are MK1 and MK2 springs the same?

[buzzer]

I am looking for a set of standard springs for a friends MK1 which has stiffened and lowered ones on and its too low and hard for her...

are MK1 and MK2 (or 2.5) springs the same?

[MX-5 Lazza]

No but if she wants an improved ride (ooh err) then swapping with a full set of Mk2/2.5 shocks & springs with top-mounts is a good upgrade and easier than swapping springs anyway. Plenty of people are breaking Mk2/2.5s at the moment.

[buzzer]

MX-5 Lazza said:

No but if she wants an improved ride (ooh err) then swapping with a full set of Mk2/2.5 shocks & springs with top-mounts is a good upgrade and easier than swapping springs anyway. Plenty of people are breaking Mk2/2.5s at the moment.

Ah, OK thanks, that's good advice. I am assuming they swap straight over if I buy springs and legs complete?

[MX-5 Lazza]

They are coil-overs so it's easiest if you replace them as fully built sets with the spring & top-mount already fitted to the shocks.

[Cyder]

Be warned it's a bit of a ballache of a job though. It's like the lower wishbones are just teasing you by not quitemoving far enough to make installation of the new damper easy.

[buzzer]

Thanks guys. I am OK changing the springs on their own, which I would quite like to do as the shockers look to be quite new on the car. I am lucky in that I have a hoist in my garage so the job should be quite easy. Also, my mate across the road has one of these in his garage as he does a lot of suspension work, which makes it double easy

looks like I will just keep an eye open for some standard MK1 springs...

[Mattlan]

having undertaken this task by myself this weekend, I would advise of the following re fronts

it is possible to swop out the unit without breaking the top wishbone ball joint

( but not just by yourself, you need someone else heaving down on the suspension,)

it is also more than likely you will catch the underneath / edge of the wing doing so!

This weekend I went the more traditional route of cracking off the upper balljoint, what a relevation, shocks dropped out with ease ;-)

I understand that Mark 2 units are slightly longer anyway ? if so I would say that the above is essential for refitting!

[MX-5 Lazza]

If it was me, if I was going to the bother of taking the Mk1 suspension out, I'd replace with complete Mk2 suspension anyway. It really does improve the ride and handling over standard Mk1 suspension quite a bit. Seems a shame to go through all that bother just to put it back to a standard Mk1 setup that most people try to get away from.

[buzzer]

MX-5 Lazza said:

If it was me, if I was going to the bother of taking the Mk1 suspension out, I'd replace with complete Mk2 suspension anyway. It really does improve the ride and handling over standard Mk1 suspension quite a bit. Seems a shame to go through all that bother just to put it back to a standard Mk1 setup that most people try to get away from.

another good point... jus looking on Ebay, as you say plenty of MK2 being broken, just none close to me... I guess I can wait a while...

[Cyder]

Mine was on standard mk1 suspension, I changed to mk2 dampers with some Eibach springs that lowered and stiffened it slightly. The handling difference has been remarkable, the car is so much more predictable now and feels like it doesn't want to kill me on bumpy roads anymore.

I managed to fit mine by myself without breaking the balljoint. It took a lot of fannying around and in the end I used an angle grinder to remove the top 5 or so threads protruding from the top of the strut centre. (Still leaving at least 3 visible above the nut)

This just about gave me the clearance to fit the part while applying liberal load to a breaker bar on the wishbones.

Not a job I fancy repeating in a hurry.