OHLINS dfv question
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Joined: Dec 2006
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Have any of you guys personally gone from KWV3s to the Ohlins? If so, feedback? Something I have considered, just thinking it wouldn't be worth while. The application for me is, spirited weekend driver, back roads, mountains, and eventually the track, but more so as an enthusiast to hone my driving than anything serious. Thoughts? Thanks!
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 514
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From: Seneca Falls
I had been waiting until I completed the other two hill-climb events, that I had entered in this season, to write an update, so here it goes.
The first event was at Bible Creek which has an older paved surface that has a 'pebble' like feel to it with some patches and rough cracked areas. No potholes or crumbling edges, but definitely a road not offering the best in terms of grip. I had the car set up as stated previously (Eibach FSB on softer setting, rear sway disconnected, all shocks 4 clicks from full stiff, RE-11 at 40 psi cold) and I was the first car out Sat. morning on a cold wet road. I drove conservatively and beat my first run time from last year where I spun out after the second turn, on a course that wasn't even wet as this year was. The car felt very planted during that first wet run and I easily bettered my time on the next two runs of the morning as the road dried out. By the 3rd run that morning I had already beat my best time from last year by 2 seconds. On Sun. I also had 3 runs and by the last one I had improved my personal best by another 2 seconds! 2:34.267 was my best from last year, which I beat by 4 seconds with a 2:30.182. I was not pushing the car hard by any means, I had seen a car leave on a flat bed with a broken rear hub from an 'off' during its first run that wet Sat. morning, and keeping my S on course and undamaged was the paramount goal in my mind. I'm pretty sure the OHLINS were the main ingredient in my improved times, it actually seemed easy to achieve the better times. There was no drama, very minimal tire noise, never during the event did I feel a loss of control/grip and no vagueness in steering feel.
If my times at Bible Creek seemed 'easy' to achieve with the OHLINS affording drama free performance, Mary Hill, in contrast, made me work much harder to improve my times. The best part was that I learned a lot more about the OHLINS during Mary Hill because I had to push harder to get a better time. Mary Hill (which is a historical road closed to the public) has fresher asphalt and is much smoother than Bible Creek, so in turn the grip is that much better. I had the car set up identically as before and on my first run Sat. afternoon I learned the most from my coil-overs. I was getting a lot of tire noise and had the rear end slide out on two corners. The first time the rear stepped out I was instantly nervous but the oversteer was easily corrected with counter steer. My adrenaline was certainly pumping and when it happened in another corner I again got to feel the controllability. You need to remember I have been driving my S since new with the OEM shocks, I was well aware of the snap over-steer issue, and in my short racing experience knew that I needed to avoid the rear-end getting loose and spinning around. The revelation I had with the OHLINS that weekend at Mary Hill, was that the snap oversteer issue with the OEM suspension was tamed immensely. I found that I could correct the car easily in oversteer situations and it would respond! Feeling this first hand during racing conditions made me really appreciate what the OHLINS had to offer. I would have never discovered this trait on public roads. I like to have fun on mountain/canyon roads but the snap oversteer (which I thankfully never experienced on the street) that I have read so much about with the AP1, kept my risk taking to a safe level. I had three runs on Saturday, my fastest being a 2:26.045 and I did not break my personal best which was a 2:24.623. I did not have my "head in the game" for those runs on Sat. but I certainly had a lot to think about going into Sunday, concerning what I could get out of my suspension. I had four runs on Sunday morning to try and beat my best time, and by my final run, with tires squealing (lowered tire psi to 36 hot), some counter steer and a good line, I did it by 2 seconds! My new personal best was a 2:22.559, and it did not come easy.
I think after this epiphany at Mary Hill my opinion of the OHLINS is definitely positive. I have come a long way since my first impression of them (street comfort) and now I know they were a great upgrade which have made me a better driver on the street and in competition. My settings as of now: 4 clicks from full stiff during competition, 15 from full stiff for street.
The first event was at Bible Creek which has an older paved surface that has a 'pebble' like feel to it with some patches and rough cracked areas. No potholes or crumbling edges, but definitely a road not offering the best in terms of grip. I had the car set up as stated previously (Eibach FSB on softer setting, rear sway disconnected, all shocks 4 clicks from full stiff, RE-11 at 40 psi cold) and I was the first car out Sat. morning on a cold wet road. I drove conservatively and beat my first run time from last year where I spun out after the second turn, on a course that wasn't even wet as this year was. The car felt very planted during that first wet run and I easily bettered my time on the next two runs of the morning as the road dried out. By the 3rd run that morning I had already beat my best time from last year by 2 seconds. On Sun. I also had 3 runs and by the last one I had improved my personal best by another 2 seconds! 2:34.267 was my best from last year, which I beat by 4 seconds with a 2:30.182. I was not pushing the car hard by any means, I had seen a car leave on a flat bed with a broken rear hub from an 'off' during its first run that wet Sat. morning, and keeping my S on course and undamaged was the paramount goal in my mind. I'm pretty sure the OHLINS were the main ingredient in my improved times, it actually seemed easy to achieve the better times. There was no drama, very minimal tire noise, never during the event did I feel a loss of control/grip and no vagueness in steering feel.
