Samsonas Motorsport is best known in the motorsport world for producing some of the most reliable, high-performance transmissions on the planet. For decades, their gearboxes have powered rally cars, circuit machines, and championship teams worldwide.
But precision engineering doesn’t stop at drivetrains. Since 2016, the Lithuanian company has also been building its own dampers, determined to bring the same reliability and control that made their transmissions world-class into the field of suspension.
As Martynas Samsonas, CEO of Samsonas Motorsport, recalls, the early years were a learning curve:
“We used to buy parts and knowledge, and then assemble damper kits, but quality was up and down. So, we decided we wanted to start our own damper manufacturing and development.”
By 2022, Samsonas had transformed its entire damper program: new staff, upgraded machinery, and a shift from basic assembly to true engineering. But making dampers is one thing. Proving they work under real conditions is another.
Challenge: When Damper Testing Reached Its Limits
Like many racing manufacturers, Samsonas began with limited testing tools.
“One period was when we didn’t have any dyno, and it was like the dark forest,” Martynas says. “Then we had a rotary dyno. The rotary dyno is okay to check basic things: slow movement, is it working, good or bad, and so on.”
Their LABA7 Scotch-Yoke shock dyno helped with initial validation, but testing was still heavily dependent on real-world runs. Every damper iteration came with considerable costs: track time, drivers, and logistics. Needless to say, this approach meant long delays between ideas and results.
“Proving that they work under real conditions required the right testing tools,” Martynas explains. “That’s where the real shift began.”
Solution: LABA7 EMA in Suspension Development
When LABA7 introduced the Electromagnetic Damper Test System (EMA), Samsonas Motorsport immediately placed its order. Their decision was based on previous hands-on experience with LABA7’s shock dynos and data systems. Trust was built through consistent performance.
“We chose the LABA7 EMA because of the highest quality in the market,” Martynas says. “Also for its functions, high speed, and precision.”
The EMA’s electromagnetic actuator allowed engineers to replicate real road and rally impacts directly in the lab. Everything from high-speed bumps to sharp stone hits.
“With EMA, you can test the real thing. You can get the real data: fast speed, bumps, hits to the stone and sharp edges. You don’t need to go to the track to check all these things. You can do them on the EMA machine.”
The team also equipped their EMA with external temperature and pressure sensors to study how performance evolved in real time.
“We have put external temperature and pressure sensors in both ends of the piston and in the gas pressure tank,” Martynas notes. “With these sensors, you can see changes in time, how performance is decreasing with the temperature rising. So you can do changes already on the dyno.”
That ability to repeat, measure, and refine without leaving the lab completely changed their workflow. LABA7’s close technical support also helped tailor the setup to Samsonas’s needs.
“The team is always here,” Martynas says. “If our engineers need to ask questions or tune the machine, they help us a lot.”
Result: EMA Turned Data Into Progress
The results were immediate: faster development, deeper insight, and substantial cost savings.
“It’s not that expensive when you compare the time,” Martynas says. “You need to rent the track, rent the car, pay engineers. And still you don’t have the result. With EMA, you can do this in the laboratory and save one week of time for one test.”
Testing that once required full rally setups now happens inside the workshop with full data logging and repeatability.
“It saves a lot of time,” he adds. “And time is money. In the racing world, even if you have money, the time [is what] you don’t have. And when you don’t have time, you are late.”
The data has also become more precise and actionable.
“By adding more sensors, Samsonas unlocked a new layer of data,” Martynas says. “We can now see pressure, rebound speed, and force — the small things that make a big difference.”
Today, the LABA7 EMA is one of the hardest-working machines in the Samsonas Motorsport headquarters, running daily in damper validation, quality control, and new product testing.
“I don’t think we would be here with the knowledge that we have. Not without EMA. No chance,” Martynas says. “If you want to develop a damper, like really develop, not just make it work – EMA is the tool.”
And looking ahead, the partnership isn’t slowing down.
“It will be our primary tool for future development, for sure. We will continue using it and learning ourselves,” Martynas says. “Maybe we will need one more machine. New projects are coming.”
LABA7 EMA
Electromagnetic Damper Test System for professional development and validation.
📍 Learn more at https://laba7.com/products/electromagnetic-shock-dyno/