21401 Hemlock Ave., Lakeville, MN 55044 | Phone: 952-469-4130 / Fax: 952-469-4132 | www.vi-king.com PRODUCT GUIDE Page VIKING PRODUCT OVERVIEW Choosing the Shock / Strut Series 2 Choosing the Shock / Strut Adjustability 2 Shock / Strut Features 3 Shock Series / Sample Dyno Graphs 4 Coil-Over Springs 8 Rod End / Spherical Bearings & Related Products 8 DETERMINING SPRING RATE 9 CUSTOM MOUNT SHOCKS Double Adjustable 12 Triple Adjustable 13 Weld-In Rear Coil-Over Kits 14 STOCK MOUNT SHOCKS Application Guide Notes ***IMPORTANT-MUST READ*** 15 Application Guide 18 Smooth Body Shocks Double Adjustable 68 Triple Adjustable 71 Coil-Over Shocks and Struts Double Adjustable 74 Triple Adjustable 76 MUSTANG II 78 COIL-OVER SPRINGS 79 ACCESSORIES 83 MINIMUM ADVERTISED PRICE (MAP) POLICY 86 TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SALE / DISCLAIMER 87 This document is privileged, confidential and protected from disclosure. Any dissemination, distribution or copying is strictly prohibited. If you have received this document in error, destroy or delete it immediately. PRODUCT OVERVIEW VIKING PERFORMANCE SHOCK / STRUT SERIES Viking currently offers three different shock/strut series as follows: * Warrior™: Valved for vehicles driven on the street, with the ability to tune for handling and drag race track events * Voyager™: Valved for maximized comfort and overall ride quality * Crusader™: Valved specifically for serious competition use only (drag, pro-touring/time attack) CHOOSING A SHOCK SERIES THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU USE OF VEHICLE STREET USE ONLY STREET / COMPETITION USE COMPETITION USE ONLY CRUSADER TM PERFORMANCE COMFORT RIDE DOUBLE ORIENTED ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE MAX VOYAGER TM & COMFORT PERFORMANCE CRUSADER TM DOUBLE TRIPLE ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE WARRIOR TM WARRIOR TM DOUBLE (Xtreme) TRIPLE WARRIOR TM ADJUSTABLE ADJUSTABLE TRIPLE ADJUSTABLE WARRIOR TM TRIPLE ADJUSTABLE VIKING PERFORMANCE SHOCK / STRUT ADJUSTABILITY Viking Warrior™ and Crusader™ shocks and struts are available in either double adjustable or triple adjustable, while Viking Voyager™ shocks and struts are available in double adjustable only. Viking does not make non-adjustable or single adjustable. A non-adjustable shock has fixed valving. There is no way for you to change the valving characteristics without opening up the shock, many of which are not rebuildable anyway. A single adjustable often changes only one side of the equation, which is most often rebound in our market, with the compression being fixed. Or, worse yet, there are single adjustable shocks that simultaneously change both compression and rebound with the turn of a knob, which makes for a snappy marketing tagline but not-so-good results, as that is generally not desired. The only way to truly maximize performance or comfort is through the ability to tune compression and rebound completely independent of one another. There are also positive side benefits of eliminating the non and single adjustable options, such as maximizing stroke length, not to mention the huge benefit of maximizing economies of scale to bring down the production cost allowing us to pass the savings to you through significantly reduced prices. As mentioned above, the Viking double adjustable shocks allow you to independently adjust the softness or firmness of compression and rebound. So, what does the Viking triple adjustable do? The Viking triple adjustable breaks out the compression adjustment into two adjustments - low speed and high speed. The rebound adjustment is exactly the same as the on the double adjustable shock. Why is this break-out of compression into low speed and high speed important or needed? In order to answer that question, it is beneficial to first explain the characteristics of the force curves of shock absorbers. The curves can be shaped as follows: Digressive: Forces ramp up quickly and flatten out as shaft speed increases Linear: Forces increase proportionately with shaft speed Progressive: Forces increase exponentially with shaft speed Regressive: Forces ramp up quickly and eventually decrease with shaft speed On compression valving, the curve is generally either digressive or linear. The curve for compression cannot be progressive as the shaft speeds experienced would cause forces to build too high, causing failure of the shock or some other component. WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov Page 2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW The standard Warrior™ and Crusader™ double adjustables have digressive compression forces as shown in the graph below: As shown in the chart, the compression force is digressive, meaning the forces ramp up quickly and blow off as shaft speed increases. Each turn of the adjustment knob changes the force curve throughout the velocity of the shaft, at low and high speed. Often, these tuning adjustments provide what is necessary for performance or comfort. What if you had the ability to alter the force based on the shaft speed of the shock absorber? Now you could have higher force at 6 inches per second with