Using chrono's philosophy, this technique could be applied to the stock MR Bilsteins and a set of lowering springs. Granted, the car couldn't be cornerweighted, but for a STREET car, this could be the ultimate DD solution.

Take MR Bilsteins, replicate ohlins shock dyno curve with custom valving (readily available from bilstein), get lowering springs that drop the car the correct amount, set alignment to where Paul recommends, and go....

You lose the "click it to adjust for tire choice" feature, but if the car is 95-100% a street car, this could essentially be the perfect suspension solution.

The problem I see is the price, the stock bilsteins aren't cheap, the cost to revalve them isn't cheap, and then you still need to find springs. The ohlins would probably still come out cheaper.

Oh well....

 

I've been pretty intrigued by this discussion, good stuff.

cliffnotes:

chronohunter is simply stating that the damping curves are odd for a claimed "road" shock, and the curves look much more akin to a rally unit.

This makes perfect sense when he says their next shock, the 50, has quite different damping curves which he says are more typical of a successful "road" setup.

My observations and understanding:

The 40's curves do appear to have a very shallow curve for low-mid speed damping to allow greater weight transfer from driver input. They then ramp up toward the high speed range to better absorb rough surfaces (to prevent tire bouncing and skipping) and hard hits (to avoid bottoming). Typical road setups don't need this type of curve.

The curves of a more common road shock are typically steeper at the beginning, so the "low speed" driver inputs (ie: steering inputs, accel/braking, and weight transfer) are transferred much quicker and are dampened much quicker, this avoids unstability on a stiff road platform. Very firm springs require stiffer damping rates, or as previously stated, the springs overpower the dampers and you get a very bouncy (springy) ride.

It seems pretty simple to me.

 

You can not judge a dyno curve strictly on the line it makes. That will tell a charactersitic but nothing else. I have yet to post a 50mm TARMAC valving that showes DATA, only curves.

You compare the 40mm to the ohlins RT in some posts, were the pricing is equal, then you say the RT are better than the 50mm and cost way less?

Dude, compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges CHRONO. The RT shocks are compared to the 40mm. Same market, same price, same type of drivers. We go about in two different ways but with similar results. Leave it at that and stop bashing anything that you do not want to endorse or agree with.

The RT is a great shock. The DMS is a great shock. I look forward to doing a personal test between the two with 2 cars and 4 drivers on a multitude of conditions. Not a paper and dyno test, that has been done and debated in about 4 different forums right now that you are deligantly blasting our company for having no low speed. Whatever.

-mark

 

I agree on the Ohlins RT being more of a competitor with the DMS 40's. Which is good company, no doubt.


The Ohlins Flag series on the other hand....thats up there with the big boys too...

 

im sorry, i have young eyes, i didnt notice. i will seperate into paragraphs. my bad.. lol. the whole internet cycle happens yea, but thats why we need to get back on topic and try to move in a line forward, not in a circle of argument.

Now, i only see technical theory in this thread. what im wanting as proof is numbers backing up what mark and paul are saying. i may not get that in a public forum, and thats OK.

Lets at least get this back on-topic. for the car i said earlier: ~2700 lbs, awd, very simmilar suspension design and geometry to an evo.

i want to know what Paul, Robi, Mark and anyone else think is the best and why for an all around, best of all world, balanced suspension. something that wont knock my teeth out and hurt my back (haha thats coming from a young guy...) but still be easy to drive on track or auto-xing or mountain roads. i will be focusing on the suspension of this car, so its not just going to be -buy a coilover and throw it on and be done with it. by easy to drive i mean: crisp turn in, good roadholding with no push or oversteer tendancy's, and good overall drivability.

so far, i wish i could afford 50MM's but thats out of my price range. what do you guys think? thanks a bunch
Ryan

 

find some used 50's...