A discussion on improving ride quality

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by donoman

$6K is way too much to call a solution for a street driven $25K car. I just purchased suspension from a 2015 Series.Blue based on forum feedback. I will report back on my findings.

$6k is $6k, regardless of platform.

Until you experience it yourself, you don't understand the sheer magnitude of this upgrade. It's akin to spending $6k to go forced induction on the car. It's that dramatic.

But, with that attitude, if you're gonna spend $6k on forced induction, shouldn't you just have bought a higher horsepower car to begin with?

I can 100% absolutely guarantee you that a FRS/BRZ with a JRZ setup properly dialed in will run CIRCLES around a Porsche/Vette in terms of handling.

[Trettiosjuan]

I bought a $6k MTB instead, people that don't ride will never understand that either...

[abraxis]

Originally Posted by ajc209

I like the ohlins R&T. Rides mightly well considering 6k front and back rates. Ride is not far off stock comfort.

Well that's not good. Guess I can cross the Ohlins off my list if the ride is worse than stock.

[EAGLE5]

Will it run circles around a Porsche or Vette with it's own 6k aftermarket suspension?

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

Will it run circles around a Porsche or Vette with it's own 6k aftermarket suspension?

Totally depends on the driver. At the 3 Porsche track days I've been to most Porsche owners aren't there to give their car a thrashing.

[chaoskaze]

Not to be too far off topic, I heard the Subaru tS Rear subframe upper stopper actually reduce the road noise & compliant the ride better.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by jsimon7777

Will it run circles around a Porsche or Vette with it's own 6k aftermarket suspension?

Nope

[Buurz]

Originally Posted by abraxis

Well that's not good. Guess I can cross the Ohlins off my list if the ride is worse than stock.

Jumping to conclusions here are we? He said slightly off, which most likely would mean worse and not better. However different people perceive things in different ways.

I have the Öhlins on mine, and 7 clicks from full stiff is really really stiff. Full stiff is even firmer. But I haven't even gone full soft. I went to 10 clicks away and it was too soft for my taste, again it is based off of perception.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[EAGLE5]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Nope

So like I said, start with better bones if you're going to drop 5k plus on suspension. Well, that's my preference at least. Not really aiming this at you, Mike. Just quoting you.

[abraxis]

Originally Posted by Buurz

Jumping to conclusions here are we?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

No, I can read.

Unless any of you Ohlins users can attest to improved ride quality over stock, then I'm not interested. Simple. Not one of you have so I don't know what sort of spin about perceptions you are on about when you agree ride quality IS worse than stock. The stock ride is the stock ride and ride quality is either better or worse.



Maybe you should reread the OP.

[donoman]

The problem with $6k is that there are kits around 1000, 2000, 3000 that are implied not able to do the job.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but there are just 5 parameters:
-spring rate
-hi speed rebound
-low speed rebound
-hi speed compression
-low speed compression

Are the $6k kits adjustable out of the range of the $2k kits ??

[dp1]

Originally Posted by abraxis

No, I can read.

Unless any of you Ohlins users can attest to improved ride quality over stock, then I'm not interested. Simple. Not one of you have so I don't know what sort of spin about perceptions you are on about when you agree ride quality IS worse than stock. The stock ride is the stock ride and ride quality is either better or worse.



Maybe you should reread the OP.

Ohlins R&T at -14 to -18 clicks from hard leans less and rides a little better than stock on the street. Never tried stock dampers on track but Ohlins at -8 to -12 on track devours curbing like it's not there (not literally but you know what I mean). The faster you go, the less you notice road imperfections. There is something magical about how Ohlins work on track, in my experience. I changed springs from 345lb f/r to 380f/425r, and valving to match, to help with rotation. My skill level - 5yrs of avg 6+ track days per year, most with Lotus Elise, only 2014 with modded FRS, just got into NASA Intermediate 2 in 2014, getting more comfortable rotating the car with throttle and sometimes brakes, and threshold braking. Price was just over $3k.

Bilstein B16 at full soft rides noticeably better than stock on the street IMO, especially highway (NY, not perfect surface). Progressive springs and valving work very well for the street. They will bottom out on harsh bumps, nothing extreme. Didn't try them on ax/track but would recommend them as dual duty for primarily street driven car. Price was just over $2k. No experience with them but B14 are likely very good as is (no damping/rebound adjustability) at $1k and many have tried and liked B6/B8.

[KoolBRZ]

Originally Posted by donoman

The problem with $6k is that there are kits around 1000, 2000, 3000 that are implied not able to do the job.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but there are just 5 parameters:
-spring rate
-hi speed rebound
-low speed rebound
-hi speed compression
-low speed compression

Are the $6k kits adjustable out of the range of the $2k kits ??

Yes they are.

There are 2 other parameters affecting ride quality that suspension is often blamed for. The anti-sway bars affect the spring rate , causing excessive rebound at low speeds. The tire/wheels affect handling, small bumps, cornering, low, and high-speed compression.

The best performance and the best ride are 2 different things, and are best achieved with 2 different setups, 1 for track, and 1 for street. The 6k setups have enough adjustability to cover street and track. That's why they are so expensive, they are 2 shocks in one, but they won't compensate for a bad tire/wheel setup.

You can get a better handling ride on both track and street by lightening the tire/wheel combo. The stock package is rather heavy. As much as 10 Lbs can be removed per corner with light-weight wheels and tires.

For street use you can get a good ride with stock shocks, mild lowering springs, and light-weight 16" wheels with higher profile, (50 or 55 series) tires.

For track use you're going to have to spend more. You can get good handling with light-weight 18" or 19" wheels with lower profile, (40 or 35 series) tires, and 2k adjustable coilovers lowered at least 1.5". Stiffer anti-sway bars are also recommended for track use, but can easily over-power the struts dampening and could toss the car right off the track. That's why 1k struts aren't recommended.

With 6k coilovers that can be used on both street and track, you can get a good street ride with a softer spring preload and dampening, lighter 16" wheels and taller tires, and stock anti-sway bars. You can get great handling for track use with the same coilovers by lowering the springs and tightening the preload, increasing the compression and rebound damping, switching to taller/lighter wheels with wider/lower profile tires, and installing stiffer anti-sway bars.

[donoman]

Good Ohlins review here:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48679

Kool BRZ I don't entirely believe you that the $6K shocks are 2-in-1. Reason being is that you are keeping the same springs for both street and track.

I've had very good results with Ohlins on my motorcycles. I would be willing to give them a try for $3K. One thing is for sure I will not be slapping on a cheap untested coilover Kit from ground control. Last time I bought from them the spring rates were not correct and I was bottoming out everywhere. I ended up having to buy another set of springs, replace and install the new ones. It ended up riding well but what a pain in the ass.