Came across an ad for these RX-8 coilovers in my last GRM magazine. The following is from their website (www.endura-tech.com):

http://www.endura-tech.com/~endura/prod_imgs/img-43-1-large.jpg

SPECIAL OFFER!!
PROMOTION PRICE -- $1,165.00 (Regular Price: $1,470.00)

Part Number: ETC-MRX800
Endura-Tech coilovers have been developed with performance requirements in mind. Performance tuned with specialized compression characteristics offering a comfortable and nimble driving experience. They are an excellent choice for that in between daily driver and weekend racer offering both a lower center of gravity and better cornering ability.

Part Number: ETC-MRX800
Model: Mazda RX8 SE3P 2004+
Spring Rate Front: 8kg (448 lbs./in)
Spring Rate Rear: 5kg (280 lbs./in)


The GRM ad also added the folllowing:

Front coilovers feature adjustable camber plates and pillow ball upper mounts.
Rear coilovers utilizes a progressive rate rear spring and gas strut without rear upper mount (use the OEM factory upper mount).
Nitrogen gas enclosed twin tube damper with 10 levels of rebound dampening adjustment. Rear shocks come with an extension knob for easy access to dampening.
Lower bracket height adjustability prevents the need to adjust the rear spring seat offering maximum suspension travel.
Twin Tube damper offers 4.8" of effective stroke in front and 5.2" in the rear.


Has anyone on here tried these yet? Thoughts?

Hmm, out of a suburb of Chicago, like Stance. I wonder why that is...

Anyway, the spring rates seem like they'd be a good compromise if you want something comfortable on the street. They might also work well for asphalt. The site doesn't say whether the adjustment does compression, rebound or both.

Also, camber plates? Does that really work on a double-wishbone front? Hmm...

dragging up cheap junk should be done in the suspension forum, not the competition forum

Also, camber plates? Does that really work on a double-wishbone front? Hmm...
I think that's just a carry-over from their description for the Subaru/Mitsu coilovers. Definitely looks like a decent low-cost system.
dragging up cheap junk should be done in the suspension forum, not the competition forum
Well, I was looking for reviews from people who might have autocrossed or tracked these coilovers.

endura tech is well known and sought out for their competition VALVE srings-- i dont know about the coilovers.
OD

There seem to be generally positive comments about these on the Subie boards (going back a few years).

I note these are about the same rates as the (under development) progress springs...

I note these are about the same rates as the (under development) progress springs...
Agreed. FWIW, since I already have konis I'm thinking the Progress springs will still be the best way to go until I'm able to spend 3K+ for some good double adjustable coilovers from AST or Moton, etc.

I'm still on OEM suspension, looking for a setup that I won't hate on my summer DD and that is an decent improvement for autocross.

Since I don't have Koni's yet a set of decent quality coilovers may be in the cards.

I did love the Konis on my Miata.

Hmm, out of a suburb of Chicago, like Stance. I wonder why that is...

Anyway, the spring rates seem like they'd be a good compromise if you want something comfortable on the street. They might also work well for asphalt. The site doesn't say whether the adjustment does compression, rebound or both.

Also, camber plates? Does that really work on a double-wishbone front? Hmm...

Their website FAQ states rebound only, dual tube design.

The Ohlins are supposed to have good street manners. Same spring rates as above.

The Ohlins are supposed to have good street manners. Same spring rates as above.
Ohlins definitely have a great reputation. That's another coilover I might consider down the road.

For the price, these Endura Tech's seem quite decent. The price for a set of single adjustable konis along with some decent performance springs will set you back around the same amount as these.

and there's a reason why, so wake up .....

Answered my question:Peace:

good things are said about endura tech on the silvia/240sx forums. theyre built very well too. .they may be entry level, but they are high quality

Well, I'm considering all options for next season and a former national trophy winner is currently testing a set on his MX-5. Hopefully he'll post his thoughts here.

These *could* very well be another solid option for the weekend autocrosser.

FYI for anyone looking at these due to the low cost listed in the first post. I just checked their site and they are now $1873.

FYI for anyone looking at these due to the low cost listed in the first post. I just checked their site and they are now $1873.
I just saw that as well. For ~$1,100 they seemed like a viable option compared to Stance's. At $1,800+ they're at the KW V3 price point (double adjustable).

I may be the only member on this board with firsthand knowledge of the Endura-Techs, so I'll chime in here.

Full disclosure: Endura-Tech gave me a set of these coilovers to test and provide feedback. Call it beta testing, if you will. I'm not going to try to convince you that these are the best coilovers the world has ever seen. They aren't. If you want a fully customizable monotube shock, look elsewhere. However, I think the Endura-Tech products compare quite favorably in their price range.

First, the build quality is quite good for a sub-$2k suspension option. I've played with everything from KYBs and Konis on the low end to Penskes, Ohlins, and ASTs on the high end, and I was quite happy with the fit and finish of all of the parts. They are certainly better finished than your typical sub-$2k Japanese coilover like Tein, JIC, etc., and they're miles ahead of the sub-$1k Stance, K Pro, etc.

