The facts.
| Brand | Öhlins |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 08789-38 |
| Spring Rate | 3.8 N/mm |
| Free Length | 423 mm |
| Inner Diameter | 38.2 mm |
| Stroke | 280 mm |
| Construction | Straight |
| Packaging Unit | Pair |
| Country of Origin | Sweden |
DescriptionThe whole story▼
Öhlins part number 08789-38 is a pair of fork springs rated at 3.8 N/mm, 423 mm long with a 38.2 mm inner diameter. Too stiff and the front loses feel over bumps; too soft and it dives under the brakes. Rate sets that balance.
Key Features
- Straight-wound, constant rate
- Supplied as a pair
- Free length 423 mm
- Inner diameter 38.2 mm
- 280 mm of usable stroke
- Öhlins part number 08789-38
- Measured spring rate 3.8 N/mm
Why the Rate Holds
Shafts are hardened and surface-treated so the seal has a consistent surface to run against. The finish is applied after setting, which means the coating does not affect the rate. Öhlins publishes recommended sag figures for its springs, so the setup has a reference rather than a feel.
Size and Rate
At 423 mm free length and 38.2 mm inner diameter, this spring is dimensionally interchangeable with anything of the same size — the rate is what makes it a different part.
Choosing 3.8 N/mm
Soft rates like this are what off-road and adventure forks need: the wheel has to follow the ground, not deflect off it. A rate this low belongs on a long-travel machine or under a light rider — it lets the fork use its full stroke instead of riding high and skating over the surface. A very soft rate uses more of the stroke, which is usually what an off-road chassis wants. A road machine spends most of its life in the first third of the fork's travel — that is the part the rate governs.
Applications
Öhlins lists no fixed model here — the spring is defined by its measurements, and any fork with matching dimensions can take it. Selection is by measurement. If the diameter and free length match your fork, the remaining question is the rate. A spring is one of the few suspension parts that is genuinely interchangeable: same bore, same free length, and it goes in.
What Fitting Involves
The fork legs come off, the springs are swapped and the oil level is reset — half a day in most workshops. Both legs are done together, and both take the same rate. Note the original oil level before draining — it is a useful reference even when Öhlins specifies its own.
Road Approval
Road approval: not applicable to the spring on its own. Öhlins issues approvals against complete suspension units, not individual springs.
Fitting and Setup Service
Öhlins suspension rewards careful fitting. We recommend having the work done by an authorised Öhlins service centre — and we are one ourselves: we fit, service and set up Öhlins components in house. If you would like us to handle the installation, just ask and we will quote it with the order.
Specifications
- Brand: Öhlins
- Part Number: 08789-38
- Spring Rate: 3.8 N/mm
- Free Length: 423 mm
- Inner Diameter: 38.2 mm
- Stroke: 280 mm
- Construction: Straight
- Packaging Unit: Pair
- Country of Origin: Sweden
FitmentWhich bikes this fits▼
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