So onto an initial review of the Ohlins.
Now I am in the fortunate position to be able to compare both the Birds B3 suspension against the Ohlins on the exact same car.
Firstly I must say that in no way was I not pleased or impressed by the Bird's dynamics and feel when either on the daily commute or A/B road blast. The reason for the switch was simply that the stance (although sat so sweet) was just a little too low for my daily commute due to a few speed humps etc I have to deal with a few times a day. I've scrapped the front splitter and hit the centre section of the Akra so wanted to be able to raise the car up a touch and then alter the damping dynamics if needed.
I have owned plenty of cars with a lot of different suspension setups and tracked a few of them too. Some have been quite harsh for normal use but sublime on track, some have been too soft for both really. Others have been spot on all round.
Now the Bird's B3 is an excellent bit of kit. It's damping dynamics are notably well suited to our roads and the time and effort that has been spent by Kevin Bird and Bilstein/Eibach to get it to where it is, is evident in the way it handles and rides. I was impressed from my first drive right up to the time I removed it lol. There generally isn't any real harshness and it reacts to changing road conditions very well without jarring you from the seat. Throwing it into a corner you can still feel a little roll but not enough that it feels like it's going to lose it's traction/grip.
I generally like a planted, stiffer ride and I'me quite used to it so that maybe influences my opinions.
Then onto the Ohlins R&T's which straight away is a notch up over the B3 setup. I have had a play with the damping and a few clicks harder/softer is noticeable round town driving. The stance as suggested by Ohlins themselves is perfect for me. The height all round is approx. 10mm higher and is enough to make the daily commute more pleasant without detracting from the great stance I had previously with the Bird's kit. As for the damping characteristics, wow. The technology employed by Ohlins is a cut above. It reacts to bumps far better. It compresses and decompresses without fault and with speed so means that although you know you've hit a bump it keeps well composed and inspires confidence. It's comfort levels are far superior too and is more supple. I've tried a few WOT runs to see how she squats under load (as I've read plenty regarding the soft Ohlins springs) but with the damping set to 10 on the rear she doesn't feel soft at all and certainly doesn't squat to the extent that I feel I will be swapping out the springs. She sits flat when under load and pushing into bends the roll is a little reduced too. I need top play with the damping more to find exactly where I feel most at home for daily use and when I hit the track too.
All in all, I'm really glad I made the move. I love the new setup and it will work well with the other mods I am sorting at the mo.
Car goes in next week for the next mod....
Thanks for reading.
Raj