My car is 23 years old with 65k original miles. I have aftermarket suspension that I'm torn about keeping. I still have my OEM assembled front springs/shocks.

If I wanted to go back to all OEM on the suspension, would you replaced the front springs or just the shocks? Shouldn't the shocks/struts wear out way before the springs? Or is there a "sag" effect over time?

What would you do if you really just wanted the brand new OEM suspension feel?

Shawn

 

Sometimes springs may wear out. Make sure your springs didn't wear out by measuring between the innermost part of the lower control arm and the ground. Do this for each wheel, and see if one's sagging more than the other.

If there's no sagging, then throw some shocks on there, and replace all the suspension bushings and you'll be so happy.

 

I only replaced my original 155k mile suspension last year, to be honest I dont think the car drove all that bad, I almost regret it because the car actually rode better before.

And for the last 8 years or so I put less then 3k miles on the car so you cant say its because the car was driven more.

I would do the shocks first and see how you like it, springs last a long time.

 

I'd start with the most overlooked suspension component- the bushings.
Unless your shocks are dripping oil and the springs have sagged horribly (unlikely), bad bushings are contributing a lot of unwanted noise and movement to the chassis that many mistake for shock/spring problems.

Unfortunately, the aftermarket- I'm looking at you, Energy Suspension- seems to think that stiffer is better and after installing a plastic bushing kit, the strut/spring has to deal with movement that Mazda dampened with their "soft" (and supposedly "inferior") rubber bits.
So, to fix that, the shock and spring has to be stiffer...a deadly circle that ends with a car that may handle razor sharp but rides like a truck.

The prevailing attitude is to set up the chassis to handle conditions that in reality it sees maybe 1% of the time...big sway bars, stiff springs and shocks, solid mounts, etc. Add bigger wheels and stickier tires and you've moved far away from what Mazda had in mind for our "GT/cruiser" cars.

So, go through all the suspension pickup points and renew the bushings.
Use either stock or the stiffer- but still rubber- Mazdaspeed parts, avoiding Delrin/polyurethane.
Reinstall your stock springs on a set of Tokico Blues or KYBs (stock struts/shocks- even if still available new, are bound to be hideously expensive) and you're probably as close to OEM as you're going to get.

 

to answer your basic question, yes struts wear away first... check the seals and see if any oil is dripping or leaking then measure springs and struts seperately for sag. should be safe if everything checks out. take a glance at all of yours bushings and see what condition yours are in and have fun driving

 

They settle a little. I replaced my springs at 138K+/- with Eibach prokit springs that were spec'd to a 7/8" drop. Careful measurements before and after told me that the actual drop was only 5/8". Therefore IF the spring specs are correct, the sag/settlement on the OEM springs was approximately 1/4" in 15 years and 138K miles.

Pretty negligible.

 

excellent advice, i like it, especially since i've been eyeballing bushings and thinking about fixing what isn't broke.

perhaps changing JUST the sway bar bushings to poly urethane is a reasonable tweak?

shield...

the OTHER most overlooked suspension component is tires and tire pressure.

i can significantly alter the road feel, harshness and steering just by altering tire pressure 2-4 psi.

it's pretty dramatic what tire pressure changes do with the oem set up.

i know you've put on new tires recently, what pressures are you running?

having had this car 21 years i can report that the oem tires (which i still have) and new tires ride much differently even at the same psi...

but ME trying to remember HOW it handled in 88 as a reference for NOW is a joke, since my assometer is older.

also didn't you change out the rims recently ? aren't you running those overly heavy wheels compared to the stock?

how much mass did the tire/wheel package add per corner?

increasing UNsprung mass almost always means harsher...

henry

so does this mean the adjustables aren't an improvement?

or were they added to tweak the new improved suspension?

i've been thinking about these too...

 

I cant see his bushings being worn with his mileage, but maybe from sitting they are worse then if the car had miles on them?

I have alot of miles on my car and I dont feel the bushings are that bad

 

worn isn't the same as compressed or less resilient.

rubber suspension bits last the longest when USED.

static loads compress/set rubber suspension bits, which then feel loose or firmer when used.

for example rubber torsion axles that don't get used regularly take a 'set' that make them harsher in LESS time that if they are used regularly.

that may have nothing to do with the ride/suspension on the o.p. car.

but crawling around and feeling every rubber bit under my low mileage car reveals the some of the bushings have settled

and are a little stiffer and loose with movement.

henry