SoFL_RX8

To dispell any rumors about these coilovers here is a thread from someo who ACTUALLY has them.

I had much reservation about ordering the Basics instead of a mated shock/spring combo because of rumors that they were too stiff for daily driving, and that the ride quality was a back pain. After being faced with an AMAZING deal on a set of basics, I decided to chance it, and BOY AM I GLAD

These things ride GREAT! The only difference is going over HARD bumps, like pot holes or speedbumps... other than that the ride feels just as nice as stock. The handling is amazingly responsive and tight, in 90* corners the car feels like a go-kart, and at 85mph it feels just as good as it used to at 40mph. Body roll is almost non existant now (some new sways will kill the rest) so slolam turns feel 200% more stable than stock.

The only complaint I have is not with TEIN but with Mazda... TWO (one on each side) of the bolts on the front strut-mounts, where the strut bar is bolted onto the mount, SNAPPED OFF while HAND tightening. I had heard the stock mounts were ****, but come on! Now Im gunna have to order new strut mounts, and while Im at it a new strut bar... damn cheap Mazda mounts.

All in all... IDK where the hell people were basing their oppinions off of.. either a different car with basics, or theyre pansies that need to put a doughnut under their *** when they get into an auto-x car. These things are great, I hate to see them getting any bad mouthing, as I almost didnt buy them because of it.
Anyone considering getting an new shock/spring combo shoud DEFENETLY look into the basics. The price is the same, theyre fully adjustable, and they're friggn coilovers for the price of shocks and springs! A+ from me for bang for your buck, and an A for overall performance increase. No doubt the best mod on my car thus far.

CosmosMpower

Good write up, what kind of price did you get and where? Also have you driven a car with stock springs and koni yellow's to compare?

SoFL_RX8

I bought them from a local 8 owner brand new for $450... he was selling his 8 and never got around to installing them. I couldnt pass up a deal like that.

Cosmos, no, I havent ridden on yellows, but I have ridden on S-Tech springs witht eh stock shocks and the Basics feel worlds better.

vOc

Was your car on stocks prior to the new coils?

SoFL_RX8

Yes my car was on stock suspension before the Basics went in.

JB_Rotary

when you say fully adjustable do you mean dampening and rebound or just ride height?

Red Devil

Basics are ride height adjustable. They are not dampening adjustable.

Moostafa29

Glad you like them. I think they are great as well, definitely a good bang for buck mod.

CosmosMpower

Dang I can't blame you, that's cheaper than any sort of decent aftermarket shocks.

SiLVeRE8

iTrader: (8)

this is kind of tempting.....

SoFL_RX8

I think brand new you can fetch them for about $800 shipped... its a hard deal to beat for a set of hight adjustable coilovers. I pushed the car a little harder today, and it feels rock solid.

AND ladies and gents, for the true "Ride Quality Test" I had my girlfriend in the car today, and she agreed the ride is remarkably smooth, almost stock, just a little more cabin noise and road feel. If my daily passenger agrees its smooth, I know its true.

Kel Rx8

any pictures ? I have the stech and looking at Coilovers now.
great thread so far.

coolstorm92

iTrader: (1)

WOW. That is a deal you may not be albe to pass these up for $450. I want to give my opinion on these coilovers as well just to help out prospective buyers since I owned them on my rx-8 as well. These coilovers do handle great on SMOOTH roads. If you drive on shitty roads a lot, you may find these annoyingly stiff. You will also likely notice noise from the rears. It is not loud but is noticeable over uneven pavement etc. To me koni/ tein stech is a much better combo for handling and ride.

Kel Rx8

any pixs ?

Rena my Rx8

im goin wid tein stech springs, n mazdaspeed shocks... springs arrived, shocks should arrive tomorrow. very excited haha :O) then im plannin to get new tires before winter 245's all around, stock rims yay!!!

SoFL_RX8

Will take pix tomorrow if I remeber.

mikeschaefer

well the basics are 448 lbs front and 336 rear

compare that to stock 156/113
MS 280/190
Tein S 207/145
Tanabe GF 179/146
RB 187/136

And yeah the basics are pretty stiff, but I am glad you like them and you think they are smooth. I hadn't seen a review on them and till now and was pretty much set on going with MS springs/shocks combo. You can actually get the basics on ebay for about $650 which is right around the same price as the MS combo. Now I'm undecided again! Thanks! lol

I know I definitely don't want go any stiffer than basics though. I've ridden in a car with springs that were a bit over 500 front and rear if I remember correctly. It was pretty harsh. The Tein Flex for our cars are 504 front and 392 rear, and MSRP is ~1500! Too bad you're in florida, I'd really like to see what the ride feels like! I've already driven one with the MS combo and it was quite nice.

SoFL_RX8

Trust me, Ive had people in the car who didnt know I had the coilovers installed untill I took a corner hard... the ride is defenetly not harsh enough for anyone to take notice. Like I said, going over hard bumps youre gunna feel them pretty solid, but other than that they're fine. I drive through construction zones on a daily basis and my *** seems to be no more worse for the wear. Again dude, I would seriously recomend the Basics over the MS shock spring combo.

dmp

pics?