NA6 - Daily drive - suspension options?

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:22 pm

Do you know what the shocks are?

OEM? adjustable? other?

Common ones are:

Koni - yellow shock body, with an adjustment knob on the top.
Stock - Black body with "showa" stamped into the lower body of the shock.
Bilstein - was stock for the clubman, not sure what they look like.

If you're happy with how it rides you can get KYB ExcelG for about $500, they are an OEM equivalent shock.

If you're prefer it to be a bit stiffer, you can then go for something like the Koni adjustables (but, they cost more)

If the springs are yellow they are probably Kings Springs, which work quite well with Koni adjustables from what I've read.

lee · Postby **lee** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:04 pm

I just got a set of Koni adjustable shocks from shox.com shipped to my door for $650

My first suspension mod was to replace the stock front sway bar with something thicker, and that tightened up cornering significantly. It still leans a bit from the stock shocks & springs, but turn in was dramatically improved.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:48 pm

Hmm.

Red springs could be anything.

Off the top of my head there's:

Pedders
Autoexe
Mazdaspeed (from the SE)

They most likely aren't Mazdaspeed due to the flat base, and that they're lowered (NB springs raise an NA)
If they're Autoexe the brand should be stamped on a coil.

If they're pedders they won't have any stampings, Pedders used paper stick on labels (Which of course, fall off)

As for the shocks, Tokico do make stiffer shocks for MX5s, but they aren't common in Aust, and from my knowledge are coloured white/blue rather than black.
(note, I'm not too familiar with Tokico shocks at all, so might be wrong)

SuperMazdaKart · Postby **SuperMazdaKart** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 6:48 pm

I quite liked the KYB AGXs that I had installed to my NA6 when I had one. Dampening adjustable via an external knob on the shock absorber housing.

wassup · Postby **wassup** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:09 pm

I had a similar dilemma When I wanted to refresh the suspension on my NA. It's tough. The more you read the more you find the reviews contradict each other. Sure. If you're prepared to spend big dollars youre more likely to get the right result.

KYB's excel G are said to give near stock results. But that's with stock springs. It'll be beneficial for you to identify what springs you have if you want to match them up with a replacement set of shocks and get a predictable result.

I took a slight risk and went for a set of Bilstein NA replacement shocks. Again. Mixed reviews with some claiming a very harsh ride. I hoped that the shock mount kit and suitable bumpstops from flyin miata would give me a ride suitable for weekend drives and the odd spirited run with the breakfast run club and they have, so, for me, this combination with the stock springs have resulted in the car feeling much more modern with just the right ride height. I'm very pleased with how the car feels.

Good luck with your search!

mx5lover · Postby **mx5lover** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:49 am

lee wrote:I just got a set of Koni adjustable shocks from shox.com shipped to my door for $650

My first suspension mod was to replace the stock front sway bar with something thicker, and that tightened up cornering significantly. It still leans a bit from the stock shocks & springs, but turn in was dramatically improved.

Hi mate
$650 is a really good price.
BUT just confuse list price on shox.com is $648.8
Is that means the freight cost is less than $2 :?:

lee · Postby **lee** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:46 am

mx5lover wrote:
lee wrote:I just got a set of Koni adjustable shocks from shox.com shipped to my door for $650

My first suspension mod was to replace the stock front sway bar with something thicker, and that tightened up cornering significantly. It still leans a bit from the stock shocks & springs, but turn in was dramatically improved.

Hi mate
$650 is a really good price.
BUT just confuse list price on shox.com is $648.8
Is that means the freight cost is less than $2

I forgot the actual price, so i rounded it up to $650. You're right, it was $648.80. There was no shipping charge. No joking, I got a set of adjustable Konis from the US for that price, with free shipping.

Jace · Postby **Jace** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:42 pm

i daily drive my car with Yellowspeed coilovers, the dynamic sport ones. i thought i'd never have coilovers in a daily again but i checked out yellowspeeds in a friends car and was so impressed that i bought a set!
they're not much firmer than stock and they're height, preload and damping adjustable.

they're cheap for what they are i think, mine were $1025 delivered from Wholesale Suspension

davekmoore · Postby **davekmoore** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:30 pm

Coilovers are great if you get ones that adjust for rebound/compression and ride height/preload as you can make them do nearly whatever you want.

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:17 am

davekmoore wrote:Coilovers are great if you get ones that adjust for rebound/compression and ride height/preload as you can make them do nearly whatever you want.

Except if the valving is crap then they will never do what you want.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Jace · Postby **Jace** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:21 pm

i dodge potholes and bumps when i know where they are. they're a bit brutal over massive bumps, speedhumps for instance i take at the bottom of 2nd gear.

i drive pretty carefully when i don't know the roads or when i know the roads rough, partly because of the coilovers but mostly because i don't want to damage a wheel or two.

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:23 pm

Jace wrote:partly because of the coilovers but mostly because i don't want to damage a wheel or two.

Buy fake wheels
drive without care about damaging wheel
????????????
Profit.

Jace · Postby **Jace** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:25 pm

hks_kansei wrote:
Jace wrote:partly because of the coilovers but mostly because i don't want to damage a wheel or two.

Buy fake wheels
drive without care about damaging wheel
????????????
Profit.

i couldn't deal with feeling like a scummy honda-driving asian though.

Postby **NitroDann** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:38 pm

Anyone see my works engineering wheels?

I refuse to use the term 'fake', ƒü¢k me ssr's are like the 6th generation copy of that design which mine are similar too.

And those things are cheap and STRONG as. In my thread is photos of them after they hit a gutter so hard they ended under the engine and they are still roadworthy!

Dann

Gdekwant · Postby **Gdekwant** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:04 pm

I'm with dann on this.

There is cheap and there is expensive.

Meisters and Proffessors are identical.

Etc etc etc, all wheel companies rip each others designs.

If you're hardparking the car at the cafe on weekends you don't need forged wheels.

Saying that buying cheaper wheels rips off the original manufacturer is akin to saying piracy downloads ruin movie companies. Sure some sales are lost, but the majority of transactions wouldn't have been sales originally as they are different market segments to begin with.

On topic, a number of shocks from Shox.com have free shipping atm, including koni adjustables.

Any recommendations for a spring to suit? Looking to lower the car to about 100-120mm ride height ? Unless that is too far, don't really know the rule of thumb with mx5s.

Cheers.