Just a heads up for those considering suspension upgrades. Ohlins is coming :)

So, as I am about to purchase a Cayman S , I've been looking into my options when it comes to suspension, etc. The car seems to ride pretty poorly on the factory suspension, so I will be looking to upgrade. I have Ohlins Road and Track coilovers on my 2012 BMW 135i, and absolutely love them, so they were of course my first thought. I was disappointed to find that Ohlins didn't have a kit available for the 987 though, so I wrote to ask them whether one might be in the works. This is Ohlins ' reply to my information request. "Hey Alan, I can confirm that we will be offering 987 suspension; The engineers are testing a kit now. It will likely be a year out before the production version is available though. We are about to release Cayman suspension for the 981 in May. Thanks! -Jake" Personally, I can wait a year for Ohlins quality. The DFV shocks do an amazing job of soaking up bumps and maintaining quality ride, even with very stiff springs, and are great at maintaining traction through a bumpy corner. That's a must for me, as the roads where I get to do my most enthusiastic driving would never be mistaken for smooth. It's as close to a best of both worlds solution as I have ever seen. They are also very fair with their pricing. A set of Ohlins for a Porsche will not cost any more than a set for a Subaru or VW, provided they are constructed in the same manner. They are of course still not the cheapest option out there, but they offer much better value than some of their competition. The 987 suspension will probably come in around $3,000.

Very interesting. Maybe they will be out by the time I am ready to upgrade my suspension.

I wouldn't hold my breath....I would have thought they would have released a set by now for a car model that's been out for 9-10 years? I think they have some for the 911 though. Bilstein have quite a few options available.... http://www.planet-9.com/987-cayman-...boxster-chat/105359-ohlins-road-track-dfv-coilovers-987-a.html?highlight=ohlins

Well, Ohlins directly stated that a version of the R&T for the 987 chassis is currently in the hands of their engineers. I can't vouch for what happened last time, but I suspect there might have been some wires crossed regarding which chassis was currently in development. They just finished up the design on the 981 chassis product, and I have seen it for sale, albeit as an initial run of three sets for final testing purposes. It's supposed to officially go online in May. Not sure how much crossover there is between the two chassis, but there is a chance they may have gained some insight while doing the work for the 981 that will help with the 987. Ohlins takes their time with their setups, doing months of on-car testing and evaluation, with every system custom valved for the specific vehicle it will be run on. They aren't Fing around. I'm not sure what took them so long to get around to this particular chassis, but when you look at the list of available systems, it's just over 20 total vehicles they have ever built a system for. It may just be that they only build systems for cars that their own employees own for all I know. They are mostly focused on motorsport and bikes, with street cars being something of a side project. I can tell you from experience that their products are exceptional, but I've never owned a PSS9 to compare it with.

I would love to see Ohlins for the 987... Hope this does happen!

I inquired about an Ohlins system for the 987 too. Cross our fingers? We do have a Cayman kit coming, but it's currently only for the 981. I can confirm that we are working on the 986 & 987 though. ETA is likely next year, unfortunately. http://www.roadandtrackbyohlins.com...s.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ohlins_prodnews_201602_Porsche-Cayman_981c.pdf Thanks, -Jake

That would be fantastic. I'm going through the same process right now my my 08 BS. Actually was thinking about Fortune Auto/Muller but they seem to be a bit of an unknown. If Ohlins were available now that would be a game changer, but I'm not sure I want to wait a year. Also thinking about skipping (most of) the lowering aspect and go with a DSC Sport system with B8 Damptronics. Probably PASM springs. A little pricey (particularly since my car does not have PASM right now) but it sounds like a great solution for a primarily street driven car.

I do not think the timing has anything whatsoever to do with careful development on behalf of Ohlins in this case. I rang Ohlins head office about 18 months ago and was told they were working on a 987 R&T kit and it would be out in about six months. It still hasn't appeared. Last I heard the issue wasn't developing a kit, it was doubt whether it would ever be released because the all-round strut design of the 987 makes for quite an expensive solution - ie more expensive than the 911 equivalent. That's true of the 981 as well, obviously. But it may be that they think there's more scope for 981 owners to cough up than owners of older 987 models, so it's quite possible that they may launch a 981 kit but not a 987 kit. Certainly they have prioritised 981 over 987 and I suspect for that very reason - they think 981 owners are more likely to spend the money. It may happen (the 987 kit) but I've been told it's coming soon enough times to be sceptical until it's actually released. I fear it might be quite pricey, too.

Not correct. Different suspension designs in various cars impacts the cost of these kits. On your BMW, the front is a strut coilover, but the rear is separate damper and spring setup that's cheaper to make than the front strut. A Cayman is struts front and rear and will be more costly to make than a BMW 1 Series kit. Ohlins may not necessarily pass that cost on. But if they feel they can't pass it on, it may be a reason not to bother with the kit. As above, the 981 is also struts all round, but maybe they think 981 customers will soak up the costs but are less sure about owners of older 987 cars. We'll see, but I would not assume that the kit is coming based on your info. I was told it was coming a long time ago. It hasn't materialised.

