2009 MX-5 Coilover, Strut Brace, Brake, and Wheel/Tire Install
Last week we installed a set of Ohlins Road & Track coilovers and some extras on a customers 2009 MX-5 and wanted to share some of the pictures with you local guys. The customer had decided that he wanted to take his daily driven MX-5 to a few HPDEs this year and needed to prepare it for the track. We provided the following parts:
Ohlins Road & Track
While there are several good choices for suspension on the market, the Ohlins kit really met all of the needs. The first thing you notice about this setup is the quality, specifically, the finish on these is unlike anything you will find with cheaper options. Once you pick one up, you will notice how much lighter these are (they weigh almost nothing) than a Tein, Bilstein, or even a Koni. It is a very well balanced strut and spring combination that behaves well on the street and delivers excellent performance on the track. The spring rates are fairly soft and allow the strut to do it's job to maintain a comfortable, controlled ride. One turn of the adjustment knob makes a noticeable difference in the struts performance.
Enkei RPF1:
The factory 17" wheels with narrow runflats were too heavy and provide very little grip or feedback. We decided on a set of 17x9 +45mm Enkei RPF1s because of their weight (15.9 lbs), strength, and ease of replacement. They fit the car nicely and require only minor rolling of the rear fenders.
235/40/17 Dunlop Star Spec:
These are the same tires that we beat on for two days straight on our 24Hour of LeMons car while setting fast lap of the entire race. They are inexpensive and offer huge bang for the buck. Star Specs are a very sticky tire that runs very wide (a 235 Star Spec is as wide as a 245 Nitto NT05) and they last for a long time on street or track.
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After the wheels, tires, suspension, brakes and strut brace, we put the car on our Longacre scales to find out that it weighed 2650 with a full tank of gas. Ride heights were set with the customers simulated weight in the drivers seat and the car was then corner balanced to 50.0% and aligned to the customers specs.
More pictures of the car to follow.