If my times at Bible Creek seemed 'easy' to achieve with the OHLINS affording drama free performance, Mary Hill, in contrast, made me work much harder to improve my times. The best part was that I learned a lot more about the OHLINS during Mary Hill because I had to push harder to get a better time. Mary Hill (which is a historical road closed to the public) has fresher asphalt and is much smoother than Bible Creek, so in turn the grip is that much better. I had the car set up identically as before and on my first run Sat. afternoon I learned the most from my coil-overs. I was getting a lot of tire noise and had the rear end slide out on two corners. The first time the rear stepped out I was instantly nervous but the oversteer was easily corrected with counter steer. My adrenaline was certainly pumping and when it happened in another corner I again got to feel the controllability. You need to remember I have been driving my S since new with the OEM shocks, I was well aware of the snap over-steer issue, and in my short racing experience knew that I needed to avoid the rear-end getting loose and spinning around. The revelation I had with the OHLINS that weekend at Mary Hill, was that the snap oversteer issue with the OEM suspension was tamed immensely. I found that I could correct the car easily in oversteer situations and it would respond! Feeling this first hand during racing conditions made me really appreciate what the OHLINS had to offer. I would have never discovered this trait on public roads. I like to have fun on mountain/canyon roads but the snap oversteer (which I thankfully never experienced on the street) that I have read so much about with the AP1, kept my risk taking to a safe level. I had three runs on Saturday, my fastest being a 2:26.045 and I did not break my personal best which was a 2:24.623. I did not have my "head in the game" for those runs on Sat. but I certainly had a lot to think about going into Sunday, concerning what I could get out of my suspension. I had four runs on Sunday morning to try and beat my best time, and by my final run, with tires squealing (lowered tire psi to 36 hot), some counter steer and a good line, I did it by 2 seconds! My new personal best was a 2:22.559, and it did not come easy.
I think after this epiphany at Mary Hill my opinion of the OHLINS is definitely positive. I have come a long way since my first impression of them (street comfort) and now I know they were a great upgrade which have made me a better driver on the street and in competition. My settings as of now: 4 clicks from full stiff during competition, 15 from full stiff for street.
Last edited by saving4one; Dec 4, 2016 at 08:19 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2014
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This might sound like a completely stupid question, but if you run higher spring compression for a while and then go back to ohlins recommended setting, will the springs sag or not work as good as they have been compressed for so long at a higher rate?
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Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 742
Likes: 13
But what i meant was, if the springs have been compressed for a long time, as per people saying 30mm instead of 2mm, if you go back to 2mm after having it set to 30 will the springs not have deformed at all or will they just spring back to normal?
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 10,599
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From: The 604
I had been waiting until I completed the other two hill-climb events, that I had entered in this season, to write an update, so here it goes.
The first event was at Bible Creek which has an older paved surface that has a 'pebble' like feel to it with some patches and rough cracked areas. No potholes or crumbling edges, but definitely a road not offering the best in terms of grip. I had the car set up as stated previously (Eibach FSB on softer setting, rear sway disconnected, all shocks 4 clicks from full stiff, RE-11 at 40 psi cold) and I was the first car out Sat. morning on a cold wet road. I drove conservatively and beat my first run time from last year where I spun out after the second turn, on a course that wasn't even wet as this year was. The car felt very planted during that first wet run and I easily bettered my time on the next two runs of the morning as the road dried out. By the 3rd run that morning I had already beat my best time from last year by 2 seconds. On Sun. I also had 3 runs and by the last one I had improved my personal best by another 2 seconds! 2:34.267 was my best from last year, which I beat by 4 seconds with a 2:30.182. I was not pushing the car hard by any means, I had seen a car leave on a flat bed with a broken rear hub from an 'off' during its first run that wet Sat. morning, and keeping my S on course and undamaged was the paramount goal in my mind. I'm pretty sure the OHLINS were the main ingredient in my improved times, it actually seemed easy to achieve the better times. There was no drama, very minimal tire noise, never during the event did I feel a loss of control/grip and no vagueness in steering feel.
