RE: PH Fleet Update: Mazda Eunos Roadster

RE: PH Fleet Update: Mazda Eunos Roadster

Monday 18th July 2011

PH Fleet Update: Mazda Eunos Roadster

Plans for new springs and dampers have finally borne fruit, but not before Dan's driving comes under scrutiny to see if he's worthy...



I've been wittering on about having the suspension done on my Eunos from the moment I bought it and now, six months in, it looks like something might finally be happening.

I'd initially talked to Bilstein, but the choices seemed limited to a basic B6 Sport monotube set-up with a specific tune for Mk1/NA MX-5s or, at the other extreme, a bells-and-whistles B16 kit with clicker adjustment and tweakable ride height. As this is a kit for Mk2/NB cars this would have required a change in top mounts to fit, but as this also increases suspension travel this wouldn't have been such a bad thing.

IsTrent worthy of trick suspension work?
IsTrent worthy of trick suspension work?
But then Phil at Performance 5 got in touch with bold boasts about his SportDrive kit. So started a chain of events that eventually had me meeting up with suspension engineer Dave Turner, Phil's in-house expert, for an assessment of both car and driver's abilities. No pressure, then...

Trained as an engineer, Dave worked on suspension for military vehicles, including main battle tanks. He and his colleagues must have been onto something too, the Americans apparently stunned in the first Gulf War at the speed British military vehicles could carry over the rough desert terrain. After a spell as a police accident investigator he's since worked as a senior instructor for Cadence Driver Development, an advanced driving school with the emphasis on giving drivers the skills to enjoy performance cars safely.

Dave from Performance 5 looks unsure...
Dave from Performance 5 looks unsure...
The thinking behind Performance 5's Sport Drive kit is rather more sophisticated than most, Phil and Dave keen to preserve the essential character of the MX-5 rather than follow the route taken by many and simply make it lower and stiffer. And it's all designed in-house, bar a few off-the-shelf seals and washers, it's all built to his specification from scratch.

High- and low-speed damping in both compression and rebound are all configurable but the adjuster knob on the top of the unit controls only the rebound curve for fine tuning. Spring rates are raised considerably, the fronts alone going from 170lb/in to 350lb/in with the aim of reducing roll and maintaining a consistent tyre contact patch without sacrificing ride comfort. According to the P5 blurb, the natural understeery tendency is reduced to a more neutral balance that encourages throttle adjustability. Sounds good to me...


...And makes complete sense when you've had a drive with Dave and tasted a little of what Cadence Driver Development preaches. It's classic 'making progress' stuff, Dave encouraging much earlier and harder braking for corners than I'd instinctively make but much, much earlier on the power and barely moving the wheel, steering the car as much by accelerator as wheel. And, no, this doesn't involve any 'dab of oppo' showboating, just very subtle adjustments in attitude based on reading the road properly and knowing how and where to carry speed.

Dave seemed satisfied I hadn't bought a complete shed and, in a roundabout way, seemed to suggest I wasn't an entirely lost cause as a driver too. Which was nice of him. Am I worthy of the SportDrive kit though? Well, the Eunos is now with Phil at Performance 5 and, I'm hoping, next time I see it will have the dampers in place. Phil's also going to bolt some of his own chassis rail braces onto the underside to help stiffen it up a bit, one of my concerns being that a significantly stiffer chassis would only result in more body wobble.


"It's best to go as soft as possible with the springs and pair that with good damping," says Dave, pointing out that a stiff set-up - as I'd feared - would simply end up using the body as an (undamped) spring. The proof will be in the driving but Dave assured me the SportDrive kit actually reduces the shake, rattle and roll you get on any bumpy road. Compliant it may be, but Dave clearly takes pride in the fact the SportDrive kit means even on standard 14-inch wheels and, in his words, crummy tyres the car can carry 1g lateral loadings.

Speaking of which, I recently put the standard wheels and crummy tyres back on to test a theory and, much as I love the 15-inch OZs, I have to confess it does feel a little more natural on the 14s. The Tigar tyres are comedic though, wet grip levels alarmingly/entertainingly (depending on whether you're in the mood) low and offering plenty of opportunity for exploring Dave's throttle adjustability theory. At 20mph.


