Hello,

I was wondering if the MazdaSpeed swaybars and struts would work with the stock springs, or if there is a better combo to maintain the stock ride height?

I use the car for my daily driver and would like to go around off / on ramps faster, lol.

thanks

 

Uh, lowering a car is one aspect to improve handling and is a common modification to do so. You don't have to slam your car but getting a suspension kit (ala mazdaspeed kit) will give you a subtle drop but added performance.

Sway/Strut Tower bars will work as well if you did not want to change the springs/struts.

 

Swaybars, weight reduction and proper weight allocation, proper tires tuning, rake your car for better ground effect, proper choice of body brace to suit your driving styles, lighter rims.

 

Yup, yiksing pretty much listed them all (excluding strut bars).
Some of those will be more effective than others, especially for the price.

If you want to keep it simple... i would just get sway bars. Cheap and will probably give you the most bang for your buck.

I would still recommend getting the MS springs/shocks. The handling is excellent and drop is barely an Inch. You won't have any problems driving it around as a daily driver.

-hS

 

This is exactly what I did. (Mazdspeed Kit)

Sway bars first...Good improvement. This helped the understeering a bit and how much the car was leaning when turning but still nothing major.
Strut Bars(F/R)... OK improvement. This is a bit controversial. Some people will swear by them... Others like myself just like the "looks" but that's about it.

Better tires and a bit more agressive alignment (add negative camber). This is a MUST!

This setup above was OK... but the car kept leaning more than I wanted at high speeds at the track so although the MS sways help a bit, nothing will fix this other than a set of stiffer springs.

I then $aved a bit and I just ended up installing the MS spring/shock combo... This is a great compromise for both great handling and a daily commuter.

Good luck,
Carlos

 

the MS sway bars are bearly stiffer then then the stock bars... the MS suspension package uses stiffer springs to deal with body roll.

Racing Beat sway bars are probably better for getting rid of body roll with the stock shock/springs

 

Agree with this 100% as long as you keep your stock shocks/springs as I believe this is your intention.

Carlos

 

Now you guys have me thinking about a full MS setup. What about starting with poly bushings on the MS sway bars as a first mod?

Or would it be better to go with the RB bars and then if I want to do the full MS setup sell / trade them later. They are a good bit cheaper then the MS bars.

thanks, -Reinyn

 

You also got me thinking - about $400 for the RB sway bar setup. Anyone out there with this with the stock shocks / spring? Not up for the full meal deal - but seems right for now.

Still have the RB suspension upgrades in the garage waiting to be put on the Turbo II - so much fun so little time.

 

Get the RB sways now, get poly bushings, then save your money and once you have around ~1.2K get the whole MS setup(springs, shocks, sways), then sell the RB sways and recover some money there... You can always look for a used set here.

I will go this route. Don't forget the Alignment and better tires (Azenis RT-615). It does wonders.

Carlos

 

yea negative camber helped me alot.. i just cant get the car to loose its rear easily unless its raining...

you know what, you can also get the Tein Basics for cheap and eliminate ALOT of the body roll, help improve the handling and you dont even have to lower your car..

and maybe if you dare you can lower it ever so slightly or even slam it or raise the car.. the choice is yours.

i had to raise my rear above stock because of rubbing issues before getting my fenders rolled.

the only drawback is the ride gets quite a bit harsher, but the end result is amazing makes the car feel really SOLID!

i personally think the RB setup and MS setup is a waste of money and you might as well stay stock ..but some people like it

strut bars in the front really dont make that much of a difference.. the rears i have noticed improvements in other cars, but not the 8 since i dont have one for it yet...

swaybars slightly improve , but definetly not as noticeable as a change in springs or /and shocks.... i would like to know about the agency power since it is the only one that is signifcantly thicker than OE..

personally coilovers and suspension tuning(camber,alignment etc) are my recommendations...you will see and feel a noticeable difference..

the rest is really not necessary unless you are trying to fine tune the suspension setup... but thats a IMO!!


oh and tyres also help once you burn the potenzas... a nice set of z-rated do wonders for grip..

 

lighter wheels and better tires

 

tires will make by far the biggest difference. the stickiest and widest you can fit. remember really sticky tires will get hard in a year or two.

wider wheels.

alignment (negative camber).

ive got over 1000 autocross runs and about 14 track days of experience setting up cars and wide, sticky rubber is what makes the big difference. but how fast do you need to drive on an on-ramp? go to the track and see how a miata can bust your ***. :D

james

 

Yes sticky tires makes the most difference but you can't go too sticky with stock suspension.

 

it almost sounds like you guys are suggesting skipping the bars and just going with the spring/shock set?

 

springs will most likely lower the car.

yah, add sticky tires and more sway bar is good. the stock suspension is pretty soft, so if you arent against lowering a little, id get linear rate springs and up the rate a bit. more spring means more shock, then more tire means more bar. then you need new brakes. welcome to the dark side. :P

james

 

It really depends on what your purpose is. If it is just aggressive street driving, or an occasional autocross, then the RB setup (Sway bars & springs w/ stock shocks) are more than fine. If you are looking to regularly tracking your car then get the MS springs & shocks, along with MS sway bars. Combining the 2 companies is not recommended as the sway bars are very different, and the RB springs are made to run with stock shocks, while the MS units are not (made to run with MS shocks).

 

Well it looks like there are alot of options. I'm a bit of a suspension noob so can someone explain how the Tein Basic package is different from MS springs and struts? How is it height adjustable? Thanks...

 

Tein basics are coilovers.. shocks are threaded with a nut that you wrench to compresses the spring hence the ability to slightly raise the car or slam it.

if you willing to spend a little more you can get Tein flex which are adjustable dampening that can help soften or stiffen the ride..

the basics spring rates are something like 3X the spring rates of the MS/RB springs so they are noticeably harsher in ride quality...MS setup is shocks and springs seperate so you cannot adjust the ride height and statistically will probably be closest to stock in ride quality..

i am currently trying to price out K sport pro coilovers .. 36 way dampening adjustable ride height up to 6 inch drop..pillow mounts camber plates etc for the 240SX and its 1200CND only...so im hoping its around the same for the RX-8 with the same features .. as soon as i find out ill post some info.