lower force at 2 inches per second. The force range at low speeds becomes an area rather than fixed lines. For comfort alone, it would be huge to tune this way. For performance, there is a whole new realm of possibilities. Now that we can control the forces seen at low speed, it opens up the ability to increase the max high-speed forces. It is now possible to have a shock with a much larger range of potential compression force without having a negative impact on the forces being generated at lower shaft speeds. For example, a shock that previously had a max force at 6 inches/sec. of 300 lbs. can now have a max force of 800 lbs. The next quesion may be, what level of adjustability (double or triple) is right for me? People often think this can be a difficult question with long, explanatory answers. However, the fact is, the answer is extremely simple. If your budget allows, a triple adjustable is the shock to purchase. Any shock that provides more tuning capability is better period! Now, other companies may steer people away from a triple adjustable due to the significant price tag, mounting considerations due to an added canister, or complexity in tuning. However, these are not issues with the Viking triple adjustable, as the shock is in a single unit that does not require a canister. Further, all of the adjustment knobs have distinct clicks, and the tuning guide provides easy instructions for starting points based on the series and use of the vehicle. Lastly, the Viking triple adjustable price point is unreal and has never been seen before in the market, making the triple adjustable attainable for all! The different series of Viking adjustable shocks come with the following number of adjustments: DOUBLE ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: WARRIORTM CRUSADERTM VOYAGERTM Compression positions (including zero) 19 19 19 Rebound positions (including zero) 19 22 22 TRIPLE ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: WARRIORTM CRUSADERTM REBOUND Compression low-speed positions (incl zero) 22 22 Compression high-speed positions (incl zero) 23 23 LOW SPEED HIGH SPEED Rebound positions (including zero) 19 22 COMPRESSION COMPRESSION VIKING PERFORMANCE SHOCK / STRUT FEATURES * Lightweight aluminum twin-tube design with a sleek clear anodized finish. * Adjustment knobs: Labeled with a “C” for compression and an “R” for rebound with distinctive clicks. The triple adjustable also has a 1/8" hex for high-speed compression adjustment. * Each click on the adjustment works and makes a change. There are no dead clicks. That is why all Viking tuning recommendations are from full soft. Other shock brands often recommend tuning from full tight, as often the first 10+ clicks provide no changes to the valving. * By not offering non-adjustable or single adjustable, Viking is able to maximize stroke for each body length, ensuring you get the most travel out of your shock or strut. * Aluminum, precision machined piston with a deflective disc and a P.T.F.E. / bronze piston seal. * Hard chrome plated, centerless ground piston rod (shocks utilize a 5/8" rod; struts utilize a 7/8" rod). * Three-step sealing system. * All shocks and struts can be rebuilt or revalved by the Viking factory or any authorized rebuilder. CrusaderTM rebound valving range may be easily revalved by the user. * In coil-over shocks, Viking provides bearing mounts as standard, not the less expensive poly mounts. Bearings perform better in supporting the weight of the vehicle and provide for misalignment when needed, thereby relieving unneccesary stress on the piston rod and seals. They are also very durable and don't break down like poly mounts do over time. * In bearing mount shocks, Viking uses stainless steel bearing races, not inexpensive nylon race bearings like some competing brands. * Left hand threads between the base and the body ensures that the shock/strut doesn’t come apart when adjusting the ride height, as can occur with certain other brands. * Viking's double adjustable shocks and struts are priced close to the single adjustable price of most other manufacturers. Viking triple adjustable shocks and struts are priced close to the double adjustable price of most other manufacturers. Viking focuses on independently adjustable compression and rebound shocks and struts only, which means a lower price for you! * Two year materials and workmanship warranty. * Each shock and strut is hand built, tested, and serialized in our Lakeville, Minnesota factory. WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov Page 3 PRODUCT OVERVIEW VIKING PERFORMANCE SHOCK SERIES WITH SAMPLE DYNO CHARTS WARRIOR TM SERIES Warrior TM Double Adjustable: Viking Warrior™ double adjustable shocks have a digressive force curve for both compression and rebound. This means that forces increase quickly at low shaft speeds and level off at higher shaft speeds. This valving provides excellent low speed control with sufficient high speed forces. The large adjustment range allows the user to adjust from comfortable cruising to performance at the track. Warrior TM Triple Adjustable: The Warrior™ triple adjustable is available in two valving options.