Recommendations for Suspension overhaul NA. in NE
Discussion
Hi,
My NA 1.8i has had a charmed life and I feel now after 24years, it may be time for some TLC on the running gear / suspension.
I supposedly had it poly bushed (MX5Parts stock stuff) probably ten years go, but apparently some of the bushes are still rubber and perished.
Currently sat at circa 120,000 miles.
I'm of the mindset that rebushing all round and fresh dampers would do it a world of good combined with an alignment / set up.
The car isn't tracked and used for when the sun shines hooning around the Yorkshire lanes should it make a difference in the gear suggested or set up.
To be honest I always thought that the poly-bush replacements of the original OEM bushes made it harsh and crashy - so happy to go back to a near stock set up.
I'm not equipped for this and good garages are hard to come by. Garages that know how to do the above and set them up more so.
Any suggestions, preferably in the North East of England / Yorkshire, and suggested hardware would be very welcomed.
My NA 1.8i has had a charmed life and I feel now after 24years, it may be time for some TLC on the running gear / suspension.
I supposedly had it poly bushed (MX5Parts stock stuff) probably ten years go, but apparently some of the bushes are still rubber and perished.
Currently sat at circa 120,000 miles.
I'm of the mindset that rebushing all round and fresh dampers would do it a world of good combined with an alignment / set up.
The car isn't tracked and used for when the sun shines hooning around the Yorkshire lanes should it make a difference in the gear suggested or set up.
To be honest I always thought that the poly-bush replacements of the original OEM bushes made it harsh and crashy - so happy to go back to a near stock set up.
I'm not equipped for this and good garages are hard to come by. Garages that know how to do the above and set them up more so.
Any suggestions, preferably in the North East of England / Yorkshire, and suggested hardware would be very welcomed.
There's several threads on suspension refurbs.
General opinion is Meister or Tein coilovers. Depends on your budget really and what you want it for and what harshness you can tolerate.
I put together an AGX shock, Eibach spring package that suited me plus Whiteline ARB's, bought stuff over time and then all fitted together by myself. Still on standard bushes for smoother ride.
General opinion is Meister or Tein coilovers. Depends on your budget really and what you want it for and what harshness you can tolerate.
I put together an AGX shock, Eibach spring package that suited me plus Whiteline ARB's, bought stuff over time and then all fitted together by myself. Still on standard bushes for smoother ride.
Thanks -
I am sure that there are a thousand combinations of component brands and styles to suit budget through to ‘fast road’ (whatever that meant) and track
I’m looking for somewhere to take a global perspective on the full upgrade
Maybe I need to ask in the NE and Yorkshire sub forums.....
I am sure that there are a thousand combinations of component brands and styles to suit budget through to ‘fast road’ (whatever that meant) and track
I’m looking for somewhere to take a global perspective on the full upgrade
Maybe I need to ask in the NE and Yorkshire sub forums.....
If you're never going near a track then I've heard good things about gaz suspension. The classics are very much road setup although by all accounts the gold pro models are still a lovely comprise without being too track focused.
Polybushes are always going to be a bit stiff so oem bushes wouldnt be a bad option if you're happy with the body control. I've heard horror stories about polybushes whereby they were too stiff and have resulted in cracked wishbones. Not sure if this is incorrect fitment but I've seen it a few times.
Polybushes are always going to be a bit stiff so oem bushes wouldnt be a bad option if you're happy with the body control. I've heard horror stories about polybushes whereby they were too stiff and have resulted in cracked wishbones. Not sure if this is incorrect fitment but I've seen it a few times.
ecksjay said:
If you're never going near a track then I've heard good things about gaz suspension. The classics are very much road setup although by all accounts the gold pro models are still a lovely comprise without being too track focused.
Polybushes are always going to be a bit stiff so oem bushes wouldnt be a bad option if you're happy with the body control. I've heard horror stories about polybushes whereby they were too stiff and have resulted in cracked wishbones. Not sure if this is incorrect fitment but I've seen it a few times.
What can I say ? I was young and poly bushes sounded ‘cool’ and sporty.Polybushes are always going to be a bit stiff so oem bushes wouldnt be a bad option if you're happy with the body control. I've heard horror stories about polybushes whereby they were too stiff and have resulted in cracked wishbones. Not sure if this is incorrect fitment but I've seen it a few times.
