nitron vs ohlins

[aztec1382]

which should i buy just be straight to the point

[Prolene]

Others might be able to answer you better if they knew what type of driving to which your Elise will be put. Sorry, as for me, I know nothing about the specific differences.

[CrashTestDummy]

I'd buy the Penske's from Blackwatch racing but that is just me. They will be SCCA legal and from my expereince on them so far, an exceptional ride.

[aztec1382]

went to blackwatch and no info on the penskes

[keith86a]

ohlins all the way!
http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-200...port-Exige.htm

[Robert Puertas]

Double adjustable remote reservoir Penskes are $3500.
We have done extensive testing, and can provide valving tailored to your goals for the car.

These will be the lightest shocks you can get for the Elise, with over a 1 lbs. savings per corner over the stock Bilsteins.
And unlike the other options, they are made right here in the USA.

Call me if you have any questions.

[Modern Wedgie]

Maybe this will help you decide between Nitrons and Ohlins:

http://www.sector111.com/images/prod...comparison.pdf

[Stan]

On the weights...note that remote reservoir weights are not unsprung weight. It may make sense to separate the weights as in shock unit / reservoir unit. The Ohlins are quite light.

Ultimately this stuff is just hardware. All of these fancy shocks can be valved to your needs. All of them can be adjusted (or misadusted!). A large part of getting the most out of fancy shocks is that the tuner (not always the seller) is competent and that the shock settings are fine tuned on the car.

From what I have experienced or heard, the Ohlins, Nitrons, Penskes, etc can be set to ride more compliantly than stock. That is a very nice plus. And it's not like when you dial 'em down the handling vanishes.

Also, note that the Bilsteins can be cheaply revalved to specs too. And that the new Lotus tuned Bilstein track pack will soon be here and doubtless is well set to help our car do it's thing. That should be priced out and included for consideration in the chart.

[shinoo]

Originally Posted by Stan

And that the new Lotus tuned Bilstein track pack will soon be here and doubtless is well set to help our car do it's thing. That should be priced out and included for consideration in the chart.

Definately. Once an Exige with these bits has been delivered and we get a chance to evaluate it. This reference chart is a work in progress. We'll continue to add info to it as needed...

[ronin]

You might want to check the Nitron Shocks site. Nitron Shocks.co.uk/

I think it speeks for it's self

[Modern Wedgie]

The remote reservoir allows you to adjust compression. The primary reason for a remote reservoir is space...there is not enough space for 3 chambers (two fluid and one compressed air) within the shock body.

If Lotus does not have a remote reservoir in the rear, then the compression and rebound are not independently adjustable.

[jamie]

I have had to just make this choice. Nitrons in the UK have sold well due to their competitive price. They have also seen a lot of development work with race teams running Elises and Exiges. Ohlins is a larger company with greater resources to throw at development plus all the work Lotus has done with them.
Its a hard thing to measure you cant just put it on a dyno and get a result and of course horses for courses.

I have gone for a GT-spec Ohlins setup with 46mm dampers cant wait

[banzai]

For what it's worth, I made a point of asking the LCU guys at the recent Dragon trip what they recommended for street and some track use, regardless of price, and all that I spoke to said Ohlins.

I haven't made my final decision, but I place high value on their opinion, which has me now leaning towards the Ohlins.

[Mark A]

Originally Posted by Modern Wedgie

The remote reservoir allows you to adjust compression. The primary reason for a remote reservoir is space...there is not enough space for 3 chambers (two fluid and one compressed air) within the shock body.

If Lotus does not have a remote reservoir in the rear, then the compression and rebound are not independently adjustable.

That's not correct.

It's perfectly possible to have 2 way adjustable dampers without a remote reservoir.

[Patricko]

Originally Posted by Mark A

That's not correct.

It's perfectly possible to have 2 way adjustable dampers without a remote reservoir.

Will those fit on an Elise? It looks like they are way too big...

[Modern Wedgie]

While it is possible to have a 2/4 way adjustable on the shock body, it is very difficult on our car. It significantly limits piston travel! It is not a very streetable solution. These type of shocks are typically used on race cars, and typically come with a race car price.

[mevistox5]

Originally Posted by jamie

I have had to just make this choice. Nitrons in the UK have sold well due to their competitive price. They have also seen a lot of development work with race teams running Elises and Exiges. Ohlins is a larger company with greater resources to throw at development plus all the work Lotus has done with them.
Its a hard thing to measure you cant just put it on a dyno and get a result and of course horses for courses.

I have gone for a GT-spec Ohlins setup with 46mm dampers cant wait

As I will be using my Exige 80% street and 20% I opted for Nitron (Single adjustable). Just can't live with the extra reservoir in the not so spacey boot as 4 week roundtrips are in the plan....

[Stan]

Originally Posted by mevistox5

As I will be using my Exige 80% street and 20% I opted for Nitron (Single adjustable). Just can't live with the extra reservoir in the not so spacey boot as 4 week roundtrips are in the plan....

There are a number of places the remote reservoirs can live. Mine live on the lower a-arm cross braces with the knobs facing rearward. So...your trunk can remain reservoir-free!

[CrashTestDummy]

the KONI's will not have an application for the Elise, esp a SCCA legal one

[LastToy]

Originally Posted by jamie

I have had to just make this choice. Nitrons in the UK have sold well due to their competitive price. They have also seen a lot of development work with race teams running Elises and Exiges. Ohlins is a larger company with greater resources to throw at development plus all the work Lotus has done with them.
Its a hard thing to measure you cant just put it on a dyno and get a result and of course horses for courses.

I have gone for a GT-spec Ohlins setup with 46mm dampers cant wait

I too am interested in this setup. I asked Plans Motorsport about their kit and this is the response I got...


Thanks for your enquiry

The dampers for the Exige S2, including the 240R are 36mm Ohlins. The valving for the 240R is slightly different from the regular S2 Exige. We can supply these kits which are the Lotus parts.

Our 46mm kit is a step up from the normal Lotus Kit. The extra size on the piston make a huge difference. The OE 36mm kit was developed from a motorcycle damper. The 46mm kit was developed from our TT46 GT race car damper and is much more robust. The influencing factor is the area of the piston as this is what determines the amount of oil flowing through the valves. This varies with the square of the diameter - so the 46mm damper moves 70% more oil.

We have dome days and days of testing on spring rates and will recommend a setting depending on what you will use the car for.

The rebuild rate is less than the 36mm kit, as they are more robust. On a race car we would recommend once a year dyno and check over. On a road car - use dependant and road salt dependant - they will last 2 years / 20,000 miles easily between rebuilds.

We supply recommended settings for road, dry track, wet track and a full user guide on how to set a car up using the dampers, and can recommend changes for extra weight - we run S2 Exige from 750kg (in UK) to 1000kg (in the far east GT series) where there is a 1000kg minimum weight.

Hope that helps


Graham Horgan
+44 1483 280036 (office)
+44 7802 177942 (cell)