EricMeyer

My bad---forgot where I was at.

Let me try this another way.

There appears to be a need for a cost effective suspension SYSTEM that allows a customer with minimum amount of skills to make it work.

Perhaps a stage 1 and a stage 2: bars, springs and shocks.

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

I full heartedly agree there needs to be a complete package put together.

The sheer fact is very few people have the experience and tools needed to correctly evaluate different suspension setups. I'll say a large portion of the auto tests I've read over the years that have a hodge-podge of suspension pieces actually showed very little handling improvements with large reductions in ride quality eventhough the owners butt dyno is pegged at ubertastic...

Then you look at cars like a Stasis Engineering edition Audi A4 with their own high quality springs/shocks/sways and see dramatic handling improvements and no sacrifice of ride quality... and they are not even that expensive

RK

iTrader: (1)

That would be very nice. A package that would allow for a continued DD ride that would also reduce the sway and remove the understeer the stock package would be a very good idea.

These questions wouldn't go away because most of the people posing them are looking for a fix with only a couple hundred to spend but at least people who know what they want the end result to be would be more confident that pieces in a stage package compliment each other.

bureau13

Both Mazdaspeed and Racing Beat have more-or-less complete packages that meet these requirements and get pretty good reviews, don't they?

jds

r0tor

iTrader: (1)

Racing Beat is a "sort of" as basically they went with springs that aren't much stiffer then stock, tuned the sway bars, and then suggest off the shelf Koni's or D-specs designed for a stock suspension... which should work well together in theory

halimsteven

sorry to hijack, but i think it's better for me to put here. do you guys think it's better to upgrade the links for the sway bar when we upgrade sway bar?
i am just curious.....if it's better, i should wait for the links....
thank you
steven

RawrX8

iTrader: (1)

If you got the funds get the endlinks and do it at once. Might as well since everything is apart. Unless you like to pull apart things over and over like I do.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

I must have been in a bitchy mood.....

Eric..I do think that a few easily configured...good alternatives would be welcome.

I think there is a lot of info on the site, and it would be important to understand what you want before the consumer can begin to choose something though. There are always going to be compromises....either in comfort or ride..that the person doing the mod needs to understand

I don't mind stiff..almost kidney jarring suspension...I only drive 15 min to work and usually take my truck. But I am willing to put up with that for better track performance

Not sure how many would be like that.

You would need to define a set of criteria that could be measurable so people know what they are getting

I'm sure you would be more than appreciated for doing some work on something like this

swoope

iTrader: (5)

if you lower the car, very much yes. if not, not really.

beers

dondo

iTrader: (7)

why?

swoope

iTrader: (5)

angles..

beers

swoope

iTrader: (5)

sure,

but you have to define stage one, and stage two..

r compounds vs street tires..

did a private track day about a month ago.. and i was the small fish in that pond..

but i rode with all the sharks.. i mean i drove the whole day, and rode in 6 other cars!

this not an easy answer.. as the sharks had different setups, and bigger tires than than r compounds, silly almost r compounds.. and r compounds.. and street tires, driven by someone with talent... cant believer he saved it..

as to my set up.

eibachs raised 3/8 " inch in the back. d specs, progress tech sways.. dunlop star specs. btw, i now have a 6 hoosier koni challenge series race tires, and i am smart enough not to use them! the wheels that they came on will be mounted with ra1s.

the two setups i know of that have been known good..

tein basics with rb sways..

and racing beat springs sways with blistien hd shocks.. that combo was by the head shark that put on the private track day..


and sorry i did not make it to maimi.. i have something i would like you to look at.. it is an issue you have.. send me a pm if you are interested..


beers

rXter

Thanks folks. I do appreciate the responses. Looks like a good set of sways is the way to go. I need to get my alternate vehicle in good working order to try this myself since the 8 is my DD. My experience tells me that a simple job can turn into a multi-weekend project (my skills are, let's say, modest at best.

BTW I did search the forums and there is so much info on suspension bits that it was difficult to tease out the answer to the question that I had, which is what is the best solution to reduce body roll for a DD rather than a track car? I know that suspension is a slippery slope as you change one item, other parts of the suspension can react, requiring continued upgrades and tuning to get what you want. I am happy with the stock set up WRT under/over steer, and happy with the DD ride comfort. I'd just like to reduce body roll a bit so that my SO and 14-year old don't complain about nausea when they are in the car. They love my Porsche 968 and the difference is all about the roll.

Makes is more fun to approach the limits as well.

Again, thanks for the input. The answer seems clear. A good set of sways will do the trick. And a case of beer and a couple of pizzas will make the installation a snap.

Joe

08boostedmzda

iTrader: (1)

You shouldn't have any problems with the install, I also have average skill when it comes to automotive work and for me the install was a breeze on both bars, especially the rear. An extra set of hands is helpful for the front bar, but the rear is easy as can be.