Turned out to be crashy
A good all round set up - and date I say stock feel as the designers and engineers planned is not a bad goal to aim for right now.
AK Automotive did a suspension refresh on my NB a few years ago, nice guys and reasonably priced too.
https://www.facebook.com/akautomotive01/
https://www.facebook.com/akautomotive01/
Gaz will build suspension that behaves exactly as you want it to, where other manufacturers sell an 'off the shelf' package that works for some people but not for others.
Regards bushes, Poly are a middle-ground that isn't exceptional at anything. If you want comfort then standard rubber bushes are the way to go. If control is more of a priority than comfort then spherical solid bushings are the way to go. Poly just sits on the fence, undecided about what it wants to do.
Overall, you will see a large improvement just from refreshing the standard components if current parts are worn.
https://www.gazshocks.com/products
Regards bushes, Poly are a middle-ground that isn't exceptional at anything. If you want comfort then standard rubber bushes are the way to go. If control is more of a priority than comfort then spherical solid bushings are the way to go. Poly just sits on the fence, undecided about what it wants to do.
Overall, you will see a large improvement just from refreshing the standard components if current parts are worn.
https://www.gazshocks.com/products
I'm interested to see what you go for in the end because I'm in the same boat. I have a 1996 Eunos that is in need of a suspension overhaul (currently on original Bilstein shocks). I've been doing my research and TBH the more I read the harder it becomes to make an informed decision. There is so much choice out there, and a lot of differing opinions...
I was all set to go for Meister Rs, but then I have read a couple of threads recently which went on about having to get the Meister Rs professionally setup otherwise they can give a very bouncy ride, which turns an already pricey option into a very pricey option. I'm only looking for a fast road set-up. With the exception of dropping the ride height by 1-2 cms I'm not interested in being able to tweak the ride height and rebound endless times between road and track. I appreciate that Meister Rs are probably an overkill for my needs, but I'm prepared to spend the money if the value is there because I don't want to be farting about with the suspension again for a good number of years. I've read good things about Gaz and the V-maxx from Flyin' Miata (different spring rating to the standard Vmaxx which is supposed to be better), so I'm trying to decide between these three.
As for the suspension bushes, I'm sticking with the OEMs.
I was all set to go for Meister Rs, but then I have read a couple of threads recently which went on about having to get the Meister Rs professionally setup otherwise they can give a very bouncy ride, which turns an already pricey option into a very pricey option. I'm only looking for a fast road set-up. With the exception of dropping the ride height by 1-2 cms I'm not interested in being able to tweak the ride height and rebound endless times between road and track. I appreciate that Meister Rs are probably an overkill for my needs, but I'm prepared to spend the money if the value is there because I don't want to be farting about with the suspension again for a good number of years. I've read good things about Gaz and the V-maxx from Flyin' Miata (different spring rating to the standard Vmaxx which is supposed to be better), so I'm trying to decide between these three.
As for the suspension bushes, I'm sticking with the OEMs.
My mk1 has IL Motorsport replacement rubber bushes and Gaz Gold Pros with 300/400 springs, with a Blink alignment. I did a lot of research and decided poly-bushing was probably a bad idea for the road, mainly in terms of NVH.
The biggest issue I have with the GGPs is occasional bottoming out in sudden compressions. The arch lips have been rolled to prevent rubbing on track. However, I do run mine quite low and I think they're a good compromise. I never touch the adjustment, even on track. I have had one shock replaced due to corrosion. If buying GGPs, make sure you get the correct rear shocks. I believe there have been a number of variants used over the years, all designed to improve rear suspension travel.
I did a deal with a local specialist when I wanted my suspension refurbished. They supplied me with good condition, 2nd hand front and rear subframes and a full set of wishbones with bushes removed. I took them to my powdercoater of choice where they were bead blasted, hot zinc dipped and powdercoated. Then back to the garage who fitted the IL Motorsport bushes, GGPs etc. and took my old subframes and wishbones in exchange. This worked for me and meant I could drop the car off one weekend and pick it up the next.
I find the comment that Gaz are good "except for the track" a bit weird given that the only dampers allowed in the MX5 Supercup race series are Gaz Gold Pros. However, I guess suspension is always going to be a compromise.
