coil over - suspension suggestions for light track
 

hi
the shocks on my 'stock '04 MT with 90K miles/140K km died last summer/winter after a season of slaloms (and just a lot of miles/pot holes)

i am looking to go back to the track after a 10 year absence and i've already decided on hawk blues for pads but i have to say i'm a bit clueless on the suspension.

i could just go stock again and change only the shocks for about $500 in parts in ottawa.

being in ottawa an adjustable ride height is great, this is also a winter car and i'll put it back to the stock height for the winter! its bad enough as it is.

however i was looking at the bulk buy section, has anyone used the BC-Racing BR series coil overs? for about 1000.

i also see that JM sells tanabes D2 coilovers. the eibacs at 1800 are out of my budget.

i still need to get new rubber also!

anyone have comments or experience with these three coilovers, or one of these vs just putting in new shocks?

thanks for any help.
ciao, mauro

2003-2011 MAZDA RX-8 BC Racing BR-Series Coilovers - Coilovers - JM Auto Racing

I can't comment on the coilovers as I am running springs, but I just want to make sure that you are aware that each time you change the ride height, you need to have the car realigned. After winter and salty roads, coilovers also become difficult to adjust for height due to corrosion of the threads. Just something to think about...

did u look into stance coilovers.... i think thats a better option then bc (as per user reviews) there similar in price also

hi lvis, jcrane82
thanks for the replies
hmmm hadn't thought about the re-alignment with ride height changes. camber would definitely change but toe in shouldn't?

looked around at the stance, found a few threads, nothing really conclusive about them pro or con...just another for the list...

Mauro

Hi Mauro,

All alignment values change with ride height (caster, camber, and toe). The change in caster is the smallest, and usually not important with height changes. However, the change in camber directly relates to a change in toe. As the suspension moves you will get the expected camber change, but the related change in toe is even more important. When I installed my springs to drop the front 1", the toe went from zero to over 1/2". If you don't realign after changing height, the toe will eat tires quickly.

In my opinion, the main benefit of coilovers are to corner weigh the car, which is not possible with a spring/shock combo. If you are looking to get back into tracking, then adjustable rebound damping is necessary. I personally would suggest a spring/shock combo, as you will get better quality suspension parts for the money. The only downside to this is a fixed ride height, and the inability to corner balance. A spring/shock combo (for example, Progress Tech springs with Tokico D-Specs) will be a better performance setup than compared to the cheap coilover kits. The cheaper coilover kits will not have the quality shocks that the Tokico D-Specs or Koni Yellows have. Usually you need to spend closer to $2000 to get a coilover kit with quality shocks.

aieee even more to think about,

i've emailed progress tech springs for some info but they lower the front 1.2 and rear by 0.8...thinking winter here with 5-10 inch snowfalls...

also, i noticed they do a sway bar for the rx8 but no endlinks. i'm not sure, but the ends of the sway bar look non-stock and i'm not sure what endlinks i'd use... anyway i have to wait to put the car up, we had another snow fall!!

saw a set of tokico d spec on amazon.com for a great price, free shipping but 1-3 months to ship?? ridiculous. looking into the koni as well. about 640 for the four corners....200 for the springs...cheaper than the BCs...

thanks for the tips.
mauro

Hi mauro. I actually have the progress springa and progress bars (stock endlinks) with stock shocks. but will probably be getting the d-specs in a month or two.

One note to be aware of for the progress springs: they are designed for the series II, and the rear spring perch height is different between the series. so the rear drop on a series I is more like 1" to 1.2".

I also daily drive my 8, and I live in Iowa (lots of snow).

iv heard the progress bars are very aggressive and not recommended for a daily
Progress Technologies RX8 REAR AntiSway Bar. for RX8 2004-2011

Lvis do you have a link to the complaints rather than the progressive site?

Jcrane82, what year/series is your car? If series i are you still happy with the rear drop?

Mdc

Progress bars with 30% stiffer aftermarket springs will be much easier to daily drive than BC or Stance coilovers with stock anti-sway bars. Suspension is extremely subjective, and many people run 7k or higher spring rates on the street without complaint. It just is personal preference on how harsh of a ride you can handle.



I have a 2004. I would prefer the rear to be slightly higher, but only by 1/4". It doesn't bother me enough to change the springs.

I also want to comment that you can use the stock endlinks with all aftermarket anti-sway bars without issue.

Let me know if you have more questions.