Ohlins R/T - Choose your own spring rates!

[x.shell]

Thanks to Harold at HP Autosport for this info.

Ohlins is now letting you choose your own spring rates for their Road & Track coilovers. This is great news for those that thought their initial release had odd spring rates.

Here are the spring rates available now.

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Ohlins are now offering F8x M3/4 kits with optional spring rates.

Spring options:
Part # Length I.D. Rate
48010-03 200mm 65mm 30 N/mm // 172 lbs/in // 3 kg/mm
48010-05 200mm 65mm 35 N/mm // 200 lbs/in // 3.5 kg/mm
48010-07 200mm 65mm 40 N/mm // 229 lbs/in // 4 kg/mm
48010-09 200mm 65mm 45 N/mm // 258 lbs/in // 4.6 kg/mm
48010-11 200mm 65mm 50 N/mm // 286 lbs/in // 5 kg/mm
48010-13 200mm 65mm 55 N/mm // 314 lbs/in // 5.6 kg/mm
48010-15 200mm 65mm 60 N/mm // 343 lbs/in // 6.1 kg/mm
48010-19 200mm 65mm 70 N/mm // 400 lbs/in // 7.1 kg/mm
48010-23 200mm 65mm 80 N/mm // 458 lbs/in // 8.2 kg/mm
48010-27 200mm 65mm 90 N/mm // 515 lbs/in // 9.2 kg/mm
48010-31 200mm 65mm 100 N/mm // 572 lbs/in // 10.2 kg/mm
48010-35 200mm 65mm 110 N/mm // 630 lbs/in // 11.2 kg/mm
48010-39 200mm 65mm 120 N/mm // 687 lbs/in // 12.2 kg/mm
48010-43 200mm 65mm 130 N/mm // 744 lbs/in // 13.3 kg/mm
48010-47 200mm 65mm 140 N/mm // 801 lbs/in // 14.3 kg/mm
48010-55 200mm 65mm 160 N/mm // 915 lbs/in // 16.3 kg/mm
48010-63 200mm 65mm 180 N/mm // 1030 lbs/in // 18.4 kg/mm
48010-71 200mm 65mm 200 N/mm // 1144 lbs/in // 20.4 kg/mm

48020-03 230mm 65mm 30 N/mm // 172 lbs/in // 3 kg/mm
48020-07 230mm 65mm 40 N/mm // 229 lbs/in // 4 kg/mm
48020-83 230mm 65mm 230 N/mm // 1316 lbs/in // 23.5 kg/mm

There is also a price drop to boot!

Original thread here: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...277136&page=10

[hwalk]

Thanks Exo, this is great news !!! I'm happy they stopped that stubborn behaviour regarding the rates and offer a broad range of springs.

[HP Autosport]

Fronts only for now.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Fronts only for now.

Boooo. Do they plan on doing the rears?

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Boooo. Do they plan on doing the rears?

Down the road...

[kitesurfer]

Buyer beware here is the next problem....If you decide to have a proper front-rear spring ratio to pair with the crazy 1316# rear spring...... of lets say 800# front...well now that car is going to sit about 1" higher in the front since spring lengths are the same vs. what the OTS kit was offering ...keeping in mind the kit has little height adjustment

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by kitesurfer

Buyer beware here is the next problem....If you decide to have a proper front-rear spring ratio to pair with the crazy 1316# rear spring...... of lets say 800# front...well now that car is going to sit about 1" higher in the front since spring lengths are the same vs. what the OTS kit was offering ...keeping in mind the kit has little height adjustment

Here's to hoping that no one will be crazy enough to go with an 800lb spring for the front.

But yes, you are correct. I didn't even think about how limited the range is on the height adjustment for these coilovers. So yeah, that does suck.

So if you go for a softer spring on the rear (when they eventually release them), then the rear might sit too low. Which in turn could blow the dampers prematurely. Who knows if they'll even warranty that.

I know KW has a certain height range on their coilovers that is within the tolerance of warranty. Go lower than that height and you will be out of warranty. The ironic thing is, their springs are often too short and you can't even raise the height to within their warrantied spec.

This is turning out to be a messier situation than Eibach or Swift.

[kitesurfer]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Here's to hoping that no one will be crazy enough to go with an 800lb spring for the front.

But yes, you are correct. I didn't even think about how limited the range is on the height adjustment for these coilovers. So yeah, that does suck.

So if you go for a softer spring on the rear (when they eventually release them), then the rear might sit too low. Which in turn could blow the dampers prematurely. Who knows if they'll even warranty that.

I know KW has a certain height range on their coilovers that is within the tolerance of warranty. Go lower than that height and you will be out of warranty. The ironic thing is, their springs are often too short and you can't even raise the height to within their warrantied spec.

This is turning out to be a messier situation than Eibach or Swift.

I hear you this seem rather messy and why not address the rear rates first??
IMO you would need 800-1000# front spring in order have a good front to rear spring ratio with the "dump truck" rear spring rate, I know of a dedicated track car that running 950 front and 1250 rear on JRZ's.
I would love to know ohilins "magical valving" can handle a range of 174# to 1144# spring

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by kitesurfer

I hear you this seem rather messy and why not address the rear rates first??
IMO you would need 800-1000# front spring in order have a good front to rear spring ratio with the "dump truck" rear spring rate, I know of a dedicated track car that running 950 front and 1250 rear on JRZ's.
I would love to know ohilins "magical valving" can handle a range of 174# to 1144# spring

I'd like to know the reasoning as well. There are too many people that accept situations based on the "they are professionals, they know what they're doing" reasoning. We all know that even the "professionals" make mistakes.

