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Ohlins Coilover Spring Rates

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Old 07-21-11 | 11:15 PM
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Ohlins Coilover Spring Rates

Hi all,

Anyone out there with the Jap Ohlins coilovers?

Just wondering what you guys think of them on the street and track? How do they stack up the stock stuff? How's the ride and handling? Is there much added NVH? Is the 11k/11k spring rate a concern on the street?

Even for the non-Ohlins people, any opinions/thoughts/comments on the spring rate will be appreciated!

I'm thinking of a set, however that spring rate does scare me a bit consider the stock spring rate I believe is 4.8/3.6. And on that note, if anyone knows the OEM spring rate to the FD Bilsteins suspension that would be a handy piece of info.

From a street point of view, I find the stock Bilsteins can be a little harsh at times and it feels like it crashes/jars over potholes suddenly which bothers me. Whether this is a problem with the dampers or the spring rates, I'm not 100% sure.

I don't expect the Ohlins to float over the potholes, but I would expect them to go over pot holes quickly without the sudden quick feeling of it crashing into and out of it.

At the track on the stock Bilsteins I'm leaning everywhere so they're definitely feel way too soft. I think the harder spring rate here will really shine through.

Cheers.
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Old 07-22-11 | 03:42 AM
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Although the spring rates are the same, the damping curves are not. Check out the dyno graph. It's something to think about.

The Ohlis DFV have a very different tuning philosophy than most coilovers, they are tuned for a specific setup. The best example of this I can give is the Golf MKV application. They don't include springs and you are supposed to reuse the OE spring. This is for a racing class like SCCA where the stock class allows you to change the shock but not the spring. It was quite puzzling until a GolfMKV.com member called Ohlins and found out why. Also you'll notice that there are only 14 cars on the list and each of their coilovers are quite customized for each application. It's very different from the typical coilovers that are very generalized and mostly the same for all applications across the board. Your best bet would probably be to call Ohlins and ask what setup is recommended. The alternative is to just have them revalved for custom springs like one member has already done.

The Ohlins PCV for the FD share the same springs, the only difference is they don't have the DFV. The DFV will almost certainly ride nicer. I don't know if that helps.

There is another thread on this page about someone who just installed the DFV. You might want to check that out.
https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/highend-fd-coilovers-whats-good-enough-957486/
Old 07-24-11 | 05:33 AM
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I was in touch briefly with my Ohlins dealer and they don't support any of the Jap Ohlins unfortunately.

Going off the Road & Track by Ohlins site PDF, it looks like a generic blurb for their range of suspension.

The focus has been clear from the very beginning – superior road handling without sacrificing comfort in day-to-day transports. The time of compromises over!
http://www.roadandtrackbyohlins.com/...azda_rx7_1.pdf

Thanks for the help so far, much appreciated.
Old 07-24-11 | 09:51 AM
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Is anyone else seeing ladies underwear advertisements on this page?
Old 07-25-11 | 10:40 PM
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I have them installed on my car but don't remember the spring rates...car is still up on jack stand at the moment.
Old 07-26-11 | 02:41 PM
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As mentioned above, How the spring rate acts depends on how the damper is built... and the only way to know this is to have your individual dampers dyno'd... whether it be dyno'd by the manufacturer or by you. What is your price range? I think you'd be just as happy with a middle of the road coilover like the Tein Flex. I ran these for many years on the street and track on a few different FD's. Spring rates are a little softer at 10kg/8kg. For street, put them a few clicks from full soft and the ride is great. For the track, crank the damper stiffness up.
Old 08-08-11 | 01:31 PM
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thanks
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