Congratulations on choosing the Öhlins ORQ Off-Road shock absorber - the damper which has proven success in all kind of Off Road and Rally Raid events. Both ORQ 16/46 and 18/50 are single tube type shocks with external gas reservoir. The 16/46 is available with a hose connected reservoir and 18/50 with both piggyback and hose connected reservoir. The ORQ 16/46 is 2 way adjusted, low speed compression and rebound. The ORQ 18/50 is 3 way adjusted, high and low speed compression and low speed rebound. The 16/46 has our standard Progressive Damping System (PDS) and 18/50 features the new updated 34mm PDS which has been used very successfully in our Rally Dampers.
This shock absorber draws on all the expertise developed by Öhlins while winning more than a hundred World Championships. The ORQ shock absorbers are designed to handle the demanding damping characteristics needed for all types of roads that you can be exposed for during an Off-Road and Rally Raid event. For best performance, the shock absorber must be adjusted to different conditions; for sand dunes in Dakar, rough rocky roads in any Rally Raid competition or closed circuit events with everything that involves. The outer adjusters give the possibility for fast efficient adjustment but for bigger change in damping force or changing the characteristics of the damping curve the shim stacks inside the damper must be changed. The Öhlins shim system offers infinite combinations of shim stacks with a wide spectrum of different characteristics with one and the same piston. Your Öhlins dealer has access to a setting bank which contains settings for all conditions mentioned above. Contact your Öhlins dealer to get your ORQ dampers adapted for exactly the setting you need for your type of usage. The temperature stability is maintained by using a flow restriction design in the bleed valves that create a turbulent flow at very low piston velocities. Also, materials with different thermal expansion rates are used to compensate for the viscosity change of the fluid caused by changes in temperature.
The Öhlins ORQ shock absorbers are racer friendly shock absorbers, easy to set up, dial in and rebuild. Support is always available from the Öhlins distributors worldwide.
Ohlins ORQ 1646 & ORQ 1850 ADJUSTMENT AND SETTING UP
SPRING PRELOAD
When adjusting the spring preload you move the spring seat. This will lower or raise the vehicle ride height. The ride height is an important criteria for the behavior of your vehicle.
Ohlins ORQ 1646 & ORQ 1850 Set the Spring Preload
- Use two C-spanners to undo the lock nut.
- Turn the spring platform to the desired position.
- After adjusting, make sure to lock the lock nut.
Rebound Damping Adjuster
Both ORQ 16/46 and 18/50 have a low speed rebound adjustment located in the end eye.
To adjust rebound damping
The 18/50 rebound is adjusted using a 3 mm allen key or Öhlins tool 01822-02 and the 16/46 by turning the knob. We recommend you to adjust the rebound in steps of 2-3 clicks at a time. The 16/46 rebound adjuster has approximately 45 clicks and the 18/50 50 clicks.
To reset
Turn the adjuster clockwise to fully closed position (position zero [0]). Do not apply force when position 0 is reached, sealing surfaces or adjustment mechanism can be damaged. Then, turn counter clockwise to open, and count the clicks until you reach the recommended number of clicks. Ask your dealer for recommended clicks for your vehicle/setting. The temperature compensation system of the rebound adjuster reduces the number of clicks (due to the elongation of the aluminium shaft) when the shock absorber is hot. Therefore, always let the shock absorber cool down to ambient temperature before you reset the clicks.
Useful adjustment range
ORQ 16/46: 5-35 clicks
ORQ 18/50: 8-45 clicks
Compression Damping Adjuster
ORQ 16/46 has a one way adjusted compression valve located in the reservoir end and 18/50 a two way adjustment compression valve located in the cylinder head (piggyback version) or reservoir end (hose version).
To adjust compression damping
The 18/50 low speed compression is adjusted using a 3 mm allen key or Öhlins tool 01822-02 and the 16/46 by turning the knob. High speed compression (only 18/50) is adjusted with a 12 mm wrench. We recommend you to adjust low speed compression in steps of 2-3 clicks and high speed 3-5 clicks to fine tune the set up. The 16/46 low speed adjuster has approximately 25 clicks and the 18/50 40 clicks. The high speed adjuster has approximately 50 clicks.
To reset
Turn the adjuster clockwise to fully closed position (position zero [0]). Then, turn counter clockwise to open, and count the clicks until you reach the recommended number of clicks. Ask your dealer for recommended clicks for your vehicle/setting.
Ohlins ORQ 1646 & ORQ 1850 SPRING SET-UP
A number of springs in different lengths and stiffnesses are available for both ORQ 16/46 and 18/50 to fit different suspension strokes and vehicle weights. 16/46 requires springs with ID 57 mm and 18/50 ID 70 mm. Contact your Öhlins dealer to get a recommendation for which springs that fits your vehicle and demands. The Öhlins dealers also have access to a spring calculation software that makes it easier to find the optimal spring setup. The following vehicle parameters are required to calculate spring rate: vehicle mass, weight distribution, unsprung mass and motion ratio wheel to spring.
Ohlins ORQ 1646 & ORQ 1850 Useful adjustment range
The useful adjustment range depends on which setting that is used. If a too large compression valve adjustment range is used the performance of the damper is reduced due to incorrect pressure balance in the damper. If the compression valve is too hard (low clicks) there will be high pressure and flex in the damper often experienced as a hard and harsh suspension. If the compression valve is too soft (high clicks) there will be cavitation in the damper often experienced as fading. If large change in compression clicks compared to the recommended is used and the appearances mentioned above is experienced contact your Öhlins dealer for changing the shim setting in the damper.
Readmore Ohlins Shock Absorber for Automotive, ORQ 1646 & ORQ 1850 Manual PDF