As far as the 800/1000 rates. No way in hell I'd run those rates for a street coilover.

[hwalk]

It's so frustrating especially as anything could be great without bigger efforts... why is it impossible to admit a little mistake and correct it?... Obviously they fear reputation damage when giving up their stubbornness on that issue...

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by hwalk

It's so frustrating especially as anything could be great without bigger efforts... why is it impossible to admit a little mistake and correct it?... Obviously they fear reputation damage when giving up their stubbornness on that issue...

It's because more than 90% (anecdotal number there) of customers will blindly trust manufacturers even if they may have received a bunk set; just look at KW and the unquestionable support they get on the forums. It's the "they have a shock dyno, they know what they're doing" mentality.

When kits are wrong, it's easy for a manufacturer to quietly update the kit and dilute the negative reviews that actually get posted. Fanboys on forums also do a good job of shouting down dissent and diluting the negative reviews (not just about products, but shops too).

I learned to just keep negative reviews out of the public due to fanboys questioning even objective data points. The internet is a very helpful place if you can sift through all the nonsense.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

Here's to hoping that no one will be crazy enough to go with an 800lb spring for the front.

But yes, you are correct. I didn't even think about how limited the range is on the height adjustment for these coilovers. So yeah, that does suck.

So if you go for a softer spring on the rear (when they eventually release them), then the rear might sit too low. Which in turn could blow the dampers prematurely. Who knows if they'll even warranty that.

I know KW has a certain height range on their coilovers that is within the tolerance of warranty. Go lower than that height and you will be out of warranty. The ironic thing is, their springs are often too short and you can't even raise the height to within their warrantied spec.

This is turning out to be a messier situation than Eibach or Swift.

Why would the rear sit too low when you can extend the rear height adjusters? There is more than 2" of adjustment in the rear.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Why would the rear sit too low when you can extend the rear height adjusters? There is more than 2" of adjustment in the rear.

Yet, on my install, you actually have my rears slightly higher than stock and you said it couldn't go lower????

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

Yet, on my install, you actually have my rears slightly higher than stock and you said it couldn't go lower????

A softer rear spring at the same length will lower the rear a bit more. You can do some ball park calculation on how much more the softer spring will compress vs the current one.

If the perches have limited travel (as these RTs seem to have), then it's really tricky matching the spring rates and lengths to get in the "height range" you want. Ideally, you'd want to choose the spring rates first. Then you'd examine the perch height range, then determine which spring length will get you there. Some times, the available spring might be too short; in which case, you can use a helper spring to keep it in place at full droop. If the available spring is so long that it won't allow the height to be in the "range", then there isn't much you can do other than go with a softer spring.

The Ohlin's spring ID is 65mm. Swift coilover springs offer a bunch of options if you don't want to wait for Ohlin's branded springs.
http://www.swiftsprings.net/products...prings-65.html

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

Yet, on my install, you actually have my rears slightly higher than stock and you said it couldn't go lower????

Yes, the car could go higher, but not lower.

Lower would mean the springs becoming unloaded with the suspension at full droop. Lower rate springs will give more lowering without the springs coming unloaded.

The other way to keep the spring under tension is go with a main and helper setup, which a couple of people have done.

[x.shell]

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Yes, the car could go higher, but not lower.

Lower would mean the springs becoming unloaded with the suspension at full droop. Lower rate springs will give more lowering without the springs coming unloaded.

The other way to keep the spring under tension is go with a main and helper setup, which a couple of people have done.

So according to what you said... There is more than 2 inches of range. But those 2+ inches of range are not useful to lower the car because the spring will become unloaded? Even with the extremely long delay that Ohlins had to figure all this out, they couldn't even get this right? Seriously?

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

So according to what you said... There is more than 2 inches of range. But those 2+ inches of range are not useful to lower the car because the spring will become unloaded? Even with the extremely long delay that Ohlins had to figure all this out, they couldn't even get this right? Seriously?

Ohlins designed the system to slightly lower the center of gravity while retaining as much suspension as possible.

[Maxis]

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Yes, the car could go higher, but not lower.

Lower would mean the springs becoming unloaded with the suspension at full droop. Lower rate springs will give more lowering without the springs coming unloaded.

The other way to keep the spring under tension is go with a main and helper setup, which a couple of people have done.

Originally Posted by HP Autosport

Ohlins designed the system to slightly lower the center of gravity while retaining as much suspension as possible.

:

[4everkidd]

Originally Posted by exo-shell

So according to what you said... There is more than 2 inches of range. But those 2+ inches of range are not useful to lower the car because the spring will become unloaded? Even with the extremely long delay that Ohlins had to figure all this out, they couldn't even get this right? Seriously?

Thanks for the insight; was looking at Ohlins until this thread.

[jim996]

What spring rates should we be speccing for fast road and occasional track use?

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by Maxis

:

Which part is confusing?

If you are looking to get a lowering coilover kit, Ohlins may not be the best choice right out of the box kit. However, it can be made to give you the drop you are looking for by altering spring rates and/or add helper springs.

[HP Autosport]

Originally Posted by jim996

What spring rates should we be speccing for fast road and occasional track use?

Nothing wrong with the springs right out of the box.