What are the best shock settings for [shocks]?

This depends on a number of things, including:

• the model of your car (FWD, AWD, Eclipse, Galant]
• the springs you are using
• the shocks you are using
• your driving style
• the proportion of "street" use and "race" use
• the type of racing (drag, autox, or others)

Owing to the large variety in desired performance and spring/shock combinations, there are few well-established guidelines as to how to set up the car. Most people agree that DSMs benefit from a somewhat stiffer suspension, especially in the rear, but most shocks have no difficulty providing that. Lowering the car seems to be more important to improved handling.

Drag racers have noticed that a stiff rear suspension seems to promote wheel hop in AWD cars. The same may hold true for stiff front suspensions and FWD cars. On the other hand, dedicated autox racers usually desire the stiffest, lowest, most balanced suspension package available.

Cars which are lowered a great deal demand stiffer suspensions to keep the car off of the bump stops. A setup that is too soft will have the car always bottoming out, leading to an uncharacteristically harsh ride.

Here are some quick searches that will provide other opinions on how to select and/or set shocks:

• Go read the Product Review Pages
• search for opinions on Koni shocks
• search for opinions on GAB shocks
• read Benjamin Sabini's Shocks and Springs FAQ

And, on a related note:

• search for opinions on Eibach springs
• search for opinions on Suspension Techniques springs
• search for opinions on Intrax springs