I want to also add to this thread as I have recently joined another forum that is a non Evo community. These guys trash on FA suspension and say they are absolute garbage etc. I've brought up FA and they seem to not like the product at all. I kind of laugh as you go from one community to another and some of those guys will say Tien are some of the best money can buy, . The top drivers in the "Miata" are competing with Penske shocks, custom built Koni/ Bilstein, Ohlins, Xida. There has been an ongoing discussion about all the same thing as this thread. You really have to laugh, or step back and understand that the top companies in racing and their success trickles down to us over time. Ohlins is an awesome company and any of the Suspension companies will not talk trash about them. In my case I went with FA's because they offered a custom build at a great price and were upgradeable too.

 

Okay ,then my arbitrary hypothetical is 5/10 vs 10/10, so now it's a 50% gain. Even more worth it. 😁
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No hype surrounding Ohlins. They are actually the best riding coilover in that price range. Even with stiff springs, they drive REALLY well. You will love them.
Now that I know FAs service fees equal just about every other brand, I'll also be swapping from my current shock to Ohlins

 

Hello!
Leo here from Maperformance


If you are on a budget, you have a couple options but my favorite is the Fortune Auto 500 series.

If you want a fantastic coilover and don't have a budget to stick to a fantastic coilover is the Ohlins for both street and track use. Super smooth, quality built and they will build a sense of confidence in you and your car when you're at the track you never knew you had. Pm me, I can get you an awesome deal!

Leo

 

That's actually a 100% increase.

Also, 8.5 up to 10 is a 17.6% increase, and a 17.6% increase in performance is 17.6% more than a 15% increase... #maths

 

I appreciate subtle humor. I figured others would too.
😁

 

 

Im running HKS Hipermax GT and they are great. Very comfortable and I can throw the car around. Great bang for the buck.

As far as rebuilds go, the car was previously running JIC Magic FLT-A2's and they were blown. JIC offered to rebuild each one for about $160 each, w/ a possibility of it being more depending on what they found when they took them apart. JIC Magic's go for over $2k new so it may be worth it for some. For me it wasn't, hence the HKS switch.

 

As with many others, my only experience with coilovers is Ohlins R&T. Best I can say is that they work really well for street use. They are a sure-thing for a streetable, high performance coilover.

 

Instead of starting another coilover thread, figured I'd post in a recent one!

Now that the Gen 7 FA500s are released with some of the upgrades I believe that used to be extra, would everyone still reccomend the Ohlins over them? Was also wondering if anyone ran the Feal 441s?

similar to the OP I'm looking for a coilover that is streetable but also, very good on the track (HPDE) Car is not a daily. PSI quoted me $2064 shipped on the Ohlins, not sure if that's assembled though. I haven't quoted the FortuneAutos yet. Just browsing looks like the FA500s are $1400/$1750 with swift or hyperco springs. 510s are $2150 base/$2700 fully upgraded....

 

We have a lot of Ohlins supporters here

I personally have not run the O's but run the FA510's w/Swifts & the radial bearing. They were built per order. If you order the O's you really need to get them from Performance Shock as the spring rates, off the shelf, are backwards (i.e. front rate higher than rear)

BTW, My FA's track / street super nice

 

Performance shock is who quoted me and who I will order them through. Just comparing prices the 510s with swift springs are more exspensive than the Ohlins, so I wonder if they're suppose to be a better damper?

I believe the new 500s come with radial bearings and locking perches. They look like really nice dampers but I know looks don't matter that much.

 

Assembly of the Ohlins is a piece of cake, so don't discount the Ohlins on that account. Besides the shock itself, be sure to compare the Ohlins and FA top hats. The Ohlins have proven to be very reliable, and at least on my car, there has been no need for a radial bearing in the front to deal with spring wind twist due to turning the steering wheel.

 

Would love to see a real world, side by side, Dyno plot between the best that FA has to offer & the best Ohlins has to offer

Even a comparison between the FA510's w/their Digressive valve set up Vs the Ohlins

Im sure the side by side plotting has been done by both Ohlins & FA, but they dont want to get into a mud slinging contest

 

If you want additional comfort and manners on the street = Ohlins.
If you don't mind a slightly less civilized ride = FA will save you some money.
FA performs well on track, so it really comes down to how each does around town, IMO.

 

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