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Is is worth buying?? I am broke & this is cheap, what do you think. I am in desparate need of new shocks, & while im at it I want some FM springs. Eventually I want sway bars maybee(havent really researched them yet), so this seems like a good deal, but my only concern is the shocks being a year old.
Well.... you road in a car with 2 year old FM Stage 2 suspension a few days ago... Is that the feel you are looking for?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
How cheap is cheap? If it's near the cost of replacing the individuals with new then, IMHO, I would say bad deal... but if it's a spanking price on the whole shabang, then go for it! I can't imagine too much damage on year old shocks unless they were doing great impressions of the Dukes of Hazzard.
$450 cheap. Im not sure the mileage on the set though.
Another thing is for autocross I dont want to throw a bunch of crap on at once & not learn to controll what I have, but I guess I could wait awhile before installing the sway bars, or sell them.
I am read some stuff on the :batman: board about the FM sway bars breaking mounting points on cars that are autocrossed frequently. Thats not good, I dont want to have to go through all the trouble with getting new endlinks & bracing right now.
Has anyone here autocrossed heavily on FM sways with no trouble??
The POS has run for 3 years with a upgraded front bar, I forget who's it was...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
I think the breakage issue is more common on the more feminine and dainty NB series! :reindeer:
My current car has FM Sways, but I've only got a couple of Auto X's in on this car so far. Keep in mind, your only as strong as your weakest link.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
It's an FM. http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?...0%20%201990-93Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
The FM stage 2 kit is only $771 new. I'd want to pay less than 50% of that price for a 2-year old set. Offer him $350-400 and see if he bites.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
FM front sway here - two & a half seasons and I tore the mounts completely through on one side. lugnutjon did the same thing, but a season sooner. However, both of us are running very sticky rubber, and we both tend to drive very aggressively on course.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Chances are with a bigger front bar and sticky rubber you'll end up tearing the front mounts sooner or later (although it seems to happen to the NBs more often). Fixing it can range from cheap ($50 at you local welding shop to reweld it) to not so cheap (a set of Mazdacomp heavy duty mounts for ~$175).
lugnutjon had his rewelded almost two years ago, and they seem to be holding up fine. I went with the Mazdacomp mounts, and they're beefy enough that I think the frame would crack before these break.
:tongue:Yea and we know who's faster:tongue:Quote:
Originally Posted by altiain
So did you get the set yet???
Hey! so far this season, I'm 2 for 4 against lugnutjon. :sad:Quote:
Originally Posted by TurboDuane
Now if I could just start doing better before the RapidePAX runs... :banghead:
Nope, the guy never responded, I sent him 2 messages, at least he could have had the courtesy of letting me know they were sold or whatever the hell was going on :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Treibenschnell
Somebody posted a set of springs yesterday for $150, email him today, theyre already freaking sold...damn!
Any more of this crap & ill have to break down & get the new set...nooo, I have to fight it, I am a cheap bastard afterall...
If anybody knows of any FM springs for less than $180, let me know, ill will buy them.
While im at it... anyone have any suggestions to a CB alternative?? I read the FM springs have the highest spring rate that is still bearable on the street, thats why im stalking them, but if theres a comparable alternative that I missed, I might consider it.
Don't cheap out on this one... If you really want to replace your springs, get the Eibachs or the FMs that are stiff enough to do the job. The Racing Beat and Tein alternatives that are cheaper just aren't stiff enough and you leave only your bumpstops to do all the work.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Thats what I was thinking, ok, ill wait out the FM's. You run them in your car correct?Quote:
Originally Posted by tailchaser
Yup. Also bear in mind that with the reduced "stock" rear suspension travel in the M1's, you should consider the need for the mounts sold by FM...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Hmmm...crap, can these be installed separatly from shocks/springs(or would it be practical)? This shock / spring install is getting more expensive every day, I already have to pay $100+ extra for just the damn bumpstops...
They can... but you'll be repeating the same damned steps to get those in.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Oohhh...quick, FM stage 1 kit...$300, used for 1 year, 7k miles.
I am asking him if hell just sell the springs, if not, I think this is fair for the set, ya think??
This is GREAT advise! I've got the FM springs, and had the original bump stops cut as recommended by FM for this application. However, every time I hit a hard bump my teeth would chatter from my lower jaw slamming into my upper jaw:shaking2:, and I'd wince with pain in my spine . Also, I couldn't bare to have anyone ride with me as the extra weight put me right on the bump stops...:cry:Quote:
Originally Posted by tailchaser
I just put in the FM mounts in the back (they come with new bump stops btw) and soon my teeth will tighten up, or so the dentist says ;)
Buy the springs, and wait to install until you can buy the FM mounts, and/or Shocks...You will be sorry if you don't!
