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Öhlins Performance MagazineÖhlins Performance Magazin

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Our Motorsport Heritage

Competition improves the breed they say. Wise words, but here at Öhlins, competition created the breed. We are a company that has been clearly focused since day one, with a singular purpose: To win races. From Kenth Öhlins´ first simple design back in 1976, through to the computer designed and tested masterpieces that we now create, every Öhlins unit is designed to give you total control, even on the very edge of the performance envelope. As our engineers say ‘The ground gives better traction than air.’ so every Öhlins design has one clear remit: to keep the car, bike, ATV or snowmobile maximizing traction, cornering speed and control! That is how you win races.

We enjoy a two-way dialogue with all of the teams we support. Kenth Öhlin made a clear decision many years ago, that we would never give any product away free to teams in sponsorship. Not one thing. So, every team that you see winning on Öhlins is doing so through choice, not obligation. The fact that so many teams choose to decline free product to pay for ours perhaps tells you what you need to know about the quality and ability of Öhlins race suspension products.

Over 300 World Titles have been achieved on Öhlins, and many thousands of podiums. Every discipline from Touring cars, through to Indy 500. From the WRC through to World Superbikes. In every instance we work closely with the team’s technical division in a two-way flow of information that allows us both to analyze data and evaluate performance. This is then poured back into the design and creation of new products as well as the continual improvement of existing lines. Winning races has taught us a lot, and these lessons are directly transferred into our aftermarket programmes where the real enthusiasts can benefit from the very best in forks, steering dampers or suspension.

Motorsport means so much to us. We have over 30 employees solely dedicated to high-end racing support and service. This team regularly briefs our designers on their results ‘in the field’ to ensure that every Öhlins customer, whether they’re a Factory Le Mans team – or a single, discerning enthusiast gets the very best performance from their machine.

We test everything – and then we test again. But data can only tell you so much. At Öhlins, it has always been as much about ‘feel’ as it has been about the numbers. If it feels ‘right’ to the driver or rider, then that is even more important than the dry statistics. We’re drivers too, and once you have driven on the product, you’ll feel the difference.

Click here to see the Öhlins Hall of Fame

The Technology

The Features Of DFV Technology

So what is DFV? It is Dual Flow Valve technology – and it sets us apart from our competitors. Only Öhlins has DFV technology on its road and track products.

With DFV, the dual flow valve gives the same characteristics on rebound as it does on compression, thanks the damper fluid having a consistent path of flow in both directions. This means that the wheel and tyre can quickly and effectively resume their important position back on the ground, providing grip and traction. The new Öhlins R&T range uses DFV technology on every single fitment, making it the perfect upgrade for the enthusiast that needs comfort and agility in the one unit.

rt_dfv_fig1_2

Figure 1: (Compression flow) At low shaft speeds, oil flows mostly through the shaft jet bleed (lower dotted arrow). At higher shaft speeds, oil flows mostly through the compression ports in the piston (upper dotted arrow). At very high shaft speeds, or during sudden shaft accelerations, oil can also escape through the compression ports in the DFV, increasing comfort. Figure 2: (Rebound flow) At low shaft speeds, oil flows mostly through the shaft jet bleed (lower dotted arrow). At higher shaft speeds, oil flows mostly through the rebound ports in the piston (upper dotted arrow). At very high shaft speeds, or during sudden shaft accelerations, oil can also escape through the rebound ports in the DFV, maintaining tyre contact with the road.

Because DFV opens more quickly and easily on minor road imperfections, ride comfort is surprisingly supple and more akin to an OEM strut than a coilover set-up. Over undulating surfaces, the compliancy of the R&T units allows the car to crest bumps and pot-holes, whilst still keep stable and in control. Traction is always maintained at its optimum level. When comparing suspension, why settle for second best?

rt_dfv_fig3

Figure 3: (Vehicle – no DFV) Without DFV the oil can not flow through the piston quickly enough on the rebound stroke after hitting a bump, so the tyre is not able to stay in contact with the road.

Fig4: (Vehicle – DFV technique) The DFV valve opens, letting the oil flow quicker through the piston on the rebound stroke after hitting a bump, enabling the tyre to stay in contact with the road.

Figure 4: (Vehicle – DFV technique) The DFV valve opens, letting the oil flow quicker through the piston on the rebound stroke after hitting a bump, enabling the tyre to stay in contact with the road.

When adjusting ride height on coilover units, it’s worth comparing how it’s done. On many inferior designs, height is adjusted by raising or lowering the lower spring platform. This has the effect of compressing or extending the spring, which can limit the suspension travel that may cause topping out. The Öhlins method is to leave the spring seat in its perfect position, whilst the lower flange spins easily on the threaded body, to allow you to adjust with absolute precision whilst maintaining the perfect characteristics that we took so long to design in! Once you’ve set it all up, the adjuster simply locks off to maintain your exact settings.