If my times at Bible Creek seemed 'easy' to achieve with the OHLINS affording drama free performance, Mary Hill, in contrast, made me work much harder to improve my times. The best part was that I learned a lot more about the OHLINS during Mary Hill because I had to push harder to get a better time. Mary Hill (which is a historical road closed to the public) has fresher asphalt and is much smoother than Bible Creek, so in turn the grip is that much better. I had the car set up identically as before and on my first run Sat. afternoon I learned the most from my coil-overs. I was getting a lot of tire noise and had the rear end slide out on two corners. The first time the rear stepped out I was instantly nervous but the oversteer was easily corrected with counter steer. My adrenaline was certainly pumping and when it happened in another corner I again got to feel the controllability. You need to remember I have been driving my S since new with the OEM shocks, I was well aware of the snap over-steer issue, and in my short racing experience knew that I needed to avoid the rear-end getting loose and spinning around. The revelation I had with the OHLINS that weekend at Mary Hill, was that the snap oversteer issue with the OEM suspension was tamed immensely. I found that I could correct the car easily in oversteer situations and it would respond! Feeling this first hand during racing conditions made me really appreciate what the OHLINS had to offer. I would have never discovered this trait on public roads. I like to have fun on mountain/canyon roads but the snap oversteer (which I thankfully never experienced on the street) that I have read so much about with the AP1, kept my risk taking to a safe level. I had three runs on Saturday, my fastest being a 2:26.045 and I did not break my personal best which was a 2:24.623. I did not have my "head in the game" for those runs on Sat. but I certainly had a lot to think about going into Sunday, concerning what i could get out of my suspension. I had four runs on Sunday morning to try and beat my best time, and by my final run, with tires squealing (lowered tire psi to 36 hot), some counter steer and a good line, I did it by 2 seconds! My new personal best was a 2:22.559, and it did not come easy.
I think after this epiphany at Mary Hill my opinion of the OHLINS is definitely positive. I have come a long way since my first impression of them (street comfort) and now I know they were a great upgrade which have made me a better driver on the street and in competition. My settings as of now: 4 clicks from full stiff during competition, 15 from full stiff for street.
The first event was at Bible Creek which has an older paved surface that has a 'pebble' like feel to it with some patches and rough cracked areas. No potholes or crumbling edges, but definitely a road not offering the best in terms of grip. I had the car set up as stated previously (Eibach FSB on softer setting, rear sway disconnected, all shocks 4 clicks from full stiff, RE-11 at 40 psi cold) and I was the first car out Sat. morning on a cold wet road. I drove conservatively and beat my first run time from last year where I spun out after the second turn, on a course that wasn't even wet as this year was. The car felt very planted during that first wet run and I easily bettered my time on the next two runs of the morning as the road dried out. By the 3rd run that morning I had already beat my best time from last year by 2 seconds. On Sun. I also had 3 runs and by the last one I had improved my personal best by another 2 seconds! 2:34.267 was my best from last year, which I beat by 4 seconds with a 2:30.182. I was not pushing the car hard by any means, I had seen a car leave on a flat bed with a broken rear hub from an 'off' during its first run that wet Sat. morning, and keeping my S on course and undamaged was the paramount goal in my mind. I'm pretty sure the OHLINS were the main ingredient in my improved times, it actually seemed easy to achieve the better times. There was no drama, very minimal tire noise, never during the event did I feel a loss of control/grip and no vagueness in steering feel.
If my times at Bible Creek seemed 'easy' to achieve with the OHLINS affording drama free performance, Mary Hill, in contrast, made me work much harder to improve my times. The best part was that I learned a lot more about the OHLINS during Mary Hill because I had to push harder to get a better time. Mary Hill (which is a historical road closed to the public) has fresher asphalt and is much smoother than Bible Creek, so in turn the grip is that much better. I had the car set up identically as before and on my first run Sat. afternoon I learned the most from my coil-overs. I was getting a lot of tire noise and had the rear end slide out on two corners. The first time the rear stepped out I was instantly nervous but the oversteer was easily corrected with counter steer. My adrenaline was certainly pumping and when it happened in another corner I again got to feel the controllability. You need to remember I have been driving my S since new with the OEM shocks, I was well aware of the snap over-steer issue, and in my short racing experience knew that I needed to avoid the rear-end getting loose and spinning around. The revelation I had with the OHLINS that weekend at Mary Hill, was that the snap oversteer issue with the OEM suspension was tamed immensely. I found that I could correct the car easily in oversteer situations and it would respond! Feeling this first hand during racing conditions made me really appreciate what the OHLINS had to offer. I would have never discovered this trait on public roads. I like to have fun on mountain/canyon roads but the snap oversteer (which I thankfully never experienced on the street) that I have read so much about with the AP1, kept my risk taking to a safe level. I had three runs on Saturday, my fastest being a 2:26.045 and I did not break my personal best which was a 2:24.623. I did not have my "head in the game" for those runs on Sat. but I certainly had a lot to think about going into Sunday, concerning what i could get out of my suspension. I had four runs on Sunday morning to try and beat my best time, and by my final run, with tires squealing (lowered tire psi to 36 hot), some counter steer and a good line, I did it by 2 seconds! My new personal best was a 2:22.559, and it did not come easy.
I think after this epiphany at Mary Hill my opinion of the OHLINS is definitely positive. I have come a long way since my first impression of them (street comfort) and now I know they were a great upgrade which have made me a better driver on the street and in competition. My settings as of now: 4 clicks from full stiff during competition, 15 from full stiff for street.