ohlins DFV


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johnny_9

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Jan 11, 2009
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Spring rate 12/5 kg/mm

Hear that ride is comfortable, but the there is a a bit more body roll than one would like.

any feedback?

anyone use TEIN Flex (8/5 kg/mm) as well? would like to know your feedback

one is a monotube, the other is a twin tube

DFV has a blow-off valve on compression/rebound giving a digressive curve
 
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what are you wanting to know?

What do you intend to use them for, street / track?

have you tried reading some reviews of them on the internet as there is alot of quality material out there already for these...
 
elchunk said:
what are you wanting to know?

What do you intend to use them for, street / track?

have you tried reading some reviews of them on the internet as there is alot of quality material out there already for these...
Click to expand...

what I asked.
both
yes :thanks:
 
ok guys, it's in (manufacture of) the dampening mechanism (DFV) at that price point, unless you want to 4X more for race dampers (e.g. MOTON).

DFV higher spring rate but "superior dampening technology" = comfortable ride

vs

FLEX - lower spring rate and twin tube = comfortable ride

I have only driven on FLEX, so I need feedback on the DFV, especially on the handling and the rebound compression is extremely digressive (body roll?)
 
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johnny_9 said:
I have only driven on FLEX, so I need feedback on the DFV, especially on the handling and the rebound compression is extremely digressive (body roll?)
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I get the impression that you think the digressive curve is a bad thing?

Maximum roll angle is also dictated by the springs and roll bars, not the dampers. Given what you stated above about the difference between the Flex and DFV, the Flex would have more body roll.
 
i have flex on my eg and i do like the ride but it would be nice if it was a little stiffer
 
Kozy said:
I get the impression that you think the digressive curve is a bad thing?

Maximum roll angle is also dictated by the springs and roll bars, not the dampers. Given what you stated above about the difference between the Flex and DFV, the Flex would have more body roll.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kozy. u got a great post in another thread. I would be interested in more feedback from u.

On the DFV i understand u can only tune the low speed bump/rebound. anyway the feedback about the DFV excessive roll on a 12/5 setup is word of mouth from track dudes.

from what i understand digressive is good for comfort/traction like hitting bumps.

i am looking for more information on comfort levels - 12F kg/mm digressive damping (DFV) vs the softer 8F kg/mm non digressive FLEX

if have read the 14F kg/mm TEIN monoflex has a crashy ride - they have what is called a micro-speed valve - cant really understand how this work from the tein web site, but on the ohlins road & track website it explains DFV
 
Take what I say with a pinch of salt as I have no experience of either, but based on the specs of both setups, I would take the DFV over the FLEX any day. I have suffered with under-sprung, over-damped suspension before and it is bloody terrible on crappy roads. That linear damping curve will be responsible for the crashy ride; in order to get the required low speed force, the high speed force goes through the roof. They'll be good on smooth tracks, possibly better than the DFVs infact, but if the car is driven on the roads then I would take the DFV every time.

The body roll issue might have more to do with the fact that there is a 7kg split between front and rear spring rates. Get that set at 12/10 or maybe even 12/12 and I bet the body roll would be massively reduced. Would most likely require the dampers to be custom valved though, I doubt the adjustment range would cover that much of an increase.
 
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Just a thought - use Ohlins D.F.V. (12/5) with front Roll Center Adjuster and use a Cusco roll bar at the back?
 
You should be able to change the springs rate with DFV, they use a pretty standard ID springs so you can easily get ahold of Eibach ERS springs.

Between Tein and Ohlin DFV, the difference is night an day.
Giving the most damping where it is needed (between 0.05m/s to 0.2m/s) and not providing too much damping where it is not needed (> 0.2m/s) makes a huge difference in the overall dynamic of the car.

Especially if you are driving over uneven road surfaces... for the same high speed rebound, the DFV will be able to provide MORE force on where you needed the most.

As far as damping technology goes, the DFV beat Flex (even the MonoFlex) hand down without a second thought.
Of course, once you factor in the price then it also make sense as DFV is quite a bit more expensive than the Tein.

Springs rate are pretty simple thing to change as all the coilovers are dual perch design, so you just got to make sure you have more spring travel than damper travel, and you don't choose a spring rate so hard that the damper do not provide enough damping force to control the springs.

Hope that helps...
 
MiesterR thanks - simply put. "damping where it is needed (between 0.05m/s to 0.2m/s) and not providing too much damping where it is not needed (> 0.2m/s) makes a huge difference." Thanks. Price difference is a bout 2.4x for Flex

That leads on to S.W.I.F.T springs - what makes them different?
 