I would have thought that was clear from my post. As long as the construction of the kit is the same, the price will be the same no matter what car it is designed to go on. In other words, a set of replacement shocks for your Pagani(which have Ohlins from the factory) will not cost any more than they would for any other car that has the same shock construction. Also, I don't think they are worried about the cost given the fact that they have already released kits for some very inexpensive cars. One of their most expensive R&T kits is for the BRZ/FRS, because the construction dictates it, while the one for a 996 Carrera costs $300 less because it's easier to manufacture. The point was that they don't have a mark up based on brand, which many companies do when it comes to the more prestigious makes. I've written directly to Ohlins of Sweden asking for clarification on what is going on. We shall see if they answer adequately.

Great dialog all! However I have heard the "we are having it ready in one year, we are working on it", from more than one mfg... I would certainly love to hear what Ohlins states in the clarification... Ohlins are a great value and a great shock, ran them on my Exige... I would love to have the Ohlins on my track car... Cheers!!

I have been considering the Muller coilovers as well. I know people that run Fortune Auto coilovers on other cars and really like them. Their quality appears to be first rate. I also like that they are upgradeable to remote reservoirs down the road.

I would like to renew this topic as its now 2017 and the research that Ohlins was doing on 987 should be complete. I for one would like to purchase a set for my 987.1 2007 CS. I have not contacted Ohlins yet, but will soon as I would like to upgrade this spring. Knowing that stock class in Porsche autocross will go away, I feel this would help me with a couple of other goals, lowering the car, getting better rebound effects that are controllable and set me on the path of tinkering with the suspension tuning. Next would be wheels and tires , but suspension first. Let me know if there is life in this group to pursue pushing this brand to market to 987 customers. Thanks

Just emailed Ohlins asking for 987 update...

FWIW, Their 2017 downloadable PDF catalog on their website lists them as avilable for both the 981 and 987.

WTH??? The online does not... hmmm. Bummer... Had Ohlins on my Lotus great shock for the money.

On page 81, the 987 code (POS MP80) is the same part number as the 981 . I would like to see the research data between these two cars that Ohlins did as far as spring rates and valving. Maybe it really does not matter in the road/track setup. I think the two models are slightly different in weight front and rear and suspension loading.

Hmm. It is a little confusing as to what is going on here. In the case of my previous car, Ohlins never released an "official" kit for the one series. The thing is, the kit designed for the 3 series fit perfectly, because the 1 series and 3 series shared suspensions. So if you looked on their website, you would think they do not make a kit for the 1 series, but technically they do. In any case, I just hope they have a kit out in a couple months when I'm ready to do my install.

Another interesting tidbit. Well, OK, two. If you look at the section that describes the 987 offering in detail, the part number says "TBA." They also state that "springs ordered separately." That may be how they get away with one kit for the 981 & 987. Don't know/not sure, but I hope they do deliver a kit for the 987!

Ohlins makes it pretty easy. The instructions spell out exactly how to get the spring preload correctly set, and with the ride height adjustment separated you could actually corner balance the car without throwing that off at all.

I just called my rep at Ohlins and he said the 981 version is out.... 987 will be available early summer. The owner of Ohlins has a 981 so that kit was developed first I have the DFV's on my street/track FD RX-7 and they work great! For being a 630lb spring rate it is very forgiving and not jarring on the street!

Hmm, I wonder what constitutes "early summer" in their minds? Last time they told me "early 2017". I really want to go with Ohlins , but they need to get a product on the street. Not sure how it is possible to take so long to release this kit, as they have supposedly been working on it for over 2 years now. I wonder if I could get in on one of their early test purchases or something? They did three sets for the 981 as early sales. I'd be willing to do that, as my car is approaching the point where it is dangerous to drive it, and I would like to have it back running well for the summer.

Just got this response from Ohlins usa rep: "We are in the process of testing it. As soon as the roads thaw in Sweden they will finish it up and go to production. I don't have any concrete production ETA's, but I can definitely confirm that it's coming!". Im not holding my breath...

Guess we have to hope for a warm spring in Sweden then. Go global warming go!