Dampers will get hot. That’s one thing that you can be sure of. As the piston moves within the damper, it generates friction – and therefore, heat. Although we can’t stop heat, we can deal with it, and this is yet another way that Öhlins differs from the competition. As the heat increases, the viscosity of the damper fluid can change, altering the car’s handling characteristics. Our unique needle bleed valve expands with temperature, closing the gap that the fluid travels through, maintaining a consistent damping rate. The best thing of all? You won’t even notice! All you’ll feel is that the car responds consistently, lap after lap, turn after turn. Allowing you to concentrate on braking points and apexes whilst the Öhlins technology takes care of the damping.

rt_dfv_fig5

Figure 5: Thermal Expansion

These kits all work well ‘out of the box’, but there’s still plenty of adjustment for you to set things your way. You like stiff and reactive? Or soft and forgiving? It’s all there. Too much low speed rebound damping can have an adverse effect on grip, so the easily accessible adjuster at the base of the Öhlins units allows small, but positive increments of fine tuning, so you can take into account every single parameter. Sounds complicated? Nothing could be further for the truth. Just a few clicks either way from our factory settings will soon have your car responding precisely to your inputs and driving style.

Most of the Road & Track McPherson struts also feature camber adjustable upper and lower mounts to give you the possibility to fine tune your wheels for the right occasion – whether you want to go for a ride in your neighborhood or take your car for a spin at the track on a weekend.

The Öhlins Concept

Perfection in performance. That has been the Öhlins way since 1976. We have achieved this through an obsession with detail and quality. Every part of the Öhlins manufacturing process sets new standards for the automotive industry. Whether it’s material choice, design, manufacture or even a small detail like packaging. Only when it is perfect can it leave the factory. Our new R&T range finally puts Öhlins incredibly high standards of research, development and manufacture within the reach of the discerning enthusiast. This range is pure Öhlins, but the good news is – you won’t need a race team budget to afford it!

For us, the relationship with our customers is usually a long and fruitful one. We have supplied many of the top teams in motorsport, but also thousands of genuine enthusiasts. We only manufacture to one quality and every new client is as important as the last. In our view, the relationship doesn’t end with that initial sale. We see our role as providing support and back up thereafter, for as long as our client needs it. That’s way all Öhlins units are fully serviceable and adjustable, making sure that they give faithful and dynamic service for years to come. Our fully trained and approved service centers can make your old Öhlins units perform like new and even make changes in damper characteristics to suit your set-up preferences. Remember that our road and track range was born out of our Motorsport programme, where the impossible has to be made possible, so you can expect the same level of care and attention to detail on the R&T range.

The choice of materials used is one of the key factors behind Öhlins success. Each component is surface treated to ensure reduced friction and superior performance. The piston shaft and damper walls are micro-finished and plateau honed for optimum lubricity and low friction coefficient. This attention to detail is the same across the entire range of Öhlins products. Without this fine surface finishing, excessive friction can reduce the compliancy of the damper causing a loss of function.

Damping rate on the R&T units is fully adjustable and ties compression and rebound together as a matched setting, meaning that in 99% of cases, the units will work superbly, straight ‘out of the box’ with only the smallest adjustments required to suit the car or drivers individual preferences. Despite what other suspension manufacturers may tell you, comfort is king, even when you are trying to set-up a competition machine. Our vast experience on events like the World Rally Championship and Isle of Man TT races has shown us that the fastest drivers and riders are those that aren’t being shaken to bits as they go flat out. The ‘science of compliance’ is a hugely important part of our design work.

And last but not least, is durability. But hey, we’re Swedish, so chances are you have already guessed that we’re used to building components that survive one of the toughest environments in the World. The carbon steels bodies are salt spray tested and can service 240 hours of abuse, whilst still retaining function. Don’t let those stunning race car looks fool you. These are real-world units for daily driven cars.

