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Review : Pedders suspension kit ser1-3 rx7s

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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 12:33 AM
  #1  
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Review : Pedders suspension kit ser1-3 rx7s

I have just installed the first gen rx7 Pedders suspension kit into my ser3!!!

It's the one available at www.autostyleautomotives.com comprising of:

4 lowered & uprated springs
4 matched shocks
25mm front sway bar
Polyurethane bushes for everything except the upper links at the rear.
New dust boots & bump-stops for the front struts

Also I have ditched the rear sway bar, in keeping with most of the guys on the track, and also a custom wheel alignment (basically more castor and camber). I have elongated lower control arms to allow more camber adjustment too that I got separately.

So far I'm extremely impressed with the results!

My observations so far:

The ride is firmer but certainly not harsh. It still grips the road well when the surface is not perfectly smooth, unlike some hot suspension setups I've had in other cars where over a rougher surface grip is lost and you go nowhere or sideways!!!

Also the rear axle doesn't cause as much drama over bumps either, such as skipping sideways, despite the increased spring rates. Maybe cos there's no rear sway bar transferring bumps from one wheel to the other?

The body roll is reduced massively over stock, even with the rear bar gone. So its much, much nicer around a corners now...it's actually beginning to feel like a sports car should!

The car before was a bit of an understeerer, especially with my locked diff until the go pedal was mashed but now it is far more neutral handling and I can enter a corner heaps faster than before without the same understeer. Corner exit speed has improved a fair bit, but not hugely, but I guess that's more a function of traction loss at the tyres at the rear..hehehe

My only complaint...lol...is that the front bar isnt adjustable but i dunno if thats really that much of an issue really..tho it would be nice

The kit definitely transforms the handling immensely and at a pretty good price too! I reckon the setup is a good one for a genuine street car that sees some track work. So I have to give the kit a big thumbs up for sure!!!
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 01:41 AM
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Good to hear you got it Shinjuku.
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 02:47 AM
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Have you got the kit too dude?
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 04:04 AM
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Yeh mate I have had it for a while now.
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 06:14 AM
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how much was it for the whole kit? do they sell to americans?
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 06:23 AM
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Quote:

Autostyleracing.com supply parts retail and trade for Mazda Rotary powered Vehicle's worldwide
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 07:03 AM
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shut up. :P Its early.

j/k
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 07:28 AM
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lol, get some coffee!!!!!
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 08:11 AM
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Darn, I went to check the price and their website is down! What a PITA.
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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 06:13 PM
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i too have had the the Pedders kit in 2 of my rx7's they really are great value! I also was the one that introduced shinjuku to the kit.

I did a write up about 18 months ago which can be found HERE

shinjuku pretty muched summed it up so i will just post pretty pics





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Old Jan 31, 2003 | 09:34 PM
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Hahaha... There's that pic again!
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Old Feb 1, 2003 | 10:40 AM
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that kit sounds good so how much?
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Old Feb 2, 2003 | 10:13 PM
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dudes i dunno how much it is for you guys lucky enough to have the USD's buying power....but considering that $1 US = $1.70 AUS (approx?) it would be very cheap ....although i guess there is postage costs,...
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Old Feb 3, 2003 | 02:09 AM
  #14  
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hey 12at what do you think of the kit???

r u running the rear sway bar?
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Old Feb 4, 2003 | 02:17 AM
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I like the ride too. Its not too hard on bumpy surfaces. I still have the rear swaybar but not for too much longer I think. It aint gonna work with a 9 inch.
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Old Feb 7, 2003 | 12:46 AM
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dont you find it a bit 'taily' with the rear bar on?...
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Old Feb 7, 2003 | 04:51 AM
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I tried the pedders lowered springs. The front were OK but the back one came in too low and I got problems with 205 tyres. Could get no information on their specs but like the shocks they may be made by Monroe.

I priced the setup at about $Aus1200 fitted, say around $US710 at the current exchange rate.
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Old Feb 8, 2003 | 12:34 AM
  #18  
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dont you find it a bit 'taily' with the rear bar on?...
I dont mind it a bit taily.

By the way it is bOOsted7 from ausrotary.
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Old Feb 8, 2003 | 03:54 PM
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From: Cloud Nine and Peak of God
Does anyone know what the springs are rated at or can compare with the King springs set-up?
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Old Feb 9, 2003 | 11:42 PM
  #20  
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I tried the pedders lowered springs. The front were OK but the back one came in too low and I got problems with 205 tyres. Could get no information on their specs but like the shocks they may be made by Monroe.

I priced the setup at about $Aus1200 fitted, say around $US710 at the current exchange rate.
Too low?? Mine were if anything not quite low enuff at the rear...simply solved by leaving out the rubber spring pad thingos...apparently it vaires from chassis to chassis a little...
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Old Feb 10, 2003 | 12:21 AM
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From: Cloud Nine and Peak of God
What difference is there in the Chassis, does it differ between the series?
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Old Feb 10, 2003 | 12:34 AM
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I dunno really....just what the place i bought i from said...

Although I have heard it said that Mazda change the position of the links in the ser3 slightly so maybe this changes the height a bit???

Either way I wanted the rear of mine to sit slighty lower with a full tank of juice, so to achieve that i just didtched the spring cushions. Then i got that spiral wrap designed for putting around wiring loons and put in on the first coil at the top so there wasnt metal on metal contact....works fine
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Old Feb 10, 2003 | 06:00 AM
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From: Cloud Nine and Peak of God
According to my reference " the mounting points for the lower rear trailing arms were lowered by 20mm to provide roll understeer to reduce the RX-7s tail-happy tendencies."

I wanted a bit of softness at the rear as many of the roads I travel on are uneven so tried for about 110 spring rate. Still do not know the Pedder specs.
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Old Feb 11, 2003 | 01:17 AM
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According to my reference " the mounting points for the lower rear trailing arms were lowered by 20mm to provide roll understeer to reduce the RX-7s tail-happy tendencies."
Hmmm that might be a good thing for the average person that cant control oversteer but for enthusiasts like us this sounds bad...
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Old Feb 11, 2003 | 01:30 AM
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What type of wheels are those on that red car? offset?
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