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Old 09-24-2016, 03:23 AM   #8
PandaBRZ
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Join Date: Jun 2013
Drives: SWP BRZ
Location: Castro Valley, CA
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OK so I'm just going to share some quick thoughts about these coilovers.

First, my goals for the car. My BRZ is my only car so it has to be compliant on the street. I decided on single adjustables just to keep things simple as I'm no suspension guru. I also wanted to get a set of quality coilovers that will last the lifetime of the car.

After considerable debate, I narrowed my choices to Ohlins Road & Track or the Mann Engineering inverted. I chose Mann because they're a local shop and I can get any problems taken care of easily. I was also glad Mann didn't try to upsell me on unnecessary things like upgraded springs, top hats or other suspension bits. I told them my goals and they provided great advice.

Build quality is excellent. They're understated with an all black design, save the blue adjustment knobs. I also like that the rear adjustment knobs sit flush with the carpet, without intruding into the trunk area.

The only problem I had with them was a strange clunking that happened after a long road trip. I pulled the suspension apart to tighten every nut and bolt and the problem went away, though it pops up from time to time. I can't track down exactly what's causing since the clunking rarely manifests.

So how do they ride? On the street, they're excellent. With the fronts set at 4/12 and the rears 3/12, it's a perfect mix of performance and compliance. I wouldn't go any softer except for on long road trips. I love that these only have 12 clicks of adjustment, so each click is noticeably different.

On backroads, these are excellent. The car has zero body roll, even with "soft" 5kg/5kg springs front and rear. The backroads in the Bay Area are really bumpy, and these soak up the bumps without problem. I'll hit the bump stops every now and then on really big bumps (only in the rear), but they seem to have about the same amount of travel as stock.

The Mann inverted coils/AST 5100 really inspire confidence and the car never feels nervous. I'm running conservative tires (225/45/17 square) so your set up may differ. I haven't been on the track with them yet but I should handle light track duty no problem.

The only thing I would change with them is including a dust cover for the struts. It's strange seeing just how much dirt builds up around the shafts but I haven't had any problems with them. If you live in an area with salted roads, it's probably best to request Mann/AST to put a set of dust boots on them.
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