Product Range
Model Part No Chassi Code Model Year TüV Approved PDF MI
BMW 1M BMZ MN01 E82 2011-2013
BMW 3-series BMS MI00 E90/E92 2005- YES
BMW 3-series (320d) BMS MP00 F30 2012-
BMW 3-series (325i) BMZ MI35 E46 2000-2007
BMW M3 BMS MI30 E46 2001-2006
BMW M3 BMS MI40 E92 2007 -
BMW Z4 (30i) BMS MP50 E89 2009-2012
Honda Civic R HOS MI30 FD2 2007- YES
Honda S2000 HOS MI20 AP1 1999-
Lexus IS250/IS350 LES MI00 1999 -
Lotus Elise/Exige LOV 1-4D00
Mazda Roadster/MX5 MAS MI20 NA / NB 1989-2005
Mazda Roadster/MX5 MAS MI30 NC / EC 2005- YES
Mazda RX-7 MAS MI10 FD3S 1991-2002
Mazda RX-8 MAS MI00 SE3P 2003-
Mini Cooper BMS MI20 R56 2007- YES
Mini Cooper/Cooper S BMS MI10 R50 / R53 2002-2007 YES
Mitsubishi Lancer, EVO VII-IX MIS MI00 CT9A 2001-2007
Mitsubishi Lancer, EVO X MIS MI10 CZ4A 2007 - YES
Nissan GT-R NIZ MI30 R35 2007 - YES
Nissan Fairlady 350Z NIS MI00 Z33 2002-
Nissan Skyline GT-R NIS MI10 BNR34 1999-2002
Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 OPV 1-4E00
Porsche 911 Carrera POS MI20 997 2004-2011 YES
Porsche 911 Carrera POZ MI00 996 1998-2005 YES
Porsche 996 GT3/GT3 RS/GT2 POS MI10 996 1999-2004 YES
Porsche Carrera 4/Carrera 4S/Carrera 4 Cabrio/Carrera 4S Cabrio POZ MN02 996 1999-2005 YES
Porsche Carrera 4/Carrera 4S/Targa 4/Targa 4S/Carrera 4 Cabrio/Carrera 4S Cabrio POZ MN05 997 2006-2011
Porsche GT3 RS POF 5N01/6N01 Club Race 997 2007 - YES
Porsche GT3/GT3 RS/GT3 RS 4.0/GT2/GT2 RS POZ MN04 997 2007-2011
Porsche Turbo/Turbo S/Turbo Cabrio/Turbo S Cabrio POZ MN05 997 2006-2011
Porsche Turbo/Turbo S/Turbo Cabrio/Turbo S Cabrio POZ MN02 996 2001-2005
Subaru Impreza STI Racing SUS MI10 GRB 2007-
Subaru Legacy SUS MI00 BP5 2003-2009
Subaru WRX STI SUS MI10 VAF 2014-
Suzuki Swift Sports SZS MI00 ZC31S 2005- YES
Toyota GT86 / Subaru BRZ SUS MP20 ZC6 / ZN6 2012 -
Volkswagen Golf V GT/GTI VWS MI10 1KAXX 2003-2008
Volkswagen Golf VI GT/GTI VWS MI10 1KCCZ 2009-2012
Volkswagen Golf VII GTI VWS MP20 5G 2012 -
Volkswagen Scirocco VWS MI10 2008 -
Where To Buy
  • Africa

  • Asia

    • China

      • BG-Performance Ltd.
      • Gusto Technik Co
    • Hong Kong

      • Power Motorcycle Specialist
    • Japan

      • Labo Carrozzeria
    • Lebanon

      • Lead Race Engineering
    • Malaysia

      • Trans Techno Enterprise S/B
    • Singapore

      • Sporting Motors
    • Thailand

      • D.S. Performance Product Co Ltd.
    • United Arab Emirates

      • Automotive Design & Development
  • Europe

    • Austria

      • Öhlins DTC
    • Belgium

      • Öhlins DTC
    • Bulgaria

      • BG Motorsport
    • Cyprus

      • RSD
    • Czech Republic

      • Gatrak CZ, a.s.
    • Denmark

      • Gunnar Aaskov Competition Parts
    • Estonia

      • VTR Motors
    • Finland

      • Öhlins Auto Norden
    • France

      • PFP Ohlins France
    • Germany

      • Öhlins DTC
    • Greece

      • RSD
    • Hungaria

      • Duna-Moto Bt
      • Zenith Racing KFT
    • Ireland

      • Murray Motorsport
      • Öhlins DTC
    • Israel

      • Outback Technologies Ltd
    • Italy

      • Andreani Group International s.r.l
    • Latvia

      • Bairons
      • Motofavorits
    • Lithuania

      • Juta UAB
      • Proracing UAB
    • Luxembourg

      • Lambert Performance S.a.r.l.
    • Norway

      • Öhlins Auto Norden
    • Poland

      • FastForward Sp.z o.o.
    • Portugal

      • Maxi Shocks
    • Russia

      • Kajma Racing
      • Öhlins Centre Moscow
    • Slovakia

      • Ferencz FRT
    • Spain

      • Andreani MHS Ibérica SL
    • Sweden

      • Öhlins Auto Norden AB
    • Switzerland

      • Öhlins DTC
    • The Netherlands

      • Öhlins DTC
    • Turkey

      • Avitas A.S.
    • Ukraine

      • Ascania Racing
    • United Kingdom

      • Öhlins DTC
  • North & Central America

    • Canada

      • Chag Autosport
    • USA

      • Öhlins USA Inc.
  • Pacific

    • Australia

      • Steve Cramer Products
    • New Zealand

      • Crown Kiwi Technical
  • South America

    • Argentina

      • Santoro High Performance
    • Brazil

      • MMC – Automotores do Brasil Ltda
    • Chile

      • M-TEC Ltd
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