They are single-adjustable, and that adjustment is rebound only, although there is a slight variation in compression damping with rebound adjustment. I have a dyno graph on my work computer, and I'll post it tomorrow.

The shocks are a twin tube design. The shock bodies are threaded and allow ride height adjustment independent from preload adjustment. The rear design could be better, as the spring perch sits below the shock body collar, which makes height adjustment difficult while the shocks are on the car. The rear shocks include cable extensions. There are 10 clicks of rebound adjustment, and there is a quite noticeable difference between settings.

I installed the shocks last week, and brought the car out to the track last weekend. Unfortunately, the conditions (45-50 degrees, standing water on the track) did not give me an opportunity to compare to previous lap times I've run on that configuration. I'll be back at MSR in November, and hope to have more favorable conditions to test in.

On the street, the Endura-Techs provide a firm ride, but not a harsh one. In fact, the high frequency, low amplitude damping (grooved pavement, brick pavers, Botts dots, etc.) is significantly improved over the previous Koni/RB spring combo I had on the car. Again, they aren't monotubes, but they have better "street manners" than any twin tube I have previous experience with. Overall I find the car more comfortable to drive now in most circumstances - certainly more comfortable than it was as a B Stock car!

Next season I'll be prepping my car as a mild STX car. I intend to run a few Tour events and the Southwest Divisional series, I'll be competing in some NASA events in TTD, and I'll be continuing to drive the car several times a week and instructing with it at MotorSport Ranch and Eagles Canyon. As I have the opportunity to do more events in the car, I'll continue to post my impressions in this thread.

Again, I'm not suggesting that the Endura-Tech coilovers are an alternative to high end monotube shocks. However, if you're looking for a decent quality coilover suspension for less than $2k, I think Endura-Tech is definitely worth a look.

Hmmm. Good input.

The shock bodies are threaded and allow ride height adjustment independent from preload adjustment.

This sounds like a neat trick. So there is a shock length adjuster that allows ride height changes without affecting jounce/rebound travel? But you can also adjust "preload" which I'm assuming is just the traditional adjustable spring perch that adjusts ride height through the travel of the damper. Am I understanding this correctly? If so, can you post some close-up pictures? And thanks for the review!

Great input Iain. Hopefully the guy I know testing them on his MX-5 will add his input as well.

Btw, FWIW a search on google revealed a couple of outside vendors selling the Endura Tech RX-8 coilovers in the $1,300-$1,400 range. So they can be had for less than ~$1,800.

P.S. I think my choice of coilovers is narrowing. Great product support, excellent customer service and a top notch product is leading me to a specific brand.

I'd still question the value of it over a set of Koni twin tube shocks with the new Progress Tech springs

$1000 SA or $2400 DA

I can tell you from personal experience you won't be able to take much advantage of corner weighing in Street Touring because the rules don't allow you enough room to maneuver. You really don't want to lower the car much either.

I'd still question the value of it over a set of Koni twin tube shocks with the new Progress Tech springs

$1000 SA or $2400 DA

I can tell you from personal experience you won't be able to take much advantage of corner weighing in Street Touring because the rules don't allow you enough room to maneuver. You really don't want to lower the car much either.

Mark,

I agree that the Konis and Progress springs are definitely a viable option for the “budget” enthusiast looking for something for STX or track days. However, I would argue that there are a couple of advantages the Endura-Techs have over that option:

Rear rebound - can be adjusted on the car, which is not possible with SA Konis unless they are converted, iirc.
Warranty coverage – No warranty coverage on converted DA or rear externally adjustable Konis, while Endura-Tech offers 1 year of warranty.
Spring rates – Endura-Tech offers several alternate spring rates. The Progress springs do not.
High frequency, low amplitude damping – In my personal experience, the Endura-Techs offer significantly better high speed damping than 82-Series Konis. I understand that this may be more critical at the new Nationals site than it was at HPT.

Again, that’s not to suggest that the Koni/Progress option is bad. I was leaning in that direction (in fact, I was going to be one of the Progress beta testers), until another opportunity presented itself.

At any rate, it’s still too soon to tell if the Endura-Tech coilovers will be a competitive option or not. So far I’m quite happy with them, but actual racing results will be the real test. Once I get some more events on this suspension setup and have more opportunity to experiment, I’ll post my experiences. Matt Lucas (6th this year in STX, 3rd after Day 1) runs in my local Region, so at least I should have a good benchmark to compare against.

This sounds like a neat trick. So there is a shock length adjuster that allows ride height changes without affecting jounce/rebound travel? But you can also adjust "preload" which I'm assuming is just the traditional adjustable spring perch that adjusts ride height through the travel of the damper. Am I understanding this correctly? If so, can you post some close-up pictures? And thanks for the review!

