildup in dampers can be solved with efficiency and volume. It is not very often that actual cooling is needed or even effective in most cases. The changes here were simple: make it bigger. JRZ went with a 30% larger canister and main piston, as well as doubling the spec on the hose size. This extra area and fluid volume meant that the damper had to do less work to make the same force, as well as having more mass to spread the load around to. These changes allowed the damper to perform consistently in their operating arenas. With the confidence to run all day, JRZ moved into making these work out of the box in the aftermarket.
Knowing what to do (R&D) is not the same thing as how to do it (product development). JRZ had always been good at the former. As it matured as a company, it got better at the latter. This is evident in the AT Pro Line coming to market ready to go. Every platform goes through the same process:
- Figure out lift range and travel
- Set spring rates and damper valving
- Install, redesign, reinstall, make brackets until the kit works out of the box
- Set a competitive price and have them ready to go
The best part is the wealth of information collected along the way makes custom applications even easier. JRZ still keeps sharp when it comes to racing and special applications. If you have something out of the box, we are ready to get you taken care of. Send us a message and tell us how we can help.
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Learn about the JRZ RS line here. You can also learn about the JRZ Motorsports line here.