Just get the Bilsteins , they are much better than stock, they come with matched springs, and they are actually available instead of waiting for a unicorn

More hype than truth - Nothing new here I read the brochure, looked at their valving design and immediately noticed that their design has no apparent advantage over Bilstein's design. There is only one single adjuster. See below. No separate high speed / low speed adustment. No separate rebound adjustment. Based upon the fluid flow shown in their brochure, it appears that there isn't even a shim stack on the rebound side of the valve; that is a major shortcoming of the design. I know for a fact that Penske dampers use a superior valve design in that in addition to the ports and needle that Ohlins touts, Penske uses a shim stack that can be modified to offer the user fully customizable damping characteristics; including progressive damping, linear damping, and digressive damping curves for either rebound or compression. You can tune one side to be linear and the other side to be digressive or progressive. Fully customizable. Another shortcoming is that the Ohlins set do not include the springs, they must be ordered separately. The Bilstein set includes dual rate springs, for which the shocks have been engineered and valved to work. If you don't order their springs, then the internal valving is most likely not going to be correct for your car. Damper valving MUST be set up based upon spring rate (and other factors as well); i.e. Using dampers valved for 350 Lb/in springs with 450 Lb/in springs will yield unsatisfactory results. All damper valves incorporate dual flow valving. Ohlins' use of the term DFV is nothing but a marketing ploy. Do you think that other dampers use a single flow design? How would the damper move in 2 directions if the oil could not flow in 2 directions?:dance: All damper designs include a controlled (restricted) flow in both directions. Ohlins states that they are using an expandable needle so that when the shock oil gets hot and thins, that your damping will not fade. Sounds like they are using an aluminum needle instead of brass or bronze. Aluminum will erode more rapidly than brass plus it is more prone to cracking or bending than brass. People that have criticized the Bilstein dampers for using a single adjuster will have the same complaint about the Ohlins dampers. The Bilsteins have a larger range of height adjustment than the Ohlins spec sheet shows. Bilteins are rebuildable, plus there are a couple of shops that can install valves with rebound shim stacks that can be tuned and they can add separate external rebound adjustability. GENERAL FEATURES > DFV (Dual Flow Valve) > Rebuildable > Corrosion salt spray tested (ISO 9227)> 2 year limited warranty > Springs ordered seperately > Temperature compensated FRONT FEATURES > McPherson strut > Single bleed adjuster > Spring preload adjuster > Height adjustable (approx. 25 mm lower than standard) > Coil springs > Use with original top mounts REAR FEATURES > McPherson strut > Single bleed adjuster > Spring preload adjuster > Height adjustable (approx. 25 mm lower than standard) > Coil springs > Use with original top mounts

Re: More hype than truth - Nothing new here All Ohlins coilovers come with matched springs. Not sure why they list it as springs ordered seperately, but I can almost guarantee that however that works, it is included in the price of the coilover kit, and they will be matched to the dampers. Also, I have time to wait as the car is currently garaged for the winter, and I happen to know from experience that the Ohlins are worth the wait. What others do is of course their business, but for me, I'm going to give Ohlins every chance to come through, and if they don't I will be going either with JRZ or Bilstein damptronic coilovers and TPC's DSC. The base PSS9s are not even really in the discussion for me at the moment. Be skeptical all you want, but if you haven't driven them, you don't know what makes them desirable. The DFV is most definitely not a marketing ploy. It's a multipath design(not dual direction, obviously) which changes valve function under different circumstances, allowing it to react in a more appropriate manner to differing inputs. Fluid can take several different paths through the shock in either direction, i.e. compression or rebound, but each path the fluids can take has different properties and is opened under differing circumstances. It acts like a more free flowing design when subjected to high speed inputs that don't have the momentum of the car behind them, like small bumps, but stiffens up when subjected to a more substantial fluid movement such as the weight of the car shifting into a corner. This allows it to be supple over small bumps, yet still maintain solid control over the vehicle. It also allows you to run relatively stiff springs without a corresponding ride quality drop. It's similar in some ways to Koni's FSD shocks in function, but does not suffer from the reliability issues associated with that design. As far as it only being single adjustable, that comes down to this being Ohlins street oriented offering, and the nature of the DFV design. This is not a coilover kit aimed at the all-out lap time freak. They make the TTX stuff for that purpose. This is a kit aimed at the performance oriented street driver, but competent enough for occasional track use. Hence ROAD and track. The DFV technology would make dual adjustments complex to accurately manage, because it already has an automatic variability built into the design, so one adjustment keeps things simple. The DFV isn't really as much of an advantage on track where pavement is typically quite smooth, with the exception of making is easier to ride curbs if the track has them and especially deal with washboard warning tracks, but in the real world, it does an amazing job of smoothing things out and keeping you planted on bumpy surfaces. I can tell you from experience in the BMW world, than nobody who ever compared Bilstein PSS9s to Ohlins R&Ts in person ever went with the Bilsteins unless they felt the need to slam their car onto the ground like a moron. You are correct that the Ohlins do not have adjustment range for that, and there is a good reason for it. Lowering the car too much is bad for the performance of the suspension, so they refuse to support it. They know that a car 2 inches off the ground is going to handle like crap in the real world because it will not have the available suspension travel to function correctly without bottoming the car out or rubbing the fenders, so why bother supporting it? They make motorsport performance products, not styling accouterments On the springs, see above. I can virtually guarantee they are in fact included and matched, you may just have a choice of options based on your preference. It's more likely that the wording is just a little clunky due to the language barrier. They didn't go to all the work custom valving them just to leave you hanging on what springs to use. The only two R&T kits that have that wording are the 987 and 981 versions. As far as using inferior grade materials. I highly doubt that. Ohlins attention to materials quality is top notch, as in no BS down to the micron level, so I sincerely doubt they would skimp on something as simple as that. Quite frankly, your unverified assertion that this must be the case comes off as looking for fault to justify an opinion. Pagani uses them exclusively, and they could literally choose any shock in the world for their cars. Bottom line for me, the Ohlins were practically magical on my 135i. They transformed it from a car that was nervous and would lose tire contact with the road far too quickly on bumpy back roads, pushing wide and refusing to response to steering inputs, to one that was absolutely unflappable, even on horrifically lumpy tarmac. I believe they are worth the wait, especially when they are cheaper than the only other options I feel might have a chance of competing with them.

