Racetwin2

Lots of threads on lowering....

I have been considering Ohlins Road & Track coilovers for some time. Then thought about Eibach springs and now again it's back to Ohlin's.

I want to be able to fine tune ride height as H&R and Eibachs might take it to low for my road in and out of the neighbourhood.

Does anyone have any experience with the Ohlins? Especially for normal road use? Can spring force and damping be adjusted close to stock or is it very harsh also in softer setting? I drive also on track few times per year but on very much amateur level.

German888

No experience with Ohlins but I did recently install BC Racing BR Series coil overs. Thrilled with ride quality. On softer settings they are easily equal to stock in harshness with much more control through the stroke. Set to mid level there is still no harshness and the handling is far beyond stock with noticeably less body roll. Haven't tested the harder settings yet and may not bother. I was given settings from BC which are just a tad stiffer than mid level and near perfect.

Note: My stock shocks had blown out the bump stops so they were obviously not performing up to spec.

scorcherjf

Recently switched from Bilstein damptronics to Ohlins R&T and it's quite an improvement. Having a separate preload and height adjustment is definitely something you want (which was lacking with the Bilsteins). With that, you're able to adjust ride height without adversely affecting the stroke of the damper. I found with the Bilsteins, when you lower the car (i.e. lower the lower spring perch), you lose quite a bit of damper stroke which increases the chance of hitting the bump stops. The only downside with the Ohlins is the lack of PASM, which isn't really a loss to me since I find a setting I like on the street, and for the track I just make a few adjustments according to conditions. Despite using higher spring rates, the Ohlins feel better damped, less bouncy, and most importantly, less "crashy". The ride will definitely be firmer than OEM with both setups, even in in the softest settings so if this will be a mainly street setup, you could opt for going with a softer spring pairing. I actually went the opposite way and increased the front spring rate with swift springs.

German888

Agreed on separate pre/load and ride height. Main reason I would never consider springs on stock shocks.

kisik

Ohlins have very good reputation and excellent quality. Reasonably priced too thanks to exchange rates. My buddy just replaced GT3 PASM to Ohlins and enjoyed them a lot. Track only pretty much for him.

Racetwin2

Thanks for responses. Yes I like Ohlins and ever since riding motorcycles some years ago it was one of the best. Also I'm originally from Sweden so I have always had a soft spot for Ohlins

My concern is the roads where I work today (Poland). Motorways are in extremely good shape but all smaller roads are terrible. You cannot possibly run on PASM except the motorways. So if I go for coilovers I have to go for an intermediate setting for daily driving. Today I use PASM a lot on the motorways and well paved roads. Simply because with PASM deactivated the whole car sways and has too much body movement for spirited driving.

Let's see - I will do some more thinking.

voiceprint1

with the R&T package, would you have to dial in caster and camber differently or would they run at stock levels?

peterhorten

I am just about to install the Ohlins here in Europe. Thank you scorcherjf, I perfectly understand what you mean with your helpful description if you say "less bouncy and crashy". But what does it mean when you say the ride is despite firmer than OEM. I always thought that firm shocks go hand in hand with this "bouncy and crashy" feeling. What about manhole covers or cracks in the street? I drive mine on the track, despite this I use it for 80% on regular streets.

Thank you

scorcherjf

Hey peterhorten. I think you'll enjoy the Ohlins as long as they are installed correctly with the proper preload, etc.

When I said that the Ohlins were less "crashy", I meant that compared to the Bilstein damptronics. Both Ohlins and Bilsteins will be firmer than OEM as they have higher spring rates and are linear, rather than progressive like the OEM springs. That's where the increase in firmness and harshness will mainly come from. The shock will act as a controller to those firmer springs, and from my experience, the Ohlins are much better at controlling this than the Bilsteins are. When you hit a bump or a pothole in the road, it will be a small jolt to the suspension and ideally, the shock should allow the fluid to move quickly enough to not amplify the effect of the bump, while still being able to control the movement of the wheel after the bump. With the Bilsteins, I felt like they weren't up to the task especially with larger bumps - the shocks didn't allow quick enough transfer under either settings (normal or sport in PASM) and contributed to a harsher jolt over bumps/potholes, or what some refer to as "fake spring".

That said, the Ohlins will definitely feel firmer and less comfortable than the OEM setup - that's just what happens when you double your spring rates. However, the shocks are very well made and can control the higher spring rates with aplomb, making for a firmer ride, but not jarring. It will come down to your personal preference in the end whether the compromise is worth the payoff. But like you with 80% street driving and 20% track, I feel like its definitely worth it.

Marshal_Mercer

I, also, come from a motorcycle background, so I understand your comment about Ohlins. My own preference is Penske. They offer adjustable high- and low-speed compression damping, rebound damping, ride-height, a broad range of spring tensions, and spring tension pre-load. They also offer remote-from-the-shock adjustments.

Even with all of that set correctly though, I believe that the General Motors' magnetorheological shock is superior in every way.

I don't recall seeing anything about them outside Corvette and Ferrari circles. Anyone have experience with this with Porsche -- beyond engine mounts, that is?

josserman

My experience with ohlins is with my s2000 race car, so can't comment on street driving. I started w the ohlins r&t and then went to custom penskes. All experience is w R6 or R7's. On track they are just OK, and left me yearning for more. Best example, at Lime Rock, entering the left hander, once releasing the brake before getting back on throttle management the car would snap up. This was causing me close to a 10th! W the Penskes the car stayed very stable.

Of course for a street car, I'd say they are perfect, but just be careful if you plan to do more track driving, you may want to consider a higher end shock.

DC911S

I liked the Penske triple adjustable shocks for my street and race bikes. Plus you can send them back to Penske for rebuilds or revalving too. Do they make shocks for 911? Ive not checked.

stoked_on_spool

I just purchased a set of Ohlins R&T from Tarett Engineering 2 days ago and awaiting the package...

I'll check back here after I install them on Tuesday! =)

josserman

I use ANZE for my penskes, they are the best! You can work with Andrew Wikstrom to do on track testing and setup w data, video, and right seat.

scorcherjf

Penske's are amazing, no doubt about that, but we're talking a whole different price level let alone totally custom to your needs. Think 3-4 times the price of the Ohlins R&T. To get comparable Ohlins dampers you'll have to move to the motorsports TTX line.

If you're street driving your car with a few track days a year, it would be a waste to get a fully custom Penske setup that you have to have serviced much more frequently imo...