ragtophardtop

I've read that Ohlins need rebuilds often, or more often than other shocks. How long do they last compared to, say, OEM suspension, Konis, Bilstein coilovers, or Tein Flex Z? I used to have a miata and a lot of the miata guys warned against Ohlins due to frequent rebuilds, however I couldn't tell if it was from extreme track use or daily driving or how long they actually lasted.

B serious

I would assume that one could get 40-60k street miles out of them before needing a rebuild. Maybe even longer.

They have a LOT more spring rate than the Bilstein...so its not surprising that the Bilsteins can go longer between intervals.

Koni and Tein are both twin tube. Koni just builds a very durable shock. So...Konis will out last everything. Even the stock shocks.

The Tein Flex Z *probably* go between 50-80K between rebuilds. So...not really off pace with the Ohlins. But you don't rebuild Flex Z's. You just order new ones because a whole new set costs less than what a rebuild costs. Tein's twin tube system also typically uses a valving with almost no low speed damping. So...yeah, they'll keep going. And even when they're worn, you may not entirely notice. But...in off the shelf form, I don't think the Flex Z is that great. They get better if you swap to softer springs, in my experience.

The ride quality and driving feel of the Ohlins is better or much better than all the above. So...you'll enjoy the miles more.

ThreeD

IIRC the recommended rebuild interval is like 20k miles.

noodels

[QUOTE=ThreeD;24444228]IIRC the recommended rebuild interval is like 20k miles.[/QUOTE
R&T live longer than any coilovers on the market

B serious

**maintenance interval.

may or may not need a rebuild.

FWIW, Tein recommends a 36k mile maintenance interval. ......for twin tubes.
....

....

Its all overkill. Just use them til they feel like shit. Then figure out if you want to rebuild or sell.

JamesD89

I essentially wasted a grand getting mine rebuilt last year around 30k miles (actually unknown as I was the second owner). Didn't notice a difference in ride quality or handling to be honest. Ohlins USA told me up to 40k miles could be safe depending on usage and climate.

s2000Junky

Buddy club race specs don't seem to get enough respect/credit. So i seem to have become the blow horn advocate for them when opportunity comes up. I've put just over 150k miles on a set I got about 10 years ago, tracked them and put the heaviest recommended 14k spring rates on them for about 1/3that mileage in total. They have really impressed me for a single adjustable coilover, very durable on/off track, consistent and the damping range is superb from very compliant to nearly locked up. The compression/rebound valving through its adjustment range is quite good allowing you to really dial in the handling and bump response you want. Quite versatile dampers with being valved to handling 8k-14k spring rates out of the box without any messing around. Based on the damping range in the upper range, I feel they could handle 16k+ without a wince.

Due to the car being down and seeing the dust boost and a couple bump stops being torn, I decided now was the time for a rebuild, not necessarily because they felt bad. Buddy club USA is great to deal with. They inspected them all, told me one damper had some play in the piston and needed a new bushing, shafts were all fine, not worn, and the rest just needed the basic rebuild service which included seals, nitrogen and fluid recharge/replacement. This service cost $150 per damper. They threw in the bump stops and boot covers and return shipping free of charge, so the total came to $600. Retail on these dampers is around $1700, maybe more these days, not sure. I believe I paid $1220 for them including the optional pillow ball upper top hats 10 years ago through an ebay seller. Like I said just now did my first rebuild after 10/years/150k hard miles. You want the best bang for buck no fuss performing damper, Buddy club race specs all day baby! You want to spend more money, deal with more fuss and frequent rebuilds, go with KW or some other big name dual adjustable.

Car Analogy

Great testimonial. Appreciated.

But are you sure other quality brands kknown for their durability) like kw (or Bilstein, etc) would have required rebuild way sooner in your situation?

s2000Junky

Both of my friends have had the dampers you have mentioned and they are a common choice on the forum so there is a good amount of feedback on these in general. KW is not known for their "durability" in my opinion, in fact they seem to be one of the most fussy to deal with by needing frequent rebuilds 10-15k seems to be common) so any damper that starts weeping fluid in those kinds of service intervals, doesn't qualify as a durable in my book, not after my experience with my dampers. What they do have and why i think they have become popular choices, is they are one of the least expensive for those that feel they need a dual adjustable damper and if you dont mind dealing with the fussiness of frequent rebuilds, and long service lapses, at least service is 'free'?.

Bilstein, specific to the common PSS/PS9 ride very well on the street, they are compliant and well dampened for that duty offering a quality ride for the money spent, they are however under sprung/dampened for track use. I have no direct or second hand experience with their durability/service interval/lifespan and I'm not familiar enough with the track oriented Bilstein dampers for the s2k outside of those street options.

davidc1

That is a great testimonial. When my CR shocks start to wear out I will consider them. I've always been hesitant to switch out of OEM becasue of the rebuild issue.

But which Buddy Club's do you have? They apparently make 4 types:

Sport Spec Buddy Club | Motorsports | BuddyClub USA

Racing Spec Buddy Club | Motorsports | BuddyClub USA

N+ Speck Buddy Club | Motorsports | BuddyClub USA

Evo Spec Buddy Club | Motorsports | BuddyClub USA