I'll try the OZs when I've got the new dampers on before I make a final decision, but I'm rapidly coming round to the opinion that lightweight wheels are one of the most noticeable mods you can make to a car and the standard ones might well be best for preserving the Mazda's balance.

Further discussions with Dave and Phil did suggest the half cage/door bars idea I've been playing with might not be a bad route for stiffening the car further and it was suggested a smaller steering wheel for increased response might be an idea. I love the skinny-rimmed Momo, though, and won't change it unless I find something equivalent.

As I write, the car is with Phil with a deadline looming in the shape of a return to the Welsh roads and Anglesey circuit I so enjoyed back in the spring. If that isn't an opportunity for the P5 kit to show its mettle nothing will be; my date there with the MX-5 GT race car, promising an intense hit of Mazda-based delights over coming weeks.

Author
Discussion

Tankslider

Original Poster:

833 posts

222 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Great stuff. Phil's stuff is brilliant.

SCOTTYDOG43

8 posts

171 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Fascinating stuff, Dan. I bought a similar car last Sep with an MoT til june. So have just spent a fair bit on putting her through the MoT. I have dabbled wth bigger alloys. But I think you are right about balance and will only put on the bigger wheels for the odd track day.All money spent, apart from those, has been on standard parts, so it will be intersting to se how yours sompares after Dave has worked his magic on your car.

I spent Saturday doing final service checks as trip to deep France kicks off next week. Can't wait!Enjoy your Anglesey revisit. Looking forward to the next instalment!

wackojacko

8,581 posts

189 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Great addition !

gweaver

906 posts

157 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
That's some impressively sideways action in this photo, shame you were using a telephoto lens though.

Little Bob

235 posts

208 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
Bought mine a couple of months ago, a 1.8 S Special with some tasty extra bits. Bought as a weekend car, love it.

Replaced the Mazdaspeed adjustable suspension a couple of weeks ago with Meister R suspension, stainless steel cat back system, and just bought a roll bar too...the spending doesn't stop!



Mellow Matt

1,343 posts

206 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
I've been thinking about changing the suspension on my S-Special too - any details on the costs?

Little Bob

235 posts

208 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
There's a group buy on mx5nutz for the Meister R at present - £540 including top mounts.

Loads of reviews and feedback to read through too. I have to say I've been extremely impressed with these - a 'ring trip next week will show how they behave in a more thorough workout.

They looked too good to put on the car to be honest, the finish is simply beautiful.

jdmroadsterna6

4 posts

152 months

Monday 18th July 2011
quotequote all
After reading this i finally looked into the Bilstein aftermarket range.
Would someone be able to elaborte for me.. The B6 are and "sports" kit. How do these stack up to the OEM bilsteins as fitted to the Import specs? Are they valved differently (ie more suited to european road unlike the OEM Jap spec billies).
The B8 are essentially shortened B6s with the innards suited for the shorter shocks. However they are only available for the mk2s...but obviously can be fitted to mk1s with the use of mk2 topmounts.

anyone had experience with this range bilsteins...as bilstein do make very good quality shocks?


bert11

286 posts

177 months

Tuesday 19th July 2011
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I have the meister r's on mine. Highly recommended. The dual perch design is very good. On track it sticks like hell with barely any body roll

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Nice car Little Bob, very nice indeed. And, to Mellow Matt, the P5 kit is £559 at the introductory offer price. See Performance 5 for more info.

rob.brad

22 posts

194 months

Saturday 23rd July 2011
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I've had someone hit me and write off my little MX5 frown

If anyone needs any bits drop me a message, I'm just waiting for the insurance company to sort the final details out.

Dan Trent

1,866 posts

167 months

Thursday 28th July 2011
quotequote all
Oh bad luck. Gutting. That's my one big fear - with the value of them so low it's not going to take much of a knock for an insurance company to write it off. My heart goes out to you.