I know it's tough to convince yourself to buy those mounts at $250, but if your car is a daily driver it's a must. Of course, one benifit prior to me getting the mounts was my wife REFUSED to drive or ride in my car after we hit a few bumps. Now she likes driving it, which makes it a lot easier to swap cars with her when I need more seats.
I think im riding on the bumpstops now, seeing as how my car sags an inch lower than stock, with stock shocks / springs, so I know how that feels. Actually its not that bad with my DD wheels, due to the tires being overly spongy, but this comes with sloppy handling, so those things are gone as soon as they wear out. With my race wheels, every bump almost hurts.
Titus, your car was much more bearable than my current blown stock setup, are you running these?? Because if thats what I should expect, I think I could live with it for 6 months or so untill I could get them.
My only debate is buying these would be cutting into my rollbar cash, & I really want/need a rollbar, so ill just have to see how it works out.
Edit: has anyone done this without buying new bumpstops...with a 100k+ car?? Should I even bother reusing them??
Oh yea, one more annoying question...
I think I have this $300 deal in the bag, but the AGX have a lifetime warranty correct?? Would they still honor the warranty if im not the original purchaser? Or would I be SOL??
Anyone have an empty garage & want to host a meet/install Jiggys suspension/drink beer/eat pizza kinda thing maybee later this month?? Not having a garage, & being my daily driver kinda limits me on this one, that & the fact that I have only looked at the undercarriage of my car maybee 2 or 3 times dosnt help either. I can provide all food/beverages.
I have not added the rear shock mounts, but they are somewhere on my list. I usually don't find myself hitting the bump stops when alone, but they become much more noticeable with a passenger. You may have gotten a slightly unrealistic view, as we spent most of the drive on nice smooth roads.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
I put my springs and shocks on at around 80k miles. I put new OEM dust covers (with integrated bumpstop) up front, but not in the back. Following the FM instructions, you cut the bump stop up, only using part of it. This leaves the rest of the dust cover hanging freely, and somewhat less effective then prior to the cut. I ended up taking the 2 best of the old 4 OEM bumpstops and modified them as per the FM instructions for the rear. I am using JUST THE BUMPSTOPS, with no dustcover. I sold the other 2 new ones to another guy doing suspension at the same tech day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Usually not. I don't know about KYB, but Koni's warranty only applies ot the original purchaser, iirc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiggerachi
Damn, this is a tough call...I can buy this for 300, or I can wait & hope somebody lists some springs for cheap, get new KYBs for 300, or have to buy both new. This way im looking at $450 or $550. The former I can handle, but the latter sucks. $300 is awesome, but I gamble on how hard theyve been used & how much I can trust that 7k mile estimate, & lose the warranty with that. But its only $300...ahhh this is driving me crazy!!
Oh man...the guy is telling me he stripped the threads on 2 of the shocks while removing them. He says I can get them re-threaded pretty cheap at a machine shop. What am I looking at here?? He says he will cut the price for the inconvenience, I am just wondering what the repercussions of this is, is it still worth it?? Should I just offer him like $200 for them considering this??
Thanks guys for helping me out with this.
Edit: These are the pics he sent me...apparently not actual pics of the shocks for sale, just a demonstration...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...erachi/AGX.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...achi/strut.jpg
IMHO, run!! It doesn't sound worth the trouble...
Save up some more green and go for a new KYB set-up and used springs. Hell, I bought my Eibach Pro-Kit springs from MadMerv for 50 clams...
Walk away. If he stripped the threads on two shocks trying to remove them (how on earth did he manage that? :scratch: ), I'd suspect one of two things:
A) There is probably additional, internal damage to the shocks (the shaft is probably scratched, marred, or mangled as well, which will quickly tear up the internal seals).
B) Those shocks have been installed and removed from a whole bunch of cars, meaning they're probably a lot older and closer to shot than you think they are.
I once made the mistake of buying a set of used Konis for the Miata - the seller claimed that they were only about 15,000 miles old and that he had bought them new. When they arrived, I found a piece of paper in the bottom of one of the boxes that the seller had forgotten about - a note from the guy who had sold the shocks to him, originally. I did a little back-tracking, and came to find out that I was the fifth owner of those particular shocks, and that they likely had well over 100,000 miles on them. :evil:
Needless to say, they weren't worth what I paid for them.
I'd advise saving up the money to buy new shocks. Buying used springs is one thing, but unless you know who you're buying the shocks from and you can make a full inspection of them before buying, I'd pass. Been there, done that.
Yea thats what I was thinking. I am going to try to pry the springs from him, but thats all...
Ok, I passed on the shocks & offered him $170 for the springs, & he agreed. So I guess I came out ok on the deal. I'm going to grap an ebay special on some new KYBs for $300.
Thanks for all the advise guys! :afro:
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
X2!Quote:
Originally Posted by Titus