Reply With QuoteI put the front springs from a 57 Caddy on the back of my 55 Chevy wagon when the leafs gave up. Worked pretty well.
Shocks and springs?
KYB's or Koni's???
FM Springs or Eibachs?
Opinions before I order? Thanks.
Re: Shocks and springs?
The KYB's are easier to install IIRC. The Koni's take some hacking on the cars top shock mounts to get them to fit. Also don't forget to order new OEM bumpstops when you order your shocks.Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
You do have to drill the mounts for the koni's but it's not a major deal since you have to take the perches out when you pull the shock. That being said I went the CB route and did the AGX's.
Make sure you put boots and bumpstops in the budget since yours may be toast! What are the rate on the springs you’re looking at?
For only a little bit more than the cost of mismatched springs and shocks, you could step up to an integrated set of coilovers (like Tein HAs), which is what I would suggest. This way you'll not only get the ability to adjust your shocks, but you can also adjust your ride height (instead of accepting wherever it ends up with a set of lowering springs), and you'll be able to cornerweight the car. Even better, you have the peace of mind in knowing that all of the components of the system were designed to work together, instead of buying springs from this manufacturer, shocks from that manufacturer, hacking up a set of bump stops and hoping you got it right, etc.
Spend the extra money and get a matched system. It's like buying a suit - you could probably save a few bucks if you bought a jacket from store A, slacks from Store B, and put them together with a pair of shoes and a belt you already own, but chances are it isn't going to be as well integrated as it would if you bought the entire suit from store C as a matched set. Make sense?
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
I agree with alt, and maybe a matched set of beefy Racing Beat swaybars (endlinks, braces, reinforcement flanges).
But altiain, why HAs and not Flexes?
Save yourself the money and don't bother with an aftermarket rear bar. All of the fast guys I know are running either an OEM rear bar or no rear bar at all.
As for HA vs. Flex - I owned the HAs and I liked them, but I'm planning on going with the Flex next time. I merely suggested the HAs because they're closer in price (~$1000 for the set) to a set of typical springs and shocks.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
In case you're still wondering, 3b, the big benefit to the Flex setup is the included pillowball mounts. Now that Flex's can be had for $1250 or so if you look hard, it's a much cheaper way to pick up the extra inch of suspension travel - and you won't need to buy new bump stops!
Or you can take the Team Cheap Bastard approach and spend $300 for a set a AGX's and another $100 or so for OEM bumpstops/boots. YSuspensionMV. :P
They also add the following over the HAs:
Higher spring rates (and valving to match)
The ability to adjust suspension height and spring perch height independently.
The second benefit is the biggest reason to upgrade to the Flex over the HA, imho. It allows you to set the ride height independent of spring preload and shock travel, or vice versa. There is the standard threaded body to adjust the spring height (and thus preload), and then there is another threaded section that allows you to adjust the length of the shock body itself.
In a typical coilover setup, you use the single thread to adjust ride height, but once you've established a ride height, your spring preload and shock travel are non-adjustable (since they're a function of the ride height you pick). With the Flex, you can set the spring preload/shock travel independent of the ride height, which allows you more range of suspension travel before the bumpstops when you've lowered the car sunbstantially. You can also do some other neat tricks with spring preload, but I won't go into that here.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Oh, and just another thought. I remember you saying something about "Spec Miata". If you are planning to build out your car to eventually run in Spec Miata, they have specific ...ah,er,um... spec suspension requirements. You might want to check that out before spending $1,000+ on some cool coilovers that won't be legal in true Spec Miata racing.
On the other hand, if you're not really going the Spec Miata route with this car...
Just an FYI, the Spec Miata 1.6 Suspension Kit (K-SPEC-M5-SUSP) is $1,198.00. (Currently with free shippingOh, and just another thought. I remember you saying something about "Spec Miata". If you are planning to build out your car to eventually run in Spec Miata, they have specific ...ah,er,um... spec suspension requirements. You might want to check that out before spending $1,000+ on some cool coilovers that won't be legal in true Spec Miata racing.
On the other hand, if you're not really going the Spec Miata route with this car...
Tein Prices do this include springs or do you need them also?
Tein's kits include shocks, springs, proprietary bumpstops, adjustment wrenches, and everything else you'll need. On the Flex, it will even include new upper spring perches, but on the HA you'll have to re-use your stock upper mounts (unless you want to pay extra for Tein's upper mounts).
By the way, if you guys are interested in buying any Tein products, give Frank at Impreza Garage a call. He's a friend and co-worker of mine who just started this little business on the side, and he should be able to get you a pretty good deal on Tein parts.
Iain
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
Actually I'm glad you brought that up... I'm gonna check out Spec Miata and see what they're doing.Oh, and just another thought. I remember you saying something about "Spec Miata". If you are planning to build out your car to eventually run in Spec Miata, they have specific ...ah,er,um... spec suspension requirements. You might want to check that out before spending $1,000+ on some cool coilovers that won't be legal in true Spec Miata racing.
On the other hand, if you're not really going the Spec Miata route with this car...
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