Zer0Suvivers

yeah.. im still doing some research.. and yeah i dont know much about suspension..

but ive been reading more into it... my car is stock. besides a shitty short shifter that rattles. that the last owner installed.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

Go with Koni / Bilstein / KYB AGX struts and RB Suspension package. Don't forget the adjustable endlinks.

Zer0Suvivers

why go with them? i was thinking something affordable.. thats why i chose the tokico blues.. and the eibach springs.. i havent looked into bilstein yet..

i want something that will also make the stance of the car a bit more aggressive..

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

eibach springs are a good choice. they took a T2 and NA to the track, and put springs on them, until they were happy. so that is what they sell as a drop in spring.

tokico blues are ok, but the AGX's are a much better performance option. probably about the same $$ as the blues.

bilstein/koni are even better performance, but they are more money too.

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

I currently have the blues w/ Ground Control "coilovers" . It seems like this setup would be ideal for what you are looking to do (affordable/quality dampeners and height adjustability). Plus it can be upgraded as your needs/budget/knowledge allows (camber plates, new spring rates etc) http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/index.php

I replaced my stock setup w/ the blues/GC combo and it was like night and day! the car felt much more stable and planted while cornering and that was w/ all stock bushings/mounts. W/ bushings it'll be like driving a completely different car.

RB springs are well engineered, but they don't do much for looks and they are still progressive (read: fat at the top like stock springs) which can create fitment issues when looking to upgrade wheels/tires down the road. The only springs that seem to produce a good looking drop are the Tanabe GF..??? something or anothers, and I'm not sure if they still make those, after searching for a while I decided on GC instead.

J9Fd3s: agx's are a better performance option since they have adjustable dampening, but considering the OP's current level of suspension knowledge, current setup, and budget, the blues would probably be better at this point in time. And they aren't really that close in price (considering the overall budget)
Blues: $285
AGX's: $455

Beauty of the Ground Control setup is that the tociko blues and AGX's [and I'm pretty sure the kyb's as well] use the same perch so if you want to upgrade you need only buy the new dampeners and swap them.

In terms of price you can get:

GC w/ tociko blues $375 (From me!)
RB front swaybar for $165 (new), 100 used or some other brand,
**Most drivers concerned w/ grip either run the stock rear or no rear sway at all**
MMR camber adjusters $125 (new) [can't use upgraded control arm bushings]
or
Mazdatrix single $129 (new) [can't use upgrade subframe bushings]

So even if you don't do any deal searching you can have a complete setup for $665

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

Now there are some additional "would-be-nice-to-haves"

Adjustble endlinks for the front swaybar compensate preload when the car is lowered and can be used to adjust handling characteristics.
Racingbeat has some good ones for $ - integraged poly bushings
Mazdatrix also has some for $66 - no poly bushings

The only "problem" I have found w/ the GC setup (...lowering springs don't provide enough adjustment for this to be considered) is that they can go much lower in the rear than in the front. This doesn't affect handling negatively (in fact w/o proper camber adjustment in the rear going too low might actually be problematic)

To remedy this issue, shortened strutmount tops. Yeild a greater range of adjustability. With these, you will be able to achieve whatever ride hieght you are looking for $205

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

wow the AGX's got expensive! last set i bought was under $350 shipped!

but you are right, they can share the coil over collars.

the cool thing about running the 2.5" springs is that they come in just about any length and rate you want, you can usually just get a shorter spring.

and you're also right, the FC, especially on the street, is probably better not being too low. geometry gets weird, AND there are bumps in the street

Zer0Suvivers

yeah. i was talking to some friends. and they were also trying to get me to buy some sleeves. with some sort of strut...

and well later this month. i will have the money...

also.. i have read that grip racers go without the rear sway. or stock... but why is that?? wouldnt the rear end get really sloppy?

i need to change out mounts and bushings anyways.. i hit bumps and its starts jumping left or right.. and making awesome klunking noises. lol but yeah

thanx guys for all the info. its helping alot.

Black91n/a

Race cars have no interiors, generally speaking, so they tend to loose more weight off the rear. That combined with proper spring rates enable the car to handle properly without the extra 5lbs (or whatever it is) of weight back there.

