I just ordered tokiko blue shocks and struts for my car and Energy Suspension Sway Bar, end link, and control arm bushings. Does anyone else have a similar setup. If so how much difference am I gonna notice.

 

Still running old springs?
The bushings will really help, especially the ones on the tension rods bushing. I did not see those on your list.

Shocks/struts are firmer over stock style units but you need to do springs, to get the car to sit a little lower.

Don't bother with the bushing on the rear bar, waste of time if the rubbers are still in one piece.

John

 

I did get Tensio Rod Bushing, just forgot to list it. Ill probably get springs in the summer. I got all the stuff on my list for $350 Canadian

 

Hey Ex,
If you are running the Tok blue, and the urathane bushings, why not add the TMC springs (at $139) and have a Spec 7 suspension setup?

 

I have a very similar setup with my 84SE, as follows;

Tokico blues front and rear, poly tension rod bushings, new Mazda Factory lower control arms (rubber inside bushings), poly stabilizer bar end links front, adjustable rear, poly rear stab bushings, poly front stab bushings, new Mazda Factory strut top mounts, and RB strut tower brace.

The first thing that I noticed after changing out the lower control arms was that the smooth and quiet ride had been reestablished. After that, adding the poly bushings all around made the front end stiffer and corner flatter, but overall the biggest improvement from ride quality came from new lower control arms (Factory). Now that I've added the poly tension rod bushings, the suspension feels that much more 'crisp' during street driving, but have not pushed it too hard cornering, as I tend to keep that kind of driving off of city streets.

Tokico blues make a very good aftermarket replacement, but be prepared that they are going to be much stiffer than the shot factory parts that you're replacing. Old struts do not make good dampers as the seals have gotten old and don't provide as much resistance as new shocks. Going from old, worn out units to brand-new, tight units is like night and day, and you'll have to get used to the ride.

I wouldn't describe it as rough, but it is tense. I can't drive around with my head on the headrests anymore or it gets bounced around too much (city driving). Worth the time and effort to install, overall, without question. I used to race in SCCA CSP class and would love to try this setup on a long course someday.

I didn't end up replacing my lower control arm inner bushings with poly due to the expense of trashing a brand new inner bushing on a factory part, so I still have the separate poly control arm bushings on my workbench. Anybody want them for $20 plus shipping?

Good luck, I think you'll be pleased with the outcome - the more you do in one shop session, the more you'll notice the differences. Take care,

 

I was just looking at bushings last night thinking about ordering some. I plan on trying to replace as much worn out stuff as I can in one go around when I do the suspension swap, so I was wondering if I should do new tie rod ends as well? What else is up there that I could think about replacing? Ive already got the idler arm bushings new from Mazda... Also, what about the rear end?

~T.J.

 

I'm probably gonna get some new springs in the summer. The only thing left for handling then will be rims. I want some ROH Snypers but I am way too cheap. Stock rims are way too small to get good handling, i get alot of sidewall flex.