Kozy said:
Take what I say with a pinch of salt as I have no experience of either, but based on the specs of both setups, I would take the DFV over the FLEX any day. I have suffered with under-sprung, over-damped suspension before and it is bloody terrible on crappy roads. That linear damping curve will be responsible for the crashy ride; in order to get the required low speed force, the high speed force goes through the roof. They'll be good on smooth tracks, possibly better than the DFVs infact, but if the car is driven on the roads then I would take the DFV every time.

The body roll issue might have more to do with the fact that there is a 7kg split between front and rear spring rates. Get that set at 12/10 or maybe even 12/12 and I bet the body roll would be massively reduced. Would most likely require the dampers to be custom valved though, I doubt the adjustment range would cover that much of an increase.
Click to expand...

This 7kg/mm split between from and rear got me thinking - the Ohlins "superior" low speed damping curve got anything to do with it? or is it the relatively lower high speed damping?

Dudes let's discuss and share views - spring rates, spring rate split and damping curves and how they all come together from a ride and handling perspective.

thanks to KOZY we know that <0.2m/s that the body roll. squat & dive zone; question is on uneven surface what spring rate and digressive damping curves give a relatively comfortable ride. with compromising handling
 
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Was looking at that Penske site; you can customize your shims to tune the curve and their is adjuster to adjust the pre-load on the shims!

BTW anyone know - is Bilstein for the EK9 still available?
 
For around the same price point as OHLINS DFV, what are the options? I know TODA also do custom dampers

Looking for firm handling without a pogo stick ride or any kind of horrible jarring through the car, through small bumps, uneven surfaces, or small potholes
 
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aragosta

A.R.A.G.O.S.T.A.

the damper employs a unique deflective disc valving system for an infinite variation of the damping characteristic which tunes the ride characteristics of any given bike or car, together with the exclusive TCDS device which reduces the effect of temperature.

In compression, the design uses a valving system located op top of the piston in combination with an adjustable valving in the external reservoir, also containing a gas chamber to pressurize the system.

These design features are extremely important for a vehicle's ride characteristics as it is the way the damping characteristic is achieved which determines how well a vehicle rides and handles under real world conditions.

The Aragosta system employs smooth non-preloaded multi-stage valving systems in both rebound and compression, is gas-pressurized for fade-free performance, and is adjustable in both rebound and compression without removing the damping units from the car.

Aragosta shock absorbers offer better traction, superior ride and handling, better bump absorption and an easily adjustable damping system.
 
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From K&W suspension:-

Main rebound adjusting principles:
Low rebound provides a comfortable ride at low speeds, but decreases stability at higher speeds, especially on the front; however, too much rebound may decrease grip.
 
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some more info from another forum:

Shocks are a very personal preference item and what might feel good or smooth for one person isn't necessarily going to feel the same for someone else. Tires are a huge factor as well as butt feel.

I've been lucky enough to drive many different car setups as well as run different setups on my car.

To me a good damper is one that doesn't overshoot on compression and maintains it's composer over bumps without giving up. Some may call this blowing through and I find that twin tubes suffer from this issue. To some this is a good thing because it softens the ride but for me it equates to a loss of traction when at the limit. The damping force lost at that point turns into a drop in weight applied to the tire until the shock recovers.

SRC's were my first set of dampers on my S and I loved the fact that they didn't do this so called blow through. On the street they rode quite nice considering the 16kgmm springs but it was at the track that I had personal issues with them. They didn't have the low speed control I was looking for and when adjusted down on low speed high speed was adversely affected and became far too stiff. Evassive seems to have fixed this with their evasive spec SRC's. It's all about personal feel when it comes to low speed damping and if it feels good then you'd be more inclined to push harder.

My second set of dampers were lowned to me by a very nice guy.
They were KW V3CS, they have the low speed damping that the SRC's lacked for me but didn't have the high speed control I was looking for. They ride a bit firmer than SRC's on smaller bumps but are much smoother on larger bumps so depending on who you talk to these might be a better street damper or better track damper.

My third set of dampers were Bilstein PSS's
To me these have a bit too much low speed bleed which for some this would equate to a smooth ride but for me it's annoying. I'd say they ride a bit smoother than stock 06 suspension but yet have more control than stock in the higher damper speeds. They're slightly over damped on rebound for my liking in the rear but it seems to work ok, some may feel this as a more planted feeling in the rear.

The dampers on the S in some cases are by design better than other aftermarket dampers available.

It's proven that anything can be fast with the right driver so it all comes down to feel.
Your best bet is if you're looking for a track suspension then go to the track and see what people are running and if you're looking for a good street coilover then go to a local meet and go for rides, people are usually very happy to give you rides in their car and just make sure to make note of the tires they're running.
-Mac-
 
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