WingsofWar

with so many options on suspension setups. I want to ask the people with experience in their own rides that have different spring rates and how they ride on the street, or on the track, maybe even autox. This will help give me a figure on what i really want as far as how my own car will ride.

Whats your spring rate?
What do you use it for?
Would you change your spring rates and why?

Black91n/a

I've only experianced 2 suspensions in my car, OEM with decent original shocks, and Tein Flex with 7kg/mm front and 5kg/mm rear springs (they come with 6's in the front). I've got an RB front bar and a stock rear bar in there now with rod end style endlinks and I've got poly bushings in the front. The handling balance is just about neutral, but slightly balanced towards understeer, which is safer for the track.

The ride's definetely rougher than stock, but it's not that bad. You really only notice it when driving over train tracks, on bad roads and so on. I don't mind driving for 8 hours in it like it is.

I've not autocrossed it since switching, but I have tracked it with race tires, and it's plenty stiff to deal with that. My instructor friend used my car to demonstrate good handling and breaking to our novice friend, so yes, it's pretty good.

I honestly don't know why some of the coilovers out there are so much stiffer, most of the racers who have reasonably stock cars don't use spring rates much higher than mine, even with race tires.

As you can see I don't exactly have a lot of body roll. I have no plans of changing it any time soon.

Evil Aviator

Eibach ERS (linear-rate) mounted on Koni coil-over struts; 7" 400lb front / 10" 275 lb rear.

They are the standard rates that come with the Mazda Comp Stage II suspension package intended for SCCA IT racing. However, the suspension works just fine on the street, although I wouldn't want to go any stiffer. Not recommend for street driving in areas with lots of road construction, railroad tracks, speed bumps, etc.

No, I like it just the way it is, and I'm a picky bastard. My friends who race RX-7's like it too. However, the average person would probably think it's way too stiff for street use. The Mazdatrix website has a nice listing of various manufacturers' spring rates for comparison:
http://www.mazdatrix.com/h4586-92.htm

PS: Good questions.

Black91n/a

For comparison sake, to convert kg/mm to lb/in multiply by 56. So my rates are practically the same, about 390 and 280.

ZeroDrift

iTrader: (1)

I have Racing Beat springs on Koni stuts. I'm very pleased with the ride quality, and I frequently attend autocross events. Unfortunatly, I do not know the spring rates.

I would not change the spring rate at this time. I may reconsider if I were to get some racing slicks.

Jizneremie33

i have ground control coilovers that are 450 lb. in the front and 350lb. in the rear which is about 8k 6k, with kyb agx's and they are soft. Just don't go over speed bumps faster than 3 mph or you will jump.

WingsofWar

im still waiting on a response from anyone that has other coilover sets especially STANCE Pros or Ksports. As far as just a spring over a factory type sit strut i wana hear how the Tanabe springs work well with their own ride.

awesome responses so far! keep em coming

TitaniumTT

- me too. I'm looking at the GR+pros in a 7/5. The thing to keep in mind is that suspension is purely subjective. NOT discrediting black91 or evil aviator (seen both in MANY suspension steering threads) but be careful who you listen to and try to get an idea of where they were to where they are and what they are using the car for vs what you are. Someone who went from a 20yo stock suspention to a full blown 12/10 C/O with full bushings and mounts using the car for drifting is going to have a very different opinion that someone like me.

FWIW I had the Tociko blues on Eibach Progressive springs. Full poly bushings and DTSS eliminators. I thought for my application that the Eibachs were too soft in the rear.

Black91n/a

That's a good point, not everyone has much experiance or has the same goals or tolerances as you do. Me, I'm into track days and have selected my suspension around that use. I'm no pro, but I'm in the advanced intermediate group. I had the stiffer sways and bushings before going to the coilovers and have ridden in some other fast cars at the driving schools. I'm young and am willing to put up with a lot, but the ride's not bad at all. You notice it's stiff, but it's not jarring or tiring.

FWIW the club that my dad and I autocross with, about half of all the cars with aftermarket suspensions have Tein Flex. That says something right there, one guy bought them, gave rides, won, then others bought them and it just grew from there. They've got good damping, as is proven by the independant shock dynos I've seen, and are proven to be very reliable by many, many users, some of which have put tens of thousands of miles on them with no problem.