mistico

iTrader: (5)

I'll be upgrading the suspension on the Z soon, and I'd like to make the proper choice. My Z sees very little street time, I'll be doing a lot of trackdays in the next few years and some NASA events here and there.

I was pretty set on the Ohlins DFV but now wonder if I'd be better off with a dual adjustable shock like the TC Kline Konis and some T2 springs. The TC Kline/spring combo is also a lot let less money than the Ohlins since there is the Nissan motorsports Mag group buy deal. The reason I was leaning towards the Ohlins is because of quality and the fact that I would need to deal with a single adjustment. From experience, I rarely touch compression settings after they are setup and I also have a local shop that's an authorized Ohlins service center(they do Konis too) who can revalve them if needed.

Gsedan35 or others with experience, what would you suggest? I don't want to go over the 3k mark. The car is on R-comps, 4 wheel Stoptech, hotchkis sways, Quaife LSD. I might go FI in a couple of years after I get the handling fully dialed in.

Thanks in advanced.

Axelerate

iTrader: (19)

Save your money and get the TC Kline/T2 set-up.

I have it on my car and it performs amazingly everywhere. Now that I have found my ideal street/track set-up I couldn't be happier.

Don't forget that TC Kline has excellent customer service and can rebuild you struts with minimal down time. I have called them a couple of times seeking advice on shock settings while at the track and they took time out of their day to help me out.

mistico

iTrader: (5)

Axelerate,

Thanks for the input. Knowing that they have good support is a huge plus.

How much of a drop did you get with the T2 spings?

mistico

iTrader: (5)

I got this from another thread, posted by Gsedan35:

Nismo T2 350Z Linear springs 1”/1” drop on 350Z
Spring rates in LBS 625/700
IMO the only off the shealf shock I'd run with them are from TcKline or JRZ

mynismo link says they are 690lbs though.

Which is it?

Axelerate

iTrader: (19)

I'm not sure which one is correct, but they are defeinetly stiff enough.

The drop is fine in the front, but I also trimmed the rear upper spring seat a little to get it to sit more level in the back. Another nice thing is that this uses the stock upper mounts, so it's very quite, unlike my previous coilovers
with pillow ball mounts.

The TC's are valved for use with the T2 springs, so the only other set-up I would use with them is if I wanted to turn them into a coilover set-up. All you have to do is get the collar and threaded sleeve from TC Kline and then get a set of springs in the correct length for the front. For the rear you can buy the SPL adjustable spring seats with 700 lb springs all around.

As for now, I'm fine with it the way it is and it really transformed the car, I had no idea the car could react and handle the way it does now.

mistico

iTrader: (5)

Thanks again for the good info.

I'm going to go ahead and get these. Sales person was not in today, so I need to call them again on Monday.

Can't wait to put these on the car, since its the main piece I'm missing in the handling department.

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

Several things come to mind.

1.) Only buy the TcKline units after your able to view a shock dyno plot. You need to see how they setup the valving system. Koni's, can use a digressive valve setup on the rebound side (low speed). Idea being that when the shock needs to go from slow speed rebound to high speed rebound it will digressively do so and offer less control for the sake of ride quality during high piston speed event's like bumps and dips in the road. You need to see how they handled the low speed and high speed rebound curves. You'll also want to see how bump is handled as well. IMO, this is the area that the Ohlins DFV setup will trump any Koni based twin tube shock setup, valving. Though in the typical Koni fashion the TcKline units likely are able to built their low speed valving forces very quickly, this doesn't guarantee you the best overall reslults in the end, we need to see how mid and high speed valving is done.

2.) Without case/piston rod shortening on the TcKline shocks you'll be relying on the spring rates to keep you in the green zone of shock piston stroke with the 1" drop that the T2 springs provide. The Ohlins setup doesn't ask this compromise of you since they adjust height by having adjustable length dampners.

2a.)If you opt for the Ohlins setup, does it have the spring rate capacity you want to tune to without you feeling they should be revalved? Granted, Performance Shocks in Sonoma will revalve them pretty cheaply in the scheme of things.

3. On the TcKline shocks keep in mind that if you find find out that you need to change spring rates in the front that opting to do a front coilover conversion in the front brings a catch comes along for the ride. You will be at or near oem ride height when you do so. Shortening the front case length 1/2" and the piston rod length will net you a 1" drop and keep you at the same 1" in drop as the T2 springs. A less expensive out of the box trick would be to simply slice 1" out of the front shocks lower mounting leg lenth and have it rewelded back together.

4. I like my front shocks ability to adjust compression dampning. I do tend to leave it set at the lowest settting however. But, I could see someone raising it when needed as a means to tune the car's behavior, especially if a certain course have section's where you might benefit from it's adjustment.


Like anything in this world these two products offer features and benefits, how the Ohlins setup differs with it's greater cost has to be justified by you. Either it's worth the differance in your mind or it's not.

mistico

iTrader: (5)

Thanks a lot for the reply and opinion on these two.

I'm going to go ahead and get the TC Klines with T2 springs for now and see how they do. Although not the best thing to do, I can always change to another setup if needed. I want to see how this combo performs though.

Thanks again.

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

If TcKline can't provide you with a shock dynos, I'd really like to see one done. I'm willing to pay for them to be dyno'd at a place in Palo Alto. They'd give us the graph's and input. Let me know.

mistico

iTrader: (5)

Gsedan35,

TC Kline doesn't have the graphs but I"m willing to have them dynoed. No need for you to cover the costs.
What place in palo alto were you thinking?
PM with info.

Thanks.