STX TECHNOLOGY

The STX series is a high-pressure monotube type shock absorber that was developed for MX-riders. It is the foundation Öhlins has been built on and has been developed over the years and across all our segments.

The fluid is under gas pressure and is kept separate from the gas by a dividing piston. The pressurization prevents cavitation of the oil, and the shock absorbing action is therefore more even and reliable. Most STX dampers have a shaft adjuster, mainly influencing rebound damping. The more advanced models also have a separate compression adjuster. Another benefit of the compression adjuster is that it further improves cavitation resistance and allows “pressure balancing”, which optimizes damper response. Öhlins shock absorbers provide the possibility of adjustment, making them adaptable to most vehicles, drivers/riders and ranges of use. All of the shock absorbers with springs have adjustable spring preload. The Öhlins STX shock absorbers are racer friendly shock absorbers that are easy to set up, dial in and rebuild. 

Dampers will get hot –  that’s one thing that you can be sure of. As the piston moves within the damper, all the damping work is transformed into heat. Although we can’t stop heat, we can deal with it. As the heat increases, the viscosity of the damper fluid is decreased, lowering the damping forces, which alters the car’s handling characteristics. Our unique needle bleed valve system expands with temperature, closing the orifice that the fluid travels through, maintaining a consistent damping rate. 

Figure 1: Thermal Expansion