Re: More hype than truth - Nothing new here it'd be interesting to see how they turn out for our cars - good to see that there's a part number and it being in print! hopefully feeshta can get hold of a set soon

Re: More hype than truth - Nothing new here I will definitely do a write up on them if I can get my hands on a set. I don't have a frame of reference outside the normal non-PASM Cayman S suspension for this car, but I would be happy to contribute whatever I learn.

Re: More hype than truth - Nothing new here Just an update. Ohlins is now saying mid May will be the release time for the 987 kit. They also list spring rates with the 987 kit now. View attachment ohlins_prodnews_r&t_Porsche 987 Cayman_Boxster.pdf Here is an excerpt from their reply to my latest inquiry. For all you track guys, they claim the kit won the 2016 Club Racing Series, although I am not sure how to verify that. · Porsche Boxter/Cayman chassi code 987 year model 2005-2012, POZ MR80 A Road & Track kit for the Porsche Boxter/Cayman with Chassie code 987 has been requested for some time. We are happy to announce that this kit has completed the development and test phases and is now ready to be released on the market. This kit did also win the Club Racing Porsche series in 2016. First production is planned to be ready in mid-May, please see the attached Product News.

Re: More hype than truth - Nothing new here Looking pretty good! Hope this happens. Noted in PDF springs are purchased separately and used with original top mounts, I assume then this is not a race style spring?

Some new info from Ohlins . As expected the springs are of course included in the pricing. If you prefer, you can order different spring rates, but they recommend any is included. Ohlins apparently ships them out minus springs, and the regional offices build out the kits before sale to the customer. I have not seen a final price yet, but I expect it will be $2,700. They are expecting to deliver the first batch in mid May, which unfortunately will only consist of 15 sets. I personally have a preorder in through my local vendor to avoid missing out after waiting this long.

Thanks for the update. Do you mind sharing the vendor you used?

They are a local company called Racecomp Engineering near Baltimore MD. I don't believe they do mail order business, but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the info. Installation instructions for 987 are up: https://www.ohlins.com/app/uploads/world/2017/04/MI_POZMR80.pdf Looks like in order to make a truly plug and play installation all that's needed are front and rear top mounts and a couple washers. Does anyone know the P/N for these washers?

suspension shock absorber strut for Porsche Cayman (2006) - Scuderia Car Parts Original Parts shock absorber coil spring for Porsche Cayman (2006) - Scuderia Car Parts Original Parts Part #2 in the front suspension diagram is listed as a cone washer. I'm not 100% thinking it is the correct one though, as it appears smaller than what is shown on the Ohlins diagrams, and does not match up with what you see on the rear suspension, where that part does not exist. Instead, I believe what you actually need is referred to as a "stop plate" in the diagrams. It's Part #6 in the front suspension diagram, and part #5 on the rear. There are several part numbers listed, and they are pretty darn expensive for a washer. The cheapest I found them was $18 each, which means@ $120 just for washers when you include shipping. That's quite a bit of money to save you a few minutes on install day. It might be worth it to reuse the factory washers at that rate, considering they probably don't wear out and it would only take about 30 minutes in total to remove the old ones. Of course, I have access to a wall mounted spring compressor, so it could be more of a task if you don't. I need to take the old suspension apart anyway to discard the blown out dampers, so I will probably just reuse the factory ones. Edit: I sent an email to Jake Thompson from Ohlins USA asking for clarification on part numbers. Also, it seems to me that there might be an issue with the instructions, as I think there should be two "OE cone washers" on both the front and rear fitments. They sandwich the shock mounts top and bottom on both OEM setups, and it seems to me the lock nut would just pull right through the shock mount if there was not washer there to spread out the load.