Magneride Suspension | How Does It Work?

MagneRide is an adaptive suspension with a magnetorheological damper system that uses shock absorbers as well as magnetically controlled dampers for a highly adaptive ride. What sets this apart from traditional suspension systems is that it has no mechanical valves or small moving parts that can wear out. The MagneRide System consists of four monotube dampers that are located on each corner of the vehicle. It also consists of a sensor set and ECU to maintain the system. Some features that set this type of suspension apart are as follows:

• Fast Response

• Highly Precis

• Low-Velocity Damping Control

• Ability to "draw" force-velocity curve

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

This system was developed by the Delphi Automotive corporation in 2002 as the 1st generation and is now currently owned by Beijing West Industries with the current application being the 3rd generation. Magnetorheological fluid is a mix of easily magnetized iron particles in a synthetic hydrocarbon oil and this is what the dampers are filled with. In each damper there is a piston that contains two small fluid passages through the piston and two electromagnetic coils. These electromagnets can create a variable magnetic field across the fluid passages. When the magnets are turned off, the fluid can travel through the passages freely. Conversely when the magnets are turned on, the iron particles that are in the fluid can create a fibrous structure through the passages in the same direction of the magnetic field. Stiffer suspension can be cause by the strength of the bonds between the magnetized iron particles which are caused by the effective viscosity of the fluid. By altering the strength of the current it results in an immediate change in force of the piston. So, if the sensors sense any body roll, they communicate the info to the ECU. This ECU will compensate for this by changing the strength of the current to the appropriate dampers.

MAGNERIDE COMPATIBILITY

Magneride is starting to be released on more and more Mustangs as the years go by! The earliest Mustang to adopt this is the Shelby GT350 in 2015, but it wasn’t until 2018 that the EcoBoost and GT models introduced it. Also, the 2019 Bullitt is another specialty Mustang that offers this exceptional add-on. Magneride is definitely the future when it comes to suspension improvements and Ford is doing a great job in implementing this feature into their lineup of Mustangs.

IMPROVEMENTS OVER TIME

Just like with Generation 1, Gen 2 also uses a single electromagnetic coil inside the damper piston. What set Gen 2 apart included uprated bearings and seals to deal with heavier vehicles. The most important upgrade is a smaller, lighter, and more efficient ECU. Gen 3 (current version) came out because of new legislative requirements that called for lead-free ECU’s. This ECU had to be designed from scratch which resulted in 10x more memory as well as 3x the computing capacity as Gen 2.

MagneRide Suspension delivers the best possible driving experience for your Mustang so shop with us today at Latemodel Restoration to see what current technology has to offer!