Zer0Suvivers

yeah i know. all i have in the rear is carpet and speakers.. and im not really going to full race car. anyways. im goin for form and function.. make it look good. and get up and move.. when im done with the suspension.. ill move to wheels and paint. i know some ppl for paint.. and. then ill t2 swap. if i still want the car by then. im sure i will.

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

Lose that giant pad under the rear carpet, its like 20 lbs......no....really.

And once you get a tase of what this car can do w/ a decent suspension on a twisty road, you'll be hooked don't worry.

SoloII///M

iTrader: (13)

When you select your spring rates in a coilover setup you can take into account if you want the rear sway or not. Most racers will remove it because it isn't needed and it can cause inside-rear wheelspin on power-out. If you're not planning to do a lot of tracking or you're going with off the shelf springs (like RBs or Eibach Pro-Kits) then leave it in.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

I hope you're not implying that fat at the top and tapering down is what the term "progressive spring" means.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

Do you want performance? Or do you want affordability and easy install?

Shocks are one of the most important suspension components.

Koni
Bilstein
KYB AGX
Tokico Blues

That is the order from best to worst in terms of overall performance as well as cost. The higher up on the list, the better it is, but the most expensive it is.

If you're serious about performance, don't half-*** the purchase by going with the cheaper options at the bottom half of the list. You're only going to regret it later.

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

"Grip racing" is a redundant term.

SoloII///M

iTrader: (13)

I'm glad someone said it.

"grip setup." What has the world come to?

Zer0Suvivers

i know. it slipped ok. lol i suppose you could just slide through every turn.. but then its drifting... i just called ppl who use the grip setup as grip racers. instead of drift racers.. they are out there.. especially where i live.. so thats why i used it..

but i did list this thread as grip setup.

Zer0Suvivers

and in reply to Roen. i know i dont really want to go cheap.. but make do with what u can afford.. so. i will just keep researching.. and looking for a place with better prices on the koni or bilstein.. i dont need the swaybars and that crap right now. right now. im looking for springs and shocks.. so i can go up to like.... almost 700.. but i want to be able to get anything else just in case.. ie. if my camber goes out... and i need adjustible links.. then i can do that.. but yeah

i know what u mean. i try to get the best. if i can afford it. especially the little things.. i just got some new battery connectors... well. they are 24k gold plated... instead of the old shitty ones... so yeah.. everything is getting better power and all that now. ha

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

Lol, sorry if that was unclear. I was simply stating that they are progressive (as opposed to the linear springs on the coilover/ collar+perch combos we were discussing) AND thay the fact that they are fat up top can cause wheel-tire fitment issues.

Sorry if there was any confusion.

Additionally there is something to be said for upgrading components gradually (and as the budget allows). Going from stock springs/struts to anything is going to be a drastic improvement, and most people won't fully appreciate top-end components going directly from stock.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

I don't think RB springs are progressive. They look pretty linear to me.



This is an example of a progressive spring



See the difference in coil spacing between the top and bottom half? The spring will have a really soft rate for normal driving, but will firm up under load. While that sounds nice, it doesn't provide accurate feedback during spirited driving. That is why most racers prefer linear springs.

The stock springs and the RB's are both linear springs. Eibach is the only one that I know of that makes progressive rate springs for our cars.

Reference: http://mazdatrix.com/h4586-92.htm

If you're looking at springs with a good rate, Tanabe GF210 is the best available. RS * R Race used to be available, but no more. You can maybe look at Tein as well, but I don't think they are sprung that heavily. All of these are stock-type springs. IF you go with the GF210, You will have trouble fitting a wide 225 tire (like a Bridgestone) on the stock +40 offset wheel. In fact, if you have a 7" wheel, you should go with 205 IMHO.

Zer0Suvivers

yeah. im currently running 205 all around

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

hmmm..... Have the RB springs always been linear? Cuz I could've sworn I'd seen some on their site that looked like the eibach's....If not I stand corrected, but thanks for putting pictures to words.

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

Ok, I knew I wasn't crazy....


Racing beat might offer 2.5" linear springs now, but that wasn't always the case...

Roen

iTrader: (2)

Hmm....Interesting....

EDIT: I thought the bottom part in the perch was spaced differently than the exposed coil........whoops.

Progressive doesn't mean beehive spring. It means two different spring rates on one spring.

SoloII///M

iTrader: (13)

Those look linear to me. They're a beehive spring, but they still look linear.