If money was no object I'd go to Ohlins or Nitron and get them to build me something bespoke :-)
The biggest issue I have with the GGPs is occasional bottoming out in sudden compressions. The arch lips have been rolled to prevent rubbing on track. However, I do run mine quite low and I think they're a good compromise. I never touch the adjustment, even on track. I have had one shock replaced due to corrosion. If buying GGPs, make sure you get the correct rear shocks. I believe there have been a number of variants used over the years, all designed to improve rear suspension travel.
I did a deal with a local specialist when I wanted my suspension refurbished. They supplied me with good condition, 2nd hand front and rear subframes and a full set of wishbones with bushes removed. I took them to my powdercoater of choice where they were bead blasted, hot zinc dipped and powdercoated. Then back to the garage who fitted the IL Motorsport bushes, GGPs etc. and took my old subframes and wishbones in exchange. This worked for me and meant I could drop the car off one weekend and pick it up the next.
I find the comment that Gaz are good "except for the track" a bit weird given that the only dampers allowed in the MX5 Supercup race series are Gaz Gold Pros. However, I guess suspension is always going to be a compromise.
If money was no object I'd go to Ohlins or Nitron and get them to build me something bespoke :-)
Edited by cwinterb on Friday 28th February 18:40
I refreshed my standard old suspension on my na a few years back using kyb standard spec shocks and springs from eurocarparts. Everyone told me I was mad. Suspension doesn't wear out and you absolutely must upgrade to meisters. But the transformation it made to the car was amazing. You really dont need to upgrade to feel a difference. Mazda set up is excellent on the road. As for bushes the OEM wishbone bushes are very expensive. As already mentioned IL do some rubber ones that are considerably cheaper and still rubber so not meant to be as harsh as poly. See mx5parts.
I imagine getting a garage to do a full refresh will be expensive as the wishbone bushes can be a pig of a job and seized bolts will likely hamper progress.
Think it will be worth it though if the car is a keeper
I imagine getting a garage to do a full refresh will be expensive as the wishbone bushes can be a pig of a job and seized bolts will likely hamper progress.
Think it will be worth it though if the car is a keeper
drgoatboy said:
I refreshed my standard old suspension on my na a few years back using kyb standard spec shocks and springs from eurocarparts. Everyone told me I was mad. Suspension doesn't wear out and you absolutely must upgrade to meisters. But the transformation it made to the car was amazing. You really dont need to upgrade to feel a difference. Mazda set up is excellent on the road. As for bushes the OEM wishbone bushes are very expensive. As already mentioned IL do some rubber ones that are considerably cheaper and still rubber so not meant to be as harsh as poly. See mx5parts.
I imagine getting a garage to do a full refresh will be expensive as the wishbone bushes can be a pig of a job and seized bolts will likely hamper progress.
Think it will be worth it though if the car is a keeper
This comment is the one I am most aligned with....... I imagine getting a garage to do a full refresh will be expensive as the wishbone bushes can be a pig of a job and seized bolts will likely hamper progress.
Think it will be worth it though if the car is a keeper
Although I like the idea of having the bits off and powder coated. Which I did last time around
If you buy decent nick wishbones secondhand that have already had the bushes removed, you can get them powdercoated and get the new bushes fitted while they're off the car, meaning it's a straight swap and the garage doesn't have to faff getting the old bushes out (which costs time and therefore money).
I have found polybushes are great for transmitting road surface details through the vehicle but they are wince-inducing over unseen potholes (because less 'give' in the system - anyone running rose-joints on the road must fear instant damage in such a situation!) and on those roads with the transverse gaps between road sections (old A-roads, older estate roads) the 'ping' through the car gets quite annoying... lol
Would I have them again? I think I would, but then an OEM setup would also be attractive if local roads were a state.
I have found polybushes are great for transmitting road surface details through the vehicle but they are wince-inducing over unseen potholes (because less 'give' in the system - anyone running rose-joints on the road must fear instant damage in such a situation!) and on those roads with the transverse gaps between road sections (old A-roads, older estate roads) the 'ping' through the car gets quite annoying... lol
Would I have them again? I think I would, but then an OEM setup would also be attractive if local roads were a state.
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