Longterm Update: In the end I went back to my Ohlins after my experimentation with the SACHS. The Sachs added several pounds per corner and I never found any advantage. I had our Ohlins revalved for 13kg front and 8kg rear springs and I prefer them to the SACHS for street, track, and autocross.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
Advice on locknuts for the shock shaft when doing Ohlins shock installation. Brian advises you to buy a separate lock washer and nut but you don't need to do this.
The rear Ohlins DFV will take a 5mm hex wrench to hold the shock shaft stationary while you wrench down the locknut included with the Ohlins. You just unscrew the adjuster knob from the top of the shaft (using the flats on the lower section of the adjuster) and this exposes the hex pattern in the top of the shock shaft.
The front Ohlins shock shaft is a little different. After you take off the adjuster knob, there is a circlip inside the shaft that blocks access to the hex pattern inside the shock shaft, so the hex wrench won't work. However, Ohlins has cut a slot across the top of the shaft, so you can just use a large slot screwdriver to hold the shaft stationary while you wrench down the locknut supplied.
Both of these locknuts used an integral spring clip as the locking device, so they didn't take a lot of force to turn on the shock shaft.
Note: I bought the Ohlins DFV shocks from Brian for an 09 Touring (fits years 06-11). I don't know about shocks for other year Miatas which may be different.
I have my Ohlins set for about 345mm from center of wheel to (rolled) fender lip. This is about 1" to 1.5" lower than stock. On the street I have set my Ohlins at full stiff minus 12 clicks for a comfortable ride with slight underdamping. For autox using the race wheels and tires, I am experimenting but have run full stiff minus 3 clicks, but found more speed at minus 2 clicks. Find the shock dyno charts in these forums for the Ohlins and you can see the first 3 clicks down from full stiff make big changes, the next 3 clicks smaller changes, and smaller changes further down from that. After about 12 clicks there is very little change in shock damping at all. I'm still experimenting with my autox setup and probably will be for a long time! But I am very happy with the Ohlins for both street and autox.
Hi Brian,
Just installed the Ohlins I had sent out to Oz a month or so back.
Quick question on the rear lower shock mount.
This shows, from the upright, the std washer, another washer,the bushing spacer, shock lower mount ,std washer with flats then the bolt.
This setup results in a quite small engagement of the shock onto the upright.
Have you considered, or is there available a bushing spacer that would insert from the bolt end?
Or am I overthinking the whole thing?
Rob Young
Black 2005 NCLE GWR Exh, Cosworth, Mototune, Ohlins, PF01