Janus00

I can't decide whether it's worth the extra money for a street car to buy Ohlins DFV or HKS Hipermax GT. I don't mind spending the extra cash, but if in the grand scheme of things, I won't need to, then I'd like to save the money.

Orjinal

heh

Few months back I bought Ohlins but after thinking about it a bit it was an overkill for me since my car is a street car that never see's autox or track time so I sold them before using them and bought HKS hipermax gt's. I'm happy.

Mugen_is_best

It's called Ohline Road&Track for a reason

noodels

Even more happier than happy,

Janus00

Could you tell me what you like about the GTs? That's good to know. I take it you never had the Ohlins installed then? Or did you install them and then take them off?

alSpeed2k

I was in a similar situation as you. I ended up with the Ohlins, primarily because at the time, the HKS couldn't be rebuilt in NA; they've since opened an HKS office in the US though. While I've been happy with the Ohlins, I feel I will never use them to it's full potential. If I was in the same situation today, I would probably go with the HKS and spend the difference on something else.

Orjinal

I never installed the ohlins but if you'll search around for their reviews, just about every owner is very happy with the way it performs on the street and on the track.

As for the GT's, I'm happy with them. They do exactly what I need of them to do for my use. Which is have stiffer rates then stock shocks with swift spec-r springs and have the ability to adjust ride height/damping for a street only car that does 3-4k miles a year. The price difference didn't hurt as well.

Orjinal

I never installed the Ohlins but if you'll search around for their reviews, just about every owner is very happy with the way it performs on the street and on the track. You most likely will also be very happy with them if $ is of no concern for you.

As for the GT's, I'm happy with them. They do exactly what I need of them to do for my use. Which is have stiffer rates then stock shocks with swift spec-r springs which I previously had and have the ability to adjust ride height/damping for a street only car that does 3-4k miles a year. The $ saved is funding my new wheels, I'm glad for that too.

SakeBomb Garage

I wouldn't really say the Ohlins are "overkill" for street cars. They're designed for track but fantastic for street use. We've been exclusively using (and selling) Ohlins for over 7 years now and would never go back. When we have customers ask us whether they should get Ohlins or cheaper suspension I always tell them the same thing, do it once and do it right, just save up for the Ohlins even if it puts off the instant gratification of slapping coiloves on the car.

The biggest benefit for street use is the DFV (Dual Flow Valve) which is essentially a ultra-high-speed-compression bypass pathway. When the valve stack is tuned for track use, the suspension is less compliant in general, so you trade off comfort for performance. Hitting a pothole or bump with performance-tuned valving typically results in a sharp force transfer to the chassis as the stiffer shock does not absorb the impact as much as "street valving" would. With the dual flow valve, there is an additional ultra-high-speed bypass valve which allows shock oil to bypass the standard valving when the shaft velocity exceeds a certain threshold (ie hitting a sharp bump or pothole). Essentially, bumps, potholes, and road irregularities are bypass the firmer performance valving, and are ABSORBED instead of transmitted to the chassis, while maintaining performance valving at slower shock velocities. This is pretty cool for performance use as well, as mid-corner bumper which would normally upset the chassis or pop the car off the pavement are actually soaked up!

The DFV's really give you the best of both worlds, and no legitimate downsides, and even have additional benefits for track use like absorbing mid-corner irregularities. Yes they cost more, but it's worth every penny. That's not just coming from me, that's direct from our S2000, Miata, RX7, and Evo customers! We've sold hundreds of sets of Ohlins over the last 5 years we've been working with them and have worked hand in hand with the engineers at Ohlins to spec out some pretty cool setups over the years! Trust what other Ohlins customers are saying... save up and do it right, you won't regret it!



http://www.sakebombgarage.com/ohlins-road-track-dfv-coilovers-s2000/


Here's a set of tuned DFV's we did on our shop car... I can say they're absolutely fantastic on the street, and phenomenal on backroads and for track use. We're just as happy doing laps on the track as driving the car to get lunch for everyone at the shop. It's an honest dual purpose setup, and you really can't say that about much in the car world.

rmerchant3

A happy Ohlins customer here! I think the extra cash was worth the comfort.