Ohlins DH38 & RXF38 Coil Spring Kits
Spring Weights Offered:
- 40 lb/in (7.0 N/mm) — 140 lb / 63.5 kg rider weight
- 45 lb/in (7.9 N/mm) — 160 lb / 72.6 kg rider weight
- 50 lb/in (8.8 N/mm) — 180 lb / 81.6 kg rider weight
- 55 lb/in (9.7 N/mm) — 200 lb / 90.7 kg rider weight
- 60 lb/in (10.6 N/mm) — 220 lb / 99.8 kg rider weight
- 65 lb/in (11.5 N/mm) — 240 lb / 108.9 kg rider weight
- 70 lb/in (12.4 N/mm) — 260 lb / 117.9 kg rider weight
MSRP:
- Complete coil kit: $180 USD
- Springs: $58 USD
- Coil kit tool: $52 USD
Intro
Modern air springs are quite refined and do an impressive job of providing a more sensitive and linear spring curve than air springs of the past. Still, there are plenty of folks who prefer coil-sprung options for their promise of lower maintenance, fewer seals for less friction, and ability to deliver a truly linear spring characteristic. These reasons have led to the persistent popularity of coil shocks, while forks have primarily moved toward air springs.
Despite that trend, there’s still a subset of riders seeking coil options for their forks, as shown by the success of several aftermarket options like the Vorsprung Smashpot. However, due to modern air spring designs, moving to a coil spring often means that the fork cannot be converted back to air due to risk of the coil scoring the inside of the stanchions (which most air springs rely on as a sealing surface), making it a consequential decision to make the switch.
Ohlins’ cartridge-based air spring means that is not a concern, and Ohlins is capitalizing on that with their Coil Spring Kit, now available for the RXF38 m.2 Enduro fork and DH38 m.1 Downhill fork. Read on for the details, and have a look at our Flash Review for our initial thoughts now that we’ve had a chance to install one in an RXF38 m.2.
Design
Ohlins’ commitment to coil suspension carries over from their powersports legacy, with their first and arguably still flagship mountain bike shock being the coil-sprung TTX. They were also one of the few manufacturers making high-end coil forks with their RXF36 m.2 Coil, but supply chain issues a couple of years back disrupted availability of that version as an out-of-the-box option. Fortunately for coil spring enthusiasts, that pullback from coil-sprung forks was brief, and a Coil Spring Kit is now available for the RXF38 m.2 and DH38 m.1.
Despite advancements in air suspension, coil shocks remain quite popular as a rear suspension option — and for good reason. While air springs are infinitely adjustable, they inherently require a number of dynamic seals to keep the air where it belongs. A coil setup does not, meaning that the spring assembly often has a good bit less friction. Coil springs’ inherent simplicity also means that there are fewer seals to wear out, reducing service needs. Additionally, coil springs offer a linear rate of compression (unless progressively wound), meaning that they can feel incredibly consistent in their support through the travel.
The lack of coil forks on the market mostly comes down to the tradeoffs. Air forks require just one adjustable air spring design, whereas a coil requires multiple coil springs be available to account for different rider weights. Additionally, the larger real estate of a fork leg versus a rear shock means that air springs can be made larger and more linear, theoretically achieving closer performance to that of a coil without requiring the added weight of the rather large coil spring required to cover the fork’s travel range.
Moving on to the Ohlins Coil Spring Kit itself, it consists of a top cap and lower shaft assembly, which includes a spring retainer and top-out spring. Springs have to be purchased separately, with seven options available in 5 lb/in increments to suit riders from 140 to 260 lb (63.5 – 117.9 kg).
The RXF38 m.2 and DH38 m.1 kits are different in that the DH38 m.1’s longer stanchions require a spring perch extender at the top cap side, but the two kits share the same springs. It’s worth mentioning that installation of the Coil Spring Kit requires removing and replacing a lower cap on the stanchion with a pin spanner tool. Ohlins recommends their own, which costs a pretty penny at $52 and has some wrench flats for ease of use, but an adjustable pin spanner tool or some circlip pliers could likely do the job as well.
As mentioned above, Ohlins’ air spring is a self-contained cartridge. That means that, unlike other air springs that use the stanchion as a sealing surface, possible damage to the inner stanchion surface isn’t an issue if a rider wants to go back to air from the coil kit. While we imagine most folks will pick one spring setup and stick with it, it adds flexibility for folks who might be coil-curious and tempted by the relatively reasonable price of the Ohlins Coil Spring Kit.
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Ohlins’ dual-chamber air spring design presents a lot of tuning potential, including the ability to create rather linear (or rather progressive) spring curves. How easy is it to get a comfortable setup with the inherently less adjustable coil spring, and how well does it pair with Ohlins’ TTX18 damper?
(2) Anyone who has ridden a coil shock has likely noticed the particularly buttery lack of friction at the top of the travel — does this Coil Spring Kit deliver that same low-friction feel, and does the added weight of the coil spring justify any potential performance gains?
Bottom Line (For Now)
Coil-sprung forks are a bit of a rare item these days, but the Ohlins Coil Spring Kit offers a compelling option for coil aficionados. The fact that it can be installed without eliminating the option of going back to an air spring later is icing on the cake. Ultimately, the Ohlins Coil Spring Kit is an interesting tuning option for what is already a highly tunable range of forks — and we’ve gotten our hands on a kit for the RXF38 m.2 to see what it’s all about.
Flash Review: Our Initial On-Trail Impressions
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Flash Review below to read our initial on-trail impressions. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Flash Reviews and Deep Dives, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Flash Review — Ohlins RXF38 m.2 Coil Kit
Ohlins’ Coil Spring Kit is easy to install, doesn’t add too much weight, and, unlike kits for other forks, still allows you to go back to an air spring later. So, what’s it like to ride? We have some initial thoughts in our Flash Review.
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