I did some searching and found some posts referencing this, but didn't seem to find a specific discussion.

I have RB sways and am trying to figure out if I want to go with RB springs or Mazdaspeed springs. I'm also trying to decide between Koni and Mazdaspeed shocks. My car is a year round daily driver that is used for track days. I'm hoping for about 6 track days a year. I don't want to go any lower than the RB or MS springs because of the winters we get here. Plus I want to be able to run my car through automatic car washes, and I don't want to run into clearance issues.

 

Go with the Koni shocks, they work better and are adjustable so you can set them for the street and then change them when you go to the track.

 

tein mono flex coilovers or the flex are perfect but, koni yellows with tein S-Tech are a great ride and good on the track.

 

If you are looking for a conservative setup I would go with the Mazdaspeed Combo, if you are looking for a far greater improvement Koni would be the way to go.

Being that you only plan on tracking 6 times out of the year and DD your car you should make the call.

The Koni Yellows are adjustable as well so you can change settings for track days.

 

+1 and you can pair the Konis and the Racing Beat springs. If I'm not mistaken you can buy both of them from fluid motorsports.

 

Yes sir, we stock this stuff as well so it is usually 1-2 day processing then it ships out.

And if you find a better price elsewhere I will beat as well.

 

I have the Konis and they're AWESOME but I will warn you... adjusting the rear struts requires removing the strut, adjusting it, and then reassembling.
If you're going to track 6 times a year, I'd consider going with something like the D-spec from Tokico. They had adjustment cables which could make the job much easier.

Check with Charles R. Hill for those struts.
As for the springs, just depends on how stiff you want to go. Tein H-Techs are a great option as well without getting the car too low. (MS is pretty stiff)

 

Tokico struts for easy adjustability. If you take tracking seriously you might consider a quality coilover so you can lower it and corner balance it for the track and raise it up for the street. A 1" drop is about ideal for the track and corner balancing can make a big difference.

 

^+1 I just installed some Tokico D Specs on a friends car last night, paired with some Tanabe springs and he really noticed a difference, the car handled alot better, flet more neutral around the corners, and the ride quality wasn't too stiff. He bought the shocks from Fluid for I think $525, very good price and they were shipped out the same day he ordered them.

 

Not a enough Tein Flex love on this board...

I'm running Tein Flex and I'm thinking about buying RB sways this year. Are you running this combo? Thoughts on the combo on they perform together on the track and on the street?

 

I've heard great things about the RB setup, but I'm also wondering if it will be a bit too conservative (meaning soft), especially with the SC, for the track?

 

Koni yellows w/ factory springs. You always talk about how you don't want a harsh ride and can't take it. The yellows will be a nice upgrade by themselves with your sway bars. And at the moment the SC is a good kick in the pants, but nothing the rb sway/koni combo can't handle.

 

Well, I can take a little bit harsher ride, but not extremely harsh. I actually drove one of the new TSXs a few weeks ago that seemed to have a firmer spring rate than the 8, and I liked it.

 

^^^
Definitely RB springs then if the choice is down to that or MS.

 

Funny, somebody you know pretty well suggests exactly the opposite. And you two always agree....

I do know Phil has the RB springs with the Pettit SC and really likes it.

 

Bah...the day we start agreeing on anything is the day the whole operation implodes.

 

the RB springs should be a pretty good choice with either the Konis or Tokicos. Did you ever read the write-up from Phil at DPE regarding the H-Techs?

 

I remember him doing a spring write up, but I was leaning towards the RB or MS because I thought they were supposed to have the least aggresive drop.

 

People that are using the Koni's - what damping settings are you using? Since it is supposed to be a PITA to change the rear settings, it is probably good to get those right the first time...

 

I did find one comment earlier in another thread about someone encountering snap oversteer problems with the RB sway/MS spring combo. I have to admit that is a concern. I don't want to give up the forgiving handling that the RX-8 has.

 

My rears are right around 1.25 turns from full soft
(keep in mind that full soft is already stiffer then OEM)

 

That's good info, thanks! Do you track your car, or is that just for daily driving?

 

How many total turns are available on those?

 

no track but lots of agressive canyon driving.
If I were to track it, I probably wouldn't adjust the rears just tighten up the front.

send a PM to speeddemon32, he had Konis and tracked the crap out of his car.

 

http://www.koni-na.com/comp.cfm