Being from the world of bikes, where ive ridden on quality suspension, ohlins, wp and wilbers, i just wonder if anyone has ohlins race/road suspension on their mx5.
If so i wonder what their impressions were.
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Im a bit of a suspension nut, i miss the ability to adjust and develop suspension settings, to get the best from my vehicle on road and track.
A lot of ND users (and other models) go for Meisterr Zeta CRD, like anything you will get wildly different opinions on them.
Disclosure, I have a brand new set available for sale at 20% off current retail price, advertised in the for sale section here.
I like ohlins too ( fellow biker )
But the Ohlins kit is about twice the price of the go to Meister R setup that is also fully adjustable.
Hi mate, I have ohlins on my NC, awesome bit of kit IF you need aftermarket suspension for your car because of XYZ reason (like road and track use). BC racing do a few set, not sure if GAS do them as well. If you donât need adjustable bilstein or koni are good options.
IMHO wouldnât touch the meisters HSD or Tein⌠(but each to their own)
Thank you George, you know me adjust until i get a magic carpet. tyres suspension and brakes and not vastly expensive either ive been quoted two six fitted.
So having quality suspension on a bike and your mx5, can i expect that same huge leap in handling ability that i get on a bike.
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Thanks Deano, but its about how the machine feels, there is a massive difference between standard shocks on a bike and and quality suspension like ohlins, the âride envelopeâ is so much more effective, and it is amazing to feel so much more in control of the vehicle.
Thanks Ian but not what im looking for, no doubt the recaro has already got decent shocks, im looking for a serious upgrade.
I love twisty mountain roads and i want to make the most of them 
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Imho leave it alone if you ainât gunna track it. Why? Read this if you have time
Change tyres to some Michelin ps5 (people say Kumho 71 something are also good) do a full alignment for a sportier setup and just drive it. Imho If you are driving it only on the road you donât have to change the suspension
The Recaro has Bilstein dampers as standard although unadjustable. You already have Wilwood calipers which normally come with BP20 pads more than enough for the road.
If you have the budget for Ohlins, there are alternatives available which offer longer stroke/travel length for both front and rear. Ohlins for the ND and even the NC, have some of the shortest rear stroke/travel length compared to these alternatives.
I donât have MeisterR on my ND2 but since they have been mentioned in this thread, I thought Iâd use their ClubRace ND coilovers as an example:
- Front Stroke Length: 155mm
- Rear Stroke Length: 175mm
Compared to Ohlins Road & Track ND coilovers:
- Front Stroke Length: 90mm
- Rear Stroke Length: 111mm
Ohlins do have dual valve damping compared to the rest that do not.
Having longer stoke doesnât say everything though as its just one parameter. Stoke, spring stiffness and damping all work together.
From personal experience the height and damping valve settings recommendation from ohlins works great both on track even if the springs are on the stiff side, the car is comfortable on public roads and really good on track. And i donât shake my teeth if i fell in a pothole but i do prefer the tyres at 26.5 psi on road (because of compliance) instead of the normal 28 psi
Regarding MeisterRâs ClubRace GT1 offering, it appears their SDDV technology is similar to Ohlinsâ DFV technology.
I donât have personal experience with Ohlins. When I researched what coilovers to buy for my ND2, Ohlins was one of the options I considered. I opted not to go for them in the end due to common complaints about their lack of rear stroke length.
For what itâs worth, several owners who opted for Ohlinsâ softer spring rate commented about hitting bump stops often on bumpy roads and I canât comment about the stiffer spring rate as it was not an option for me to consider.
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Thats what we like a nice spirited conversation.
Suspension is one of those things that requires the individual to feel and gain feedback, and everyone will have their own opinion.
Im interested in how the vehicle feels during rapid changes of direction, carrying a decent amount of cornering speed, safely on mountain roads or tracks such as the nurburgring, which are challenging.
In addition i would like to have a bit of fun on my commute, which is pretty twisty.
This week ive lost traction on the rear, driving at 30 mph on a roundabout, unacceptable. So an alpine push would leave my nerves shattered, instead of an ear to ear grin.
So in two weeks the ditch finding original tyres are going. Which i feel are half the problem.
Standard unadjustable suspension is like sitting on a stool, ohlins is like a comfy armchair.
Ok this is a modest middleweight z750 With a wilbers rear end and an ohlins front end, set up be myself on the black mountain in wales.
Youâll note that the machine tracks smoothly despite the bumpy old road.
Purely for enjoyment at about 5.00 am on a spring morning. Return about 8pm, quiet roads.
The reasons behind fitting quality suspension.
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For what itâs worth, Iâve tracked an NC wearing Ohlins and Iâve tracked an NC wearing MeisterR.
The difference was imperceptible.
There must be literally many multi thousands of MeisterR shod MX-5s globally.
I have them on my own car.
Thereâs a thing called Veblen Goods which suggests that because something costs more, it must be better and we all know, thatâs not the case.
The Ohlins for NC are roughly twice the price of the MeisterR. I can assure you, theyâre not twice as good.
That having been said, thereâs millions of internet opinions (of which mine is only one) to considerâŚ
Vote with your pocket.
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I would suggest that you should have covered the speedometer or not put this on a public forum.
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Its an eight year old clip malc, and could easily be kilometers.
Ancient history.
Iâll remove it if it offended you.
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No offence here, I am no âsaintâ myself.
What I am pointing out is that you unnecessarily giving the police irrefutable evidence of an offence that could result in you having to face prosecution and possibly losing your licence.
