Higher end coilover comparision

So im about to pull the trigger on a set of coilovers for my y2k c2. I am leaning toward the ohlin r&t with the tarret monoball upper plates. As luck would have it covid had afforded me a little more budget as my side work is still strong and my spending is down. It looks like the r&t set up will run in the $3600 range and i could probably push to a 5k budget. This puts me into ohlin track series, kw v3 and maybe jrz rs2 set ups. I would like to hit the track for DE days 6-10 times a year and at this point im not a great driver, but im getting better. I guess the question is ..... Is it wise to spend more money for a more race set up or is the extra cost just going toward making the car more "race car". I know the r&t is a good set up but i see others have already switched the springs. Just need more info/help to pick the correct set up. The intenet hasnt really broughht up any good comparisons. Thx.

Ohlins R&T is excellent out of the box. TTX series is WAY more than 5k...

These were the other ohlins i was reffering to. Not sure if they r still made? https://www.ohlinsusa.com/parts/1999...cated-pou-mu10 POU MU10 Dedicated Track

^ those are new! looks like Road and Track's made for stiffer rates

I'm looking at Ohlins R&T as well. I suppose the big question may be if you will be using the car as a street car as well and how important is comfort. Comfort is also very subjective but I'd be curious to experience what those coils ride like turned down to 0-5 vs to something 10+ for track use. Another owner on here ended up using some softer Swift springs - I assume you may be referring to that?

I have R&T on my car, they are really good however I would suggest softer springs as the standard setup is too firm. I would then spend the rest of your budget replacing all the bushings in the suspension, no point spending all that money on high end suspension when your running 22 yr old rubber bushings. That full setup would transform the tightness of the car

Sorry i would add that i have rss front toe and tie rods with gt3 lowers, out back i have rss dogbones, new lower control arms and tarret toe arms. I still need to do the forks when i do the coilovers. Motor and trans mounts r new too. So all the small parts r taken care of, i just dislike the lowered campion springs and bilstiens i currently have.

I think the R&T is really good dual use. Get them and run them for a season or 2, you can go up in rates to 90 N/MM and 140 N/MM without a revalve if you want stiffer, a set of swift springs, IMO the ones to have are about $320. If you want stiffer still, Ohlins will revalve for $320 or $180 if they’re rebuilding. They told me they have a really good setup for 110 N/MM and 150 N/MM that is proven. I am sure the optimized track performance running a stiffer spring will cost civility on the street, I am NOT sure to what degree. ETA... I do not find the stock springs too stiff at all and thought the ride with the dampers dialed to 3/4 soft or so to be really liveable and more compliant that I imagined previously. I run mine a couple clicks from full stuff with the stock springs all the time. The roads by me are hit or miss with regards to bumps so it’s not like I’m driving on perfect roads. Just goes to show, everyone will ha e a different viewpoint and they’re all right. Can you find someone with a set to take you for a rip before you buy ?

@zbomb how much of a PITA is it to adjust the dampening? I'd like to try them out as a local member has them but would like to experience them when really soft and dialed up in stiffness to get a feel for whether I like the ride or not.

I've done ~85,000 km on my R&T and can say they work well on any terrain...it's the rough surfaces where you really see them shine.

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With the rear cage, a pain in the *** to get to the rear. However, there are remote adjusters (I just bought some) that alleviate that issue. The front, the adjuster is at the bottom of the damper, I lie down and swing my arm under, feel around for the **** and count clicks, super easy.

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Have you had the rebuild them yet? The Ohlins site says to rebuild every 18000 km for street use. This fact has kept me from going the Ohlins route.

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their documetation says 60,000km and thats about 38k miles. That might be 10 years for me.

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yes, and based on the new chart it could be I've added a data point (rebuilt by Ohlins USA) Any quality damper needs rebuild service (and I pushed mine out due to 'inquiry' and overall pace of use). Want to avoid it, get a cheap lifetime warranty damper('shock' strut') but know the difference...

I Have about 10,000 miles on my R&T Ohlins. They have been very very good. I also had the bushings replaced and ensured they were all in good shape. Suspension setup transformed the car. I don't think Il'l need an upgrade for a long time even with a few track days a year. More than enough for road and track with the adjustability the have. I think a lot has to do with your geometry setup and how you have them adjusted.

I run my Ohlins at about 5 clicks from full damping on the street and dial them up to 2 clicks from full on track. The ride may be a bit stiff for around town, but my street driving is mostly canyon carving so I prioritize handling over comfort. As Zbomb says, adjusting the front is easy - just lie on your back and feel for the adjuster ****. The adjuster on the rear units is on top so you need to remove the subwoofer if you have one.