The Suspension Engineers Handbook

The Suspension Engineer’s Handbook

Black magic to shim stacks

Suspension tuning has long been treated like a dark art — part myth, part guesswork, part copied settings passed from one workshop to the next. The Suspension Engineer’s Handbook is written to change that.

This book takes the reader from first principles through to real-world suspension design, tuning, diagnosis, dyno interpretation, shim-stack development, damping calculations, mid-valve float, piston design, gas pressure, cavitation, rebound control, tyre interaction, and whole-bike balance. Instead of vague rules and workshop folklore, it explains why the bike behaves the way it does, how to calculate what matters, and how to turn rider complaints into disciplined engineering decisions.

Written for tuners, suspension technicians, serious racers, engineers, and advanced riders, this is a practical handbook built to bridge the gap between theory and the workshop bench. It does not just tell you what to change — it shows you how to think.

Inside, you’ll find:

• spring, wheel-rate, and frequency theory explained clearly
• damping force, zeta, and force-at-velocity calculations
• shim-stack design logic and practical valving strategy
• crossover stacks, ring shims, mid-valves, and bleed circuits
• piston design, hydraulic flow paths, cavitation, and oil behaviour
• dyno reading, telemetry interpretation, and trackside development logic
• troubleshooting pathways and real-world setup thinking
• a complete methodology for moving from black magic to engineering

This is not a quick clicker guide. It is a serious suspension reference for people who want to understand the system properly, build better settings, and make decisions with confidence.