Ohlins Road & Track for FRS/BRZ suspension install/review thread

[nikitopo]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

And we may do a custom set of these "new" Ohlins for a local BRZ guy at 5k/5k rates.

The 5k/5k rates seem more down to earth to me .


In general some European manufacturers are trying to increase again the spring rates, but the big question is how to not sacrifice the street performance and comfort. For example, Sachs is testing currently a new technology of springs that will have +1kg f/r (close to 5k). They'll use a technology called SASC (Side Action Spring by Chuhatsu) that distributes better the forces and provides same comfort even with higher spring rates.

On the left a conventional spring design and on the right the SASC spring:




The main issue was that such kind of springs were designed for fixed dampers and they had to test how well works on a height adjustable coilover and in particular on the suspension geometry of the 86/BRZ. It looks that the first tests in Japan were passed successfully and now the prototype is being tested on the road and a race track in Germany.


I think that their performance coilover product will be offered either with the original springs or the new ones. Let's see ...

[Scracho]

Originally Posted by Sleepless

I'm on 450# springs and love it. Mine is a 99% track car but the 450# works fine on our nice roads too. The most impressive thing is how the Ohlin's soak up small high speed bumps.

Installing a set on my new ND Miata this week Love these dampers!

Agreed! The suspension is like a hybrid. Soft and compliant over hard bumps but firm and planted through the twisties

[ajc209]

They have their limits but generally the high speed damping is fantastic if you don't bottom out.

Nice smooth absorption without multiple cycles of ripple.

Complete opposite to my BMW X3 M sport lol

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[JIM THEO]

Just a quick question for old Ohlins owners, how often you rebuild/service your coilovers, Ohlins suggests 30.000kms/3 years but I don't know how real are those numbers, I mean do they need more often due to track use or increased dust or something else?
Not that 30.000kms are quite often but I drive more than 15K per year my BRZ so I'll need every two years service (car on the ramps)!

[remhex]

The latest mp21 comes with heavier springs. I ordered the mp20 kit and had intentions to change springs after winter but was pleasantly surprised that I recieved the mp21 with 5k front and rear. The manual still had preload settings for the 4k/3k setup so I had to play around with preload to get it setup right... It was pretty stinkbug with initial recommended preload. New spring part numbers are 48010-11/50 front and rear.

[JIM THEO]

Originally Posted by remhex

The latest mp21 comes with heavier springs. I ordered the mp20 kit and had intentions to change springs after winter but was pleasantly surprised that I recieved the mp21 with 5k front and rear. The manual still had preload settings for the 4k/3k setup so I had to play around with preload to get it setup right... It was pretty stinkbug with initial recommended preload. New spring part numbers are 48010-11/50 front and rear.

Weird, Ohlins sells it with 4/3Kgs and suggests 5Kgs springs all around, I ordered mine with 4K springs front-rear but I don't thing preload should change for the 4K rears, small difference!
What preload you ended with?

[remhex]

Instructions called for 27mm front, 38mm rear. I left the front alone and ended up at 20mm preload rear.

[remhex]

Those were just settings to make it look right. I'll be playing with settings to make it feel right once some more ice melts off.

[JIM THEO]

Originally Posted by remhex

Instructions called for 27mm front, 38mm rear. I left the front alone and ended up at 20mm preload rear.

Don't know what included instructions called for but Ohlins site mentions clearly 20mm preload front and rear which means 180mm spring length installed, if your preload is higher obviously you decreased suspension travel but I believe you are referring to ride height not preload, right?
What is the distance from center of wheel to the arch front and rear before and after installation, it should have lowered the car 20mm all around, distance from height adjuster to spring preload adjuster 39mm front and 25mm rear not 27mm front and 38mm rear as you say:

"The standard spring preload is 20 mm
from a free length of 200 mm, giving 180 mm
installed length, see fig 5"

https://world.ohlins.com/app/uploads...MI_SUSMP21.pdf

By the way forward incline has as result more weight transfer rear and make the car more oversteering while 20mm lowering all around brings center of gravity closer to roll center reducing weight transfer on corners!

[remhex]

That looks like the manual that SHOULD have come with my coilovers. My instructions were for the lower rate springs. I am measuring preload by snugging the adjustment to the spring then compressing and measuring. It currently has about the same rake as stock, just lower. Thanks for the link, it looks like 2-30mm is adjustment range for preload.

[remhex]

I'll probly end up just about maxing the preload for more bump travel. I don't think increasing preload affects travel unless its cranked to the point of spring bind.

[JIM THEO]

Am I miss something, how max preload increases bump, installed spring length will be less at 170mm so it will be more compressed already.

[remhex]

More preload increases bump travel unless you go too much and bind the coil. Travel isn't limited by spring length unless you tighten the preload too much. The shock will limit travel before the spring does. It increases bump travel by pretty much increasing static ride height so the shock can do more work before bottoming out.

[remhex]

I ended up with 30 mm preload in the rear and went down to 24mm in the front.