scwchapman

Hopefully by the end of this summer I'll have the funds to make some modifications to my car. I want to focus mainly on making the driving experience as fulfilling as possible, while at the same time setting my car up so that it's bearable (barely) on the streets, but can handle autoX and track days if necessary. Here is what I am thinking so far. Your thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated, and if vendors read this, it would be great if you could PM me prices for the list, shipped.

Any suggestions are welcome, as I am just basing this list off things that I've read.

Tokico D-spec shocks w/ adjusters
Swift Sport springs or Tein S-tech springs
Progress Front and Rear sway bars (with endlinks IF necessary)
Mazdaspeed front strut tower brace (4 point) (braces master cylinder right?)
Steel braided brake and clutch lines
Exedy or ACT stage 1 clutch kit
Unorthodox flywheel and pulley set (maybe, are these mods really worth it?)
17" or 18" Gold RPF1's (largest tire size possible without having to roll fenders, input would be appreciated)
HKS Hi-power Ti exhaust
And of course, Cobb AP w/ Mazdamaniac tune

Okay, so that's the list, but here are some alterations, and I am curious to what you all think.

Megan racing coilovers instead of Tok D-specs with springs? Or save up the money and go Stance coilovers?

Instead of the 4 point front strut tower brace, get the Axial flow engineering master cylinder brace?
Also, should I get new spark plug wires, or anything in that area? Would it smooth things out?

That's all I can think of.

By the way. I already have AFE short shifter (1st mod of course) and Project Mu pads.

shaunv74

My opinion:

-Put the Racingbeat springs and sways on your list. They are a well matched set and a great street/track setup with the Tokicos.

-Skip the strut tower brace and clutch/pulleys. You already have a fine strut tower brace and the stock clutch is fine unless you have a bunch of miles on it and want to swap it out when you do the flywheel.

-I would add the BHR and RacingBeat flywheels to your list as well. I love the RB and everyone raves about the BHR clutch/flywheel setup.

-The pullys are a waste of money. Skip them.

-Add the BHR ignition coil kit to your list. The stock coils are 30K mile items and really sap power. -This is a great mod to improve power and gas mileage.

-Add the BHR or Racingbeat resonated midpipe to your list or high flow cat. Upgrading or removing the cat. frees up the most power in your exhaust.

-The HKS hi-power is really loud and honestly expensive for what you get. I would look at the Greddy SP-2, Racingbeat, and Borla. For the price of a full Titanium exhaust you can get the RB header, BHR midpipe, and RB exhaust and get a much better sound and more power.

-One more thing to add: For an intake. Get either the Racingbeat or AEM/Mazdaspeed. Those are both proven intakes that work well. There is a lot of garbage in the intake market as well.

shaunv74

A little bit about suspension:

If you are going to go coilovers get the KW V3's. Else get a solid spring/shock setup like you've listed. There are a lot of crap coilovers that are "affordable" and end up being junk and worse than your stock setup. Suspension is probably the hardest thing on a car to get right so make sure you get a top quality set of coilovers or a well known proven spring/shock setup. There's a lot of crap out there that will cause you to spend more money than if you had done it right the first time.

Ask me how I know (click link in sig.)

scwchapman

Alright. That's what I was afraid of, the prices just seemed too good to be true with some of those coilovers. When I first got the car I thought about RB sways but I know you need new endlinks for those and I'm not to keen on drilling my own holes. I've done a lot of research and people seem to be pretty happy with either RB or Progress sways.

I've heard nothing but extremely positive things about BHR's products. To make sure I understood you correctly, you said the BHR clutch/flywheel combo? They make a clutch kit as well? I ask because my throwout bearing is on its way out the door and so I'm just going to replace the clutch, pilot bearing etc, and figured I might as well do the flywheel as well.

As for the pulleys, I've heard mixed things, so for now I'll keep that as optional. As for the intakes, if I were to get one, RB would be the only I get, but I find it's a lot of money for minimal gains (dollar/hp ratio). I've heard very good things about the Hi-power exhaust, and from what I've found it's one of the least expensive exhausts out there because it's a single pipe (I like that single pipe look, it's something different)

Borla would be my second choice. Would a resonated mid-pipe still keep my car emissions legal (I know it's not as free-flowing as a test-pipe, but is it similar to a high-flow cat?).

I've heard about the ignition coil, and I'll definitely add that to the list. Should I replace plugs and also get new wires, since I'll already be in the area?

Thanks for the input so far

imput1234

iTrader: (6)

Your spring/shocks setup will be fine, as long as your happy with the rideheight, stance will be an upgrade, meagan won't.

S-Tech's lower the car more than Swifts. I used to have the swifts, I liked em.

Instead of saying no to pullies, I would say no to the strut tower bars.

Fidanza Flywheel is cheaper and lighter than most of the alternates, so that would be better than unorthadox.

you can run 17 or 18x9.5 +45 with 275 all around if you wan to.

The HKS exhaust rocks.

Cobb is great too.

scwchapman

Alright, I'll look into the Fidanza flywheel, I haven't heard or seen much on it but I'll do some research. Instead of the strut tower brace, what about the master cylinder brace from Axial flow, since it functions in the same way but is less money?

