Shocks question

marty085 · Postby **marty085** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:13 pm

Hey i got some new tyres today on my import NA Roadster and while the wheels were off i looked at the shocks and found a Delco sticker on the shocks (hadnt seen any markings on them previously) . so i google this and find theyre just cheap shocks. they look pretty old.

Now i'd been previously told by Stu at Spinning Wheels that my car has been lowered but he doesnt know how. I have no idea if the springs have been cut (are you supposed to be able to see this?) or 'reset'.. also there's not much distance before it hits the bump stops, maybe an inch at the most.

So if i were to get some new shocks and springs in the future (and if i wasnt fussed about adjustable coilovers) does anybody have recommendations for getting shocks/springs as close as possible to stock (in terms of spring stiffness, comfort, ride etc.) but slightly lower ride height?

Im a noob when it comes to shocks and springs.. how do you know how high springs will be before theyre installed on the car.. ?

Do these questions make sense?

Dweezle · Postby **Dweezle** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 1:21 pm

A pretty common shock/spring combo on the mx5 is Koni Sports with King Springs.
The Konis are dampener adjustable, and there are 3 spring perches to adjust the height before installing them.
King springs are Australian, i find them a bit stiff, especially if yoi are after comfort.

Shox.com have decent prices from the USA, you could go with eibach springs or you can get the sports shocks with konis own springs.
I think they are about $1000 delivered from mx5parts UK.

A real issue with lowered springs in a NA is lack of rear shock travel.
You dont have much with standard springs and you lose even more with lowered.

The easiest fix is to get a set of top hats from flyin miata or fat cat motorsport which give you more travel.
Do a google search on them. Itll make more sense.

Mania sell konis with kings, have a look on there site for the price.

Sorry if my rambling makes little sense.
Typing all this up on my tab

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Tapatalk

marty085 · Postby **marty085** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:26 pm

That's awesome, thanks mate.

I found this about top hats:
http://www.team-integra.net/forum/18-su ... mmies.html

Makes complete sense. Where do the top hats go for the rear shocks? In the boot behind the carpet/tyre/ etc.?

If I wanted to go back to Stock ride height, there's nothing wrong with that yeah? no more body roll or anything, as that is dependent on springs etc. right? The lowering is just for looks.. amirite?

-Marty

Postby **NitroDann** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:41 pm

Nope, very wrong.

Dann

marty085 · Postby **marty085** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 3:58 pm

Happy to be wrong. Elaborate? All else being equal, if I went back to stock height, somehow magically using the same springs/shocks, how would driving change around the twisties?

Dweezle · Postby **Dweezle** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:08 pm

marty085 wrote:Where do the top hats go for the rear shocks? In the boot behind the carpet/tyre/ etc.?

They go on top of the shock body, holding the spring on. Under the boot, take a peak under your car, above the wheel. Follow the shock up. There are 2 nuts holding it at the top which you access from inside the boot.

If I wanted to go back to Stock ride height, there's nothing wrong with that yeah? no more body roll or anything, as that is dependent on springs etc. right? The lowering is just for looks.. amirite?

Stock ride height is a nice place to be in the real world. Speed bumps etc do not affect you as much.
There will always be more body roll the higher you go, plus stiffer springs/shocks help to keep that roll to a minimum. Anti-Sway Bars are what you should be using to control body roll.
But by the sounds of it, i would recommend a more stock like setup until you understand what you want.
Mazda spent a ton of $$ getting the car right for a daily driver, and look at people like Guran, and what they accomplish on the track in a stock standard MX5.

Postby **NitroDann** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 4:14 pm

What Dweezle said.

Sorry I was in a hurry otherwise I would have elaborated.

The lower it is, the less roll you will get.

Also MX5s suspension geometry is designed to work well at about 9-10cm ride height (from chassis rails to the ground).
the suspension design is such that at stock ride height its too high for good geometry.\

Most cars have good geometry at stock height, so when you lower them you have buggered geometry and cant align them properly to handle well. the MX5 being a true sports car is opposite.

Dann

pcmx5 · Postby **pcmx5** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:37 pm

I have had few set ups on my cars over the years but in an NA I still like standard springs(buy some second hand if you need to) and Koni adjustables set on middle perch and just off fully soft setting, wonderful ride and good handling.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Peter.

spikes · Postby **spikes** » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:24 pm

NitroDann wrote:What Dweezle said.

Sorry I was in a hurry otherwise I would have elaborated.

The lower it is, the less roll you will get.

Also MX5s suspension geometry is designed to work well at about 9-10cm ride height (from chassis rails to the ground).
the suspension design is such that at stock ride height its too high for good geometry.\

Most cars have good geometry at stock height, so when you lower them you have buggered geometry and cant align them properly to handle well. the MX5 being a true sports car is opposite.

Dann

Sorry for the thread hijack OP but Dann, basically what you're saying is the higher you go, the more body roll you'll experience?

As you've seen my mx5, the thing looks a 4x4 being on the NB bilstein shocks and springs which have raised it by almost an 1" over stock height. I've noticed a fair bit of body roll flicking it through roundabouts and stuff, and so my problems lies with those springs?

and if i were to get a set of King springs (30-35mm lowered) i would be restoring it to a little less that stock height and will help alot? and ideally a set of bigger sways would help as well.