DSC Sport Controller Suspension Module

[Hailw00d]

Had some good discussion with the folks at DSC about some questions I had after playing around with the controller I thought I would pass along.

The first is that the current version of the software doesn't show the TypeR as a vehicle option. They said they are working on an update, but to use the Mustang GT/350/500 setting as it has the same 3 modes (Normal, Sport, Track) and should work fine until the update.

The second is that I had asked about +R mode feeling basically the same as stock (too harsh) despite the comfort settings (as I understand them at least) showing that it should be improved. DSC indicated they had received similar feedback and were working on an update that would be emailed directly to folks that had purchased the units sometime in the next week.

Overall super happy with the responsiveness of the DSC team. Hopefully the update shows up before I head to Road Atlanta next weekend so I have a chance to try it out.

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[JBO]

I feel that by the time they ship the production units in December everything will be set up nicely. I am very much looking forward to being able to actually use +R mode on our horrible roads!

 

[goskers]

I will throw my .02 out there as I have provided feedback to DSC after receipt of my module.

First, I have been much happier running the ITS module in my FL5 over the CTR ADS module. Everything was one step, noticeably softer. This has made the majority of my time in the car more enjoyable.

After installing the DSC module, from the ITS module, I was very surprised that the comfort mode was harsh in comparison. I have not reinstalled the CTR module for a back to back comparison. My hopes from the DSC module was a more comfortable comfort mode along with a 'better' sport and +R for track and autocross duty. This was not my first impression.

I contacted DSC and most of the team was at SEMA so some feedback was limited. I pulled a log and provided to them. With the team being back this week, I was asked to pull another log, of which I provided. Everything was said to be performing as expected.

Last, they stated that they were bringing in another FL5 today to put back on the suspension dyno to create another file for me to try. I hope that this pushes things in the direction that I had expected from the product. Support and response has been there so far so I will be patient. I can update this group with what I experience from the next tune.

 

[Rhorn]

I will throw my .02 out there as I have provided feedback to DSC after receipt of my module.

First, I have been much happier running the ITS module in my FL5 over the CTR ADS module. Everything was one step, noticeably softer. This has made the majority of my time in the car more enjoyable.

After installing the DSC module, from the ITS module, I was very surprised that the comfort mode was harsh in comparison. I have not reinstalled the CTR module for a back to back comparison. My hopes from the DSC module was a more comfortable comfort mode along with a 'better' sport and +R for track and autocross duty. This was not my first impression.

I contacted DSC and most of the team was at SEMA so some feedback was limited. I pulled a log and provided to them. With the team being back this week, I was asked to pull another log, of which I provided. Everything was said to be performing as expected.

Last, they stated that they were bringing in another FL5 today to put back on the suspension dyno to create another file for me to try. I hope that this pushes things in the direction that I had expected from the product. Support and response has been there so far so I will be patient. I can update this group with what I experience from the next tune.

So you dont have the ability to adjust the settings yourself? I thought that was the whole point of the DSC Controller.

It sounds like there is just preset modes that you use

 

[goskers]

So you dont have the ability to adjust the settings yourself? I thought that was the whole point of the DSC Controller.

It sounds like there is just preset modes that you use

There are. I have not done all of the homework necessary to speak to the 'how's'. The main field I am aware of was set close to the softest possible. Taking this from 2 to 1 was imperceptible to me.

I did not purchase this in the want to create a full tuning file for myself. I am not providing anything more than my initial impressions. I do hope there are improvements to come and I will update this thread accordingly.

My experience may be unique to others in that I have been on the ITS module primarily.

 

[Hailw00d]

The controller comes with presets for the existing modes but you can also adjust how the shocks act within the different modes around 0-100% stiffness vs g-force, speed, steering, etc, along with traditional bump and rebound overlays.

There may be some baseline calibration of "what is zero" and "what is 100%" that's more fundamental with the actual voltage the shocks are seeing My guess is that's what DSC would be looking at on their dyno.

 

[goskers]

Wanted to give an update to this group. DSC has worked on an updated file and will be continuing to do finalize over the next few weeks.

I am now confident in the product which will be offered out of the box. I am also impressed by the level of support and commitment from DSC on this.

I can't say anything more at this point but where I was once concerned that I made the wrong decision I am now confident that this will be a very good thing.

 

[Bandit_TypeR]

I swapped to the ITS module months ago and I am very happy with that set up. I am sure the DSC module is good upgrade if you're tracking the car.

One thing I will say is I have been riding my motorcycle pretty much all the time and not so much driving the CTR. With that said, I had to take my car out recently and I was reminded how great a drivers car the CTR is. I have the best of both worlds - a real drivers car (one of the last) and a classic Iron 883 Harley to cruise around the beach.

 

[goskers]

I swapped to the ITS module months ago and I am very happy with that set up. I am sure the DSC module is good upgrade if you're tracking the car.

I would largely agree. I was much happier with the ITS module over the
CTR module. I think an improvement is expected for some track uses over the stock modules.

 

[Hailw00d]

tldr: DSC Sport was great on track and I highly recommend it

Quick update from my weekend trip to Road Atlanta.

DSC has been super responsive to my questions and gave me the latest working version of their updated firmware and base tune. I flashed it on Thursday night before driving down from Nashville to Georgia on Friday. The first thing I noted, similar to what goskers said, is that the latest tune is even more comfortable on the street in Comfort mode. This was really nice for my wife and I to drive down, and IMO the Comfort baseline is 'good enough' for road use.