17X9.5 sounds like one fat tire all around, but I think I'd notice a huge difference. I've heard a ton of positive stuff about the D-spec/swift spring set up, so I may stick with that.

Thanks for all the input so far. A price list would be a welcome addition.

G-ReX

Realize that you won't be able to adjust D-Specs through their whole range under a stock strut tower bar. If you get D-Specs and plan to only keep them pretty stiff, it won't matter.

imput1234

iTrader: (6)

I have MS strut bar, I honest do not feel a diff from the master brace, people that say its a night and day difference are full off ****. 275 u can run easily, but on the rx8 its too much tire, 255 would be the best. Fidanza is 9lbs and costs $275, you can't really beat that.

scwchapman

Even if I get the adjuster tool for front and rear? Should I then opt for the Mazdaspeed strut tower bar, or some other one?

Also, in response to other threads, etc. So 275 is too much tire, so what tire size would fit 17's nicely. 255's? Which would make the rims what size exactly (I'm terrible with correct wheel sizes)

This will be a daily driven 8, so will 17" RPF1's just be too light on for every day roads (I live around Baltimore Maryland, and the roads are NOT perfect). Any other suggestions for a strong, light, and relatively inexpensive 17in. wheel?

Thanks again for everything

cjkim

I adjust them just fine under the stock strut bar...

G-ReX

The front adjuster is a hex key topped by a **** that slides in the top of the shock and is used for both sides, while the rear adjuster ***** are fixed (assuming you get the extensions). If I adjusted for the street - about 3 turns off full - the **** portion of the adjuster hit the strut bar before the hex key cleared, so I couldn't pull it out to adjust the other side. For the track and autocross, I have the ***** at 1 to 1-1/2 turns off full and that works fine, though it's a little awkward to get to. If you plan on keeping the car on stiff settings always, you won't have a problem. I got the MS bar because it clears the key completely and makes quick adjusting at the track easier. I suppose there might be some height variations that allow others to adjust more readily. For reference, the range of adjustment is up to 6.5 turns off full IIRC. Stock stiffness is about 4-5 turns off full stiff.
BTW, I love the shocks. Get those first and if you find adjusting is a PITA, then get the MS bar as well, o/w you can just get the axial flow master cylinder brace & save some bucks.

imput1234

iTrader: (6)

like I said Fidanza is one of the lightest and one of the cheapest, I'm not saying your product isn't better. You can get Fidanza for 275shipped on ebay, that's probably the one of the cheapest flywheels out.

Flashwing

The BHR flywheel is the lightest RX8 flywheel on the market to date.

I didn't check but does the ebay purchase come with any kind of technical support from the seller?

08boostedmzda

iTrader: (1)

To me it would be worth any extra money to buy a flywheel through BHR because I know I'll have the peace of mind of knowing I'm buying from trustworthy people as well as knowing I'll have technical support from the seller that I probably wouldn't get from an ebay seller.

gundarx

You don't need an aftermarket strut tower bar or any modification on the stock one. You just need a pair of adjustment cables (got them from CRH ). I adjust both my front and rear settings all the time just with my fingers through the cables (never ever used the hex tool) and can definitely go through the entire adjustment range.

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

It is not the lightest but it appears to be the best bang for the buck...

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

Pettit sells an 8.5lb'er but its a whopping $500. Like I said yours is def the best bang for the buck....

scwchapman

All the feedback has been great so far. It seems for a clutch I'll definitely go with BHR, as with the flywheel and BHR ignition system. Is the midpipe resonated? I don't want it to be too too loud.

This may be a stupid question but where can I find what products BHR sells? I use Fluid Motorsports and all the other sites but I can't seem to find a site for BHR.

Keep the opinions coming.

J8635621

iTrader: (10)

PM the guy above your post. He is BHR.

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

This is BHRs site...

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

Then I suggest you refrain from making such analysis' of pixels on a screen until you wiegh it yourself and put it thorough the scrutiny of your own products...
Until proven or disproven its still way too pricey...

Flashwing

Since when is the burden of proof on us?

cjkim

I can adjust through the whole range with the hex key... and it slides out (jst barely)

Rotr8

iTrader: (2)

you guys hold yourselves to those standards and shove them in everyones face, so thats on you...
I m not making to the claim either way, I already stated until proven or disproven. This is not an attack Ray. But you seem to have a double standard of analysis when it comes to things that are tangibly within your grasp and those that are not... You cannot claim that something is either factual or inflated until you have standard basis... So to say "Its not so, because it looks not so, and thats the bottom line" is laughable,,,
They're not the ones paying you because your not the one buying the product. Thats what we pay all of you for... No ones paying me to go out and prove or disprove items in the market... If you want to claim that an item isnt to the spec that you think it looks like then thats just as important as the standard that the maker of the product should be held to when making the claim... you cannot say it is or is not that wieght...

Im sure that if someone were to purchase the Pettit flywheel, and measure the wieght on thier own Cam would have no problem returning that customers money, as would you if one of your products were to be found not to a claimed spec.

shaunv74

Enough with the thread crapping.

The guy has the information he wants. Let's move on...