A shocking question
Discussion
If you'll excuse the very bad pun 
I was recently looking at 1.8 Mk1 Eunos's, and one of the things that stuck out is how sensitive these cars are to geometry & suspension setups.
So my question is this, is shorter springs, coupled with standard 1.8 shocks (not bilsteins) a good or bad idea?
I was recently looking at 1.8 Mk1 Eunos's, and one of the things that stuck out is how sensitive these cars are to geometry & suspension setups.
So my question is this, is shorter springs, coupled with standard 1.8 shocks (not bilsteins) a good or bad idea?
ApexJimi said:
So my question is this, is shorter springs, coupled with standard 1.8 shocks (not bilsteins) a good or bad idea?
If the spring rates aren't changed, then fundamentally very little change in handling if you drive gently. Lowering the car means less bump travel so and increased probability that you'll hit the bump stops which is not a good place to be handling wise. There are secondary issues with the alignment from having the linkages in a position not designed by Mazda (although work by people like WiM can certainly get a lot of those issues removed or lessened)If you go stiffer then I'll be happy to watch you drive from the next county. Definitely not a good look or feel - I used to have a nice career investigating holes in scenery caused by such things.
I'd like to clarify that combining standard shocks and lowering springs is NOT something I would do personally, for many of the reasons posted above - but chiefly that the dynamics would be somewhat compromised. I am not into the "low-rider" looks either.
No, the reason I asked was because I noticed quite a lot of cars I saw advertised had this modification, and I wondered if there was a particular reason behind this - perhaps specific to the MX5.
Obviously, this doesn't appear to be the case, so my curiosity is now satisfied!
No, the reason I asked was because I noticed quite a lot of cars I saw advertised had this modification, and I wondered if there was a particular reason behind this - perhaps specific to the MX5.
Obviously, this doesn't appear to be the case, so my curiosity is now satisfied!
matt uk said:
b) Those that like them to look 'slammed' and don't really care much for 'handling'
LOL, try stating that on MX5 Nutz and see what response you get - I once dared to suggest that surely Mazda were better equipped to design the chassis components. The responses were most indignant 
Each to their own I guess!
But equally, there is also the fact that Mazda have to design to a compromise into the suspension and that a suitably talented engineer could design a better version which is more focussed in one area at the detriment of others. Whether you consider the denizens of MX5 Nutz suitably talented is another matter.
There are a few lads on nutz who do have a good idea about suspension and equally a few who patently don't, its funny how the ones who don't are always more voluble than ones who do.
Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
Ab Shocks said:
There are a few lads on nutz who do have a good idea about suspension and equally a few who patently don't, its funny how the ones who don't are always more voluble than ones who do.
Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
Any suggestions for good quality kit of this spec?Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
My Mk1's suspension is feeling quite tired now (not surprising after 108k miles I guess) - yet another things-to-do item
ETA: Just spotted your website, so I think I know the answer to this one
Edited by bluetone on Saturday 25th April 09:13
MX-5 Lazza said:
Ab Shocks said:
...I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
I thought the general advice was to have the rear 5-10mm higher than the rear...My general thoughts are
Daily Driver = 12-15mm rake
Hooner/track = 5-8mm rake
Track tool/race = Flat
I run mine flat but 10mm above race car height
The front running race cars run flat at 115mm underside of sill to ground
Edited by Ab Shocks on Saturday 25th April 12:29
bluetone said:
Ab Shocks said:
There are a few lads on nutz who do have a good idea about suspension and equally a few who patently don't, its funny how the ones who don't are always more voluble than ones who do.
Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
Any suggestions for good quality kit of this spec?Going back to the original post,I don't see why ride height adjustment is that important if you don't want to slam the car. The problem is that very few of the vendors declare their intended ride height.
This puts you into cheap and nasty ride height adjustable kits, wheras a half decent fixed height kit should be about £400 and I reckon about 325mm front and 340mm rear from arch to wheel centre gives you reasonable looks and trouble free speed bump navigation.
My Mk1's suspension is feeling quite tired now (not surprising after 108k miles I guess) - yet another things-to-do item
ETA: Just spotted your website, so I think I know the answer to this one
Edited by bluetone on Saturday 25th April 09:13
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