sneaky91

I am looking to lower my R3 with possibly the Bilstein Pss9 or PSS10 coilovers. I have searched a lot of S2 R3 threads and from what I see coilovers vs just springs are the way to go and stay away from spacers. The car only has 27k miles on it and I would like to keep the quality of the stock Bilsteins suspensions will a lower stance. I see a lot of coilover kits are not available for the 2011 R3, so any suggestions would be great.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

The coil overs for any year RX-8 will work. You can't go wrong with Bilstein.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Both PSS9 and PSS10 would be great choices. If you have the budget, Ohlins Road&Track are a going favorite here and are on sale at GoodWin Racing and SakeBomb.

At that point the real question is how much do you want to pay for adjustability. Will you be making shock adjustments? Rebound only or rebound and bump?

Steve Dallas

If you are only interested in height adjustability, you want Bilstein PSS coilovers at around $1000. They are absolutely the best value in RX-8 coilovers. You can move "up" to PSS9, but the rebound adjuster is really just a gimmick. You will play with it for a while and end up setting it on 5 and leaving it there, because that is the only setting that works. Save your $500.

The only other coilovers worth looking at under $2000, IMHO, are Feal.

Ohlins coilovers are absolutely amazing on the street, and are quite capable on the track, at a price point of $2000.

Tein's stuff is OK, but just OK. There is really no reason to flirt with Tein, when Bilstein PSS is available and inexpensive and far superior.

Do NOT waste your time considering anything else--especially Stance, BC, Megan, Powertrix, K-Sport, etc. Those are all junk.

sinkas

Do you need to use adjustable swaybar ends if the height is dropped?

Steve Dallas

Yes. The front sway bar should be level with the ground under load. The rear should be pointed up about 30*, IIRC. There should be no preload on either. FYI, MX-5 adjustable end links fit.

paporx8

iTrader: (1)

The R3 already comes with Bilsteins. I had mine lowered and they work beautifully.

sinkas

I recall the suspension gurus didnt like your whiteline adjustables links..?

Steve Dallas

It is important to not that I don't know if they were the right ones for my car. They were sourced and installed by the first shop that did a corner balance. The rears were the right length, but the fronts were way too long. I installed a pair of Flyin' Miata NC MX-5 end links, which are the correct length all around, and some bad behavior I was experiencing in the front went away.