Dampers in the desert: how R53 Suspension developed a Dakar-optimised damper platform for Century Racing
Flashback to the final day of 2022, and the Dakar Rally is about to begin. Seven R53-equipped Century Racing CR6 cars will take the start of one of the most challenging, unforgiving and infamous rallies. It’s time for the notorious name of Dakar to meet the searing heat of the Saudi Arabian desert for the first time.
R53 supplies dampers for motorsport and road applications all over the world. Of all the places its dampers reach, there is one above all that sparks fear and excitement in equal measure among drivers and suppliers alike.
The Dakar Rally was founded in 1978. The race’s original route from Paris to the Senegalese capital of Dakar pushed vehicles to the limit and provided engineers and drivers with the ultimate challenge of endurance, experience and skill.
Today, the soul of the challenge remains
The 2022/3 edition of the rally saw teams navigate over 4000 kilometres of the Saudi Arabian desert – the equivalent of driving from R53’s factory in Warwick, UK, to the Eastern European city of Baku, Azerbaijan. More than fifty hours were spent racing in just 15 days, more than an entire Formula 1 season.
Brian Baragwanath, Race Engineer and Rally Driver for Century Racing, spoke at length about the relationship between Century Racing and R53 just a few days after the rally’s conclusion. Brian is a rare breed, with a CV that includes being a top-tier rally driver and Century Racing engineer, involved in many processes and decisions the team makes.
« What sets R53 apart is their personal response and presence at rallies, » Brian explains. « They are quick to respond and get developments onto the dyno. Our feedback about vehicle dynamics and performance has always been actioned quickly, which saves time and ultimately leads to more performance. For us to compete against the best factory teams in the world, we have to be relentless with performance and development. »
Century Racing is one of R53’s largest customers. On site in Saudi Arabia, R53 engineers conducted more than 160 damper services to ensure optimal working conditions and reliability throughout the 15 days of competition. For Century Racing, it also served as a cost-saving, as fewer dampers were needed to cover the rally.
Brian Baragwanath, Century Racing : « In the past, we would carry extra dampers and we would have a rotation set, so halfway through we would change the dampers. Also, it’s good to have live feedback from the R53 service team while the dampers are being treated so any issues aren’t replicated. It’s incredibly valuable and adds prestige to our team and performance.
« For us to compete against the best factory teams in the world, we have to be relentless with performance and development. »
During the stage in Ḥa’il, high temperatures led to all car components being pushed to their temperature limits. Despite the extremes that Dakar always throws at its competitors, Century Racing experienced no damper-related issues, a common theme among other manufacturers.
« It’s particularly impressive because the dampers are precisely balanced and pressurised with oil and nitrogen gas, so to handle such extreme temperature swings without bursting a seal and perform optimally is a testament to R53’s engineering, » adds Brian.
« Suspension is the most important component not just from a performance perspective, but also safety. In the unpredictable environment of Dakar, you need a comfortable and stable package. When a driver inevitably hits a compression, the car needs to be able to take that without rolling or damaging the car. »
Damping without the need for anti-roll bars
The Century Racing CR6 and CR6-T are innovative raid racers with a rare characteristic: the vehicles lack anti-roll bars. The low-speed damping provided by the shock absorbers manages the body roll without necessitating an anti-roll bar component. This solution helps with damping while the car is experiencing lateral forces because the wheels can move independently of each other – particularly helpful when traversing desert rocks.
Brian explains the concept: « We often have experienced pilots drive the car and not realise its missing the anti-roll bar. We’ve worked with R53 to perfect this solution with their state-of-the-art dampers and suspension geometry. Wheel movement, wishbone angles and roll centres all have a part to play. We’ve been able to achieve a setup that performs admirably both at high and low speed. »
The ST60 – R53’s off-road suspension platform
R53’s ST60 provides a platform for the next generation of off-road suspension. The multi-adjustable coil over damper is suited to both high and low speeds and is tuned to exert low hysteresis and adjustability.
Furthermore, the wide working range of the damper meant no time-consuming shim changes were required. This means Century Racing could run the entire Dakar and its range of stage requirements without having to dismantle the shocks to reconfigure the setup. Instead, engineers only needed to adjust the external clickers.
Roger Estrada, Founder and Managing Director of R53 Suspension: « Century Racing shares many of our principles when it comes to engineering. Like R53, it strives to be the best and get as close to perfection as possible. It has been a fantastic journey of collaboration with Brian, Julien, and the Century Racing team, and their support has helped us develop a damper with enhanced performance and reliability.
« On behalf of everyone at R53, we would like to congratulate Century Racing on the performance of its cars during the rally. We look forward to many more opportunities to work together in the future. »
So the Dakar is done, but preparation for the next edition is already underway.
2024 awaits…