The thing I was most interested in though was the track performance. I used either Sport or +R suspension modes and was really impressed with how well both of them worked. I did most of my laps in Sport because I generally prefer a softer car. The balance of the car was much more neutral at mid-corner and corner exit than when I used the stock module at NCM, Barber, and Mid-O earlier this year. I felt a lot less like I was just always managing front grip at turn-in and could focus on getting on power early and the car just tucked in really nicely.

With +R settings, the car was more responsive, quicker, but also still very useable. A fast lap at Road ATL requires using some curbs, and there are several spots where the track is super bumpy. The shocks were still soft enough that I didn't feel like the car was bouncing too much, so I think I'll be spending more time playing with the stiffer setting.

I didn't wind up doing any tweaking to the baseline settings because they largely allowed me to just drive the car without feeling like it had any habits I wanted to change, so hats off to the DSC folks for a solid baseline. As I go into next season I'll definitely be playing with it some to get the last little bit out of the car.

Overall, I'm incredibly happy with the module for my use case, and feel zero need to change to coilovers anytime soon. I'll keep everyone updated as I keep learning more.

 

[Rhorn]

tldr: DSC Sport was great on track and I highly recommend it

Quick update from my weekend trip to Road Atlanta.

DSC has been super responsive to my questions and gave me the latest working version of their updated firmware and base tune. I flashed it on Thursday night before driving down from Nashville to Georgia on Friday. The first thing I noted, similar to what goskers said, is that the latest tune is even more comfortable on the street in Comfort mode. This was really nice for my wife and I to drive down, and IMO the Comfort baseline is 'good enough' for road use.

The thing I was most interested in though was the track performance. I used either Sport or +R suspension modes and was really impressed with how well both of them worked. I did most of my laps in Sport because I generally prefer a softer car. The balance of the car was much more neutral at mid-corner and corner exit than when I used the stock module at NCM, Barber, and Mid-O earlier this year. I felt a lot less like I was just always managing front grip at turn-in and could focus on getting on power early and the car just tucked in really nicely.

With +R settings, the car was more responsive, quicker, but also still very useable. A fast lap at Road ATL requires using some curbs, and there are several spots where the track is super bumpy. The shocks were still soft enough that I didn't feel like the car was bouncing too much, so I think I'll be spending more time playing with the stiffer setting.

I didn't wind up doing any tweaking to the baseline settings because they largely allowed me to just drive the car without feeling like it had any habits I wanted to change, so hats off to the DSC folks for a solid baseline. As I go into next season I'll definitely be playing with it some to get the last little bit out of the car.

Overall, I'm incredibly happy with the module for my use case, and feel zero need to change to coilovers anytime soon. I'll keep everyone updated as I keep learning more.

Can anyone that knows more about suspension go into detail about what the pros and cons of coilovers vs using the stock setup with the DSC controller?

Like what would the limitations of the stock setup be if you can adjust the damper settings?

 

[Hailw00d]

The biggest advantage with coilovers is being able to run higher/stiffer spring rates, and have whatever front/rear spring stiffness balance you want. You can also adjust things like rake to mess with weight balance. Lowering springs can get some of these things, but coilovers usually use standard spring types so the rates you can get have more options than whatever comes with a lowering spring kit.

The other difference is the shock valving and especially valving matched to the spring rates. Obviously the stock dampers are matching to the stock springs, so if you wanted a much stiffer setup you'd probably be outside the range where they were optimal. Beyond that if you want specific damping behavior and/or levels of adjustability, coilovers will probably give you a wider range.

For my specific purposes which is to go as quick on track with as stock a car as possible, I'm super satisfied with what I've seen so far. I've had KWV3s and driven on MSC 2WR, so I've got at least some baseline of what 'good' shocks feel like - this isn't perfect, but I don't feel like the shocks were limiting me over the weekend. I'll be curious to try some other tracks and see if I feel the same way.

Either way I'll keep everyone updated.

 

[JBO]

The fact you've noticed pleasing improvements in comfort on road and dynamics during spirited driving is very good to hear for someone like me that has paid and is waiting impatiently for mine to arrive!

 

[Hailw00d]

Here's a video of a lap with Sport settings. You can get a sense of the bumps/curbs and how well the car handles them.

 

[TARZAN]

Had some good discussion with the folks at DSC about some questions I had after playing around with the controller I thought I would pass along.

The first is that the current version of the software doesn't show the TypeR as a vehicle option. They said they are working on an update, but to use the Mustang GT/350/500 setting as it has the same 3 modes (Normal, Sport, Track) and should work fine until the update.

The second is that I had asked about +R mode feeling basically the same as stock (too harsh) despite the comfort settings (as I understand them at least) showing that it should be improved. DSC indicated they had received similar feedback and were working on an update that would be emailed directly to folks that had purchased the units sometime in the next week.

Overall super happy with the responsiveness of the DSC team. Hopefully the update shows up before I head to Road Atlanta next weekend so I have a chance to try it out.

Wanted to give an update to this group. DSC has worked on an updated file and will be continuing to do finalize over the next few weeks.

I am now confident in the product which will be offered out of the box. I am also impressed by the level of support and commitment from DSC on this.

I can't say anything more at this point but where I was once concerned that I made the wrong decision I am now confident that this will be a very good thing.

I concur with all of this. I'm local to DSC and my FL5 was the one they used for development. I've been very impressed with their efforts in the development process. I've run 3 files now, each substantially improving on the last. They had possession of my car 3 separate times, keeping it for 2 days most recently. I'll make a more detailed post with my experiences.

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