Yep, you’re understanding it correctly, although if you want to maintain shock travel while lowering the car you need to adjust both the threaded shock body and the spring perch. Shock travel and spring perch height can be adjusted independently, so that you can maintain full shock travel at lower ride height settings and/or adjust spring preload independent of shock travel.

I have some close up pictures at home that I'll post this evening.

Great input Iain. Hopefully the guy I know testing them on his MX-5 will add his input as well.

I know that guy, too. ;) Actually, Thomas is the one who put me in contact with Endura-Tech initially.

By the way, here are the dyno graphs I promised. These are not graphs from the actual shocks I received – I had intended to dyno mine at AST-USA before installing them, but I ran out of time to install them before last weekend’s track event. These are standard dyno graphs that were given to Thomas and I upon request.

You really don't want to lower the car much either.
The more I talk to folks who have a solid understanding of RX-8 suspension and chassis dynamics (Eric Meyer), the more I'm coming to this realization. The Progress Springs will get the car close to the minimum ride heights that Meyer's mentioned to me (but not go below them).
I know that guy, too. ;) Actually, Thomas is the one who put me in contact with Endura-Tech initially.
Yup, that's the guy. I've sent Thomas a link to this thread, so hopefully he will participate. Thanks for posting those dyno graphs!

Btw Iain, any idea about the range of spring rates that can be used with the standard Endura Tech shock valving?

P.S. Over the last 2-3 months, I've talked to a number of different RX-8 autocrossers who chosen to run different coilover systems in STX ranging from Motons, KW V3's, Vorshlag AST's, Stance to Koni doubles. Now throw in the Endura Techs that Iain is going to try next season! It seems like many different systems can be set-up to work well on these cars (some better than others). I think I want to give a completely different system a try next season....

The more I talk to folks who have a solid understanding of RX-8 suspension and chassis dynamics (Eric Meyer), the more I'm coming to this realization. The Progress Springs will get the car close to the minimum ride heights that Meyer's mentioned to me (but not go below them).

Yup, that's the guy. I've sent Thomas a link to this thread, so hopefully he will participate. Thanks for posting those dyno graphs!

Iain, any idea about the range of spring rates that can be used with the standard Endura Tech shock valving?

You’re welcome. As to the spring rates, I’m not sure. I know that Thomas is running 503 lb/in (9 kg/mm) front springs on his MX-5, while I still have the stock 447 lb/in (8 kg/mm) front spring on mine. I am thinking of ordering a set of the 503 lb/in front springs to test on my car as well. I think the damping will definitely handle an increase of 1 kg/mm without trouble, but I can’t speculate beyond that. I’m not sure you would want to run much stiffer springs on an STX car.

I am thinking of ordering a set of the 503 lb/in front springs to test on my car as well. I think the damping will definitely handle an increase of 1 kg/mm without trouble, but I can’t speculate beyond that. I’m not sure you would want to run much stiffer springs on an STX car.
Agreed. I'm going with Swift springs which will allow me to get a pair of 9K & 8K springs for the front, and 5K & 5.5K springs for the back (might even get a third pair of 6K rear springs).

The good thing about the rear coilovers on the RX-8, is that the entire shock and spring can be removed w/o undoing your alignment. My co-driver found an older post of Isley's when he described how to do this, and we were able to get it done when replacing my blown rear koni after Nats.

Same disclosure as Iain. I'm testing a set of Endura Tech coilovers on my MX-5. I've come to a lot of the same conclusions as Iain on the performance and street driveability of the coilovers. I actually just got back from a 600 mile road trip in the car with my wife and there were no complaints from her.

I've driven with these coilovers on the 8kg/5kg spring rates at Eagles Canyon and a couple of autocrosses and Hallett and one more autocross on the 9kg/5kg spring rate. The stock RX-8 rates had too much oversteer (even with a Whiteline RX-8 front bar and no rear bar) on the shorter wheelbase MX-5. The 9kg front springs have helped some, but I've also been suffering from massive inside wheel spin while autocrossing (open diff and less droop travel compared to the Koni/Mazdaspeed spring setup). I installed a Mazdaspeed clutch diff this past weekend so hopefully I'll be out autocrossing some more after it breaks in.

The car was great at Hallett and seems to handle mid-corner bumps and curbs very well.

Thread resurrection for a good price on these. Endura-Tech is apparently having a "SEMA special sale" on these for $865 plus ship. That's a steep discount off the $1450 regular price. I found out when I asked about rebuilding some used ones somebody listed in the FS section.

I have no connection to Endura-Tech and get nothing for passing this information on:

Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2010
From: NHK Endura <sales@endura-tech.com>
[...]
The retail price was $1,470 excluding freight and handling fee.
Now we have a SEMA special sale and your price is $865 plus shipping and handling.
[...]
Best regards,
Ken Matsubara
NHK Endura-Tech