Coilover Rant - CXRacing
 

Summary: If CXRacing would fix their coilover base mount issue, I would be a very happy customer and would change this post but as for now, I am disappointed.


The good:

· High quality by visual inspection

· Only coilovers available with the recommended streetable 6k/8k springs

· Cheap price

· Fit the front a-arm well

· Adjustable height with screw on bases

· Drive well so far with my limited use.



The Bad:

· Rear lower forks are too wide for our sway bar linkage.

· Too short for a street car

· Customer service hasn’t helped after me emailing almost monthly for the past 11 months



Width issue explained:

The lower screw on bases for the rear seem to be for a different car and just used on these. They are too wide for our sway bar link bolts to go through with enough thread available. This causes the associated nut to only engage half of the way. Though they could drive like this, I do not trust my life with half engagement (I have temporarily made custom adjustable links to have a longer bolt). The inside width is also too wide as there is a large gap before tightening. Tightening without a washer causes the aluminum fork to bend into place, also not safe.



Height issue explained:

If you want an excessively lowered car, these will work fine. I daily my rx7 so I like my wheel well to be 25.25” - 25.50” high which is in-between stock and really low. When lengthening the coilovers, the lower bases have a safety hole so you can gauge when you reach the minimum thread engagement of the base to the shock body which is nice! The issue is that this total max length causes the fender lip to be about even with the top of the tire (too low for me). Height can now be increased further by adding preload. Preload less than the cars weight theoretically does not change the spring rate or characteristics. However, as your car dips and raises, it relies on that initial cushion for comfort. Preloading all the way up the the cars weight removes the initial cushion that I desire.



Customer service explained:

I have been continuously requesting help with these two issues and have had zero actual help. The correct two fixes are longer bases and an oem style fork for the rear (steel would be thinnest and fit like oem).


Dimensions:

· The inside width of the rear coilover fork is 2.024"-2.029" aka 51.40mm-51.52mm.

· The outside width of the mating rx7 arm pillow ball bushing is 1.962"-1.969" aka 49.84mm-50.00mm

· The bases are an approximate average of 6.5” from the suspension bolt hole to the top of the base. In my case, they could be up to 2.5” taller.


Here are my 8k/6k coilovers:

https://www.cxracing.com/CO-RX7-FD-0...fd%20coilovers

Damn that sucks. I wouldnt feel comfortable driving that on the street from seeing the pix you posted. When it comes to brakes, wheels, and suspenions, you really should spend a little more and go for reputable brands.

Thanks man! Yeah I agree with you for sure now after seeing this. Not sure how half thread engagement passed as sufficient quality.

Idk how to break it to you but CXRacing is a garbage brand. They are an "eBay brand" which is why they are so cheap. They might look good at first but fresh paint can make anything look good.

No hurt feelings here :) I bought them since Howard Coleman's suspension thread mentioned they had hard to find 8k/6k springs already on them.

Same thing with my Ground Control coilovers. The rear arms were too thick to fit the stock sway bar mounts (no thread at all for the nut to grab). I bought a set of Improved Racing sway bar links. They come with a longer bolt. Problem solved.

Great info! I solved the width issue similarly by making my own version of those links temporarily.

Informed CXRacing today about this thread in a final attempt to get assistance, wish me luck!

buy tres improved racing end links or get new coilovers

problem solved haha

In that case, allow me to attempt to hurt your feelings :rofl:

Horrible reason to buy a set of cheap ebay made in who knows where coilovers. It comes down to how much you value your time really. I also think Howard is a super nice guy with lots of knowledge, but those spring rates are (IMO only, for what it's worth) way too soft anyway. Mega fail on multiple levels :D

I wouldn't mount CX racing junk on my $5000 NB Miata, let alone an FD. Have you looked into Tein, Greddy, Stance etc?

Haha yesss, a fail on multiple levels seems to be correct though I thought it was a fair compromise at the time. I avoided those brands due to the spring rates, further detail below.

I ran stock springs / shocks and had too much body roll for drifting.
I ran eibach springs / stock shocks and had tire rubbing but liked the spring rate feel for the street at 30% stiffer.
Wanted coilovers to increase ride height and slightly increase spring rate for drift events and future track days.
Read that the shocks must be matched to the springs so a custom spring on a high end coilover meant a whole custom setup $$$$.

Attached are the percentage increases of spring rates. Since I daily mine for about 7,000 miles per year a lower rate makes the rides more tolerable over bumps. I typically do two drift events per year and will try to go to the track once in 2018.

Realistically I just need to save up for my final set that I will never have to replace.

I have sold my coilovers but here is my car with them at their max lower perch setting plus a small amount of height increase of the spring perches:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...066827b53d.jpg


For those interested in making there own sway bar end links, this is what i did:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b73198e3ba.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a9931b7afd.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...55e5b459f7.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c41e18184c.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...73ee221a00.jpg

I have a set of GCC with koni yellows and had zero fitment issues. In fact, I have been very happy with them

I wouldn't consider any of those for a $5000 Miata either, those are all trash too. Stance is just garbage Borr-Chuan private label, Tein is questionable until you get to the really expensive stuff, at which point you should just buy from a real company (MCS, Ohlins, Penske, etc), Greddy.. lol.

Almost ALL aftermarket coilovers, or at least all with aluminum bodies/rear forks will be too thick to use the stock sway bar bolt/nut. That's just the nature of alluminum, it needs to be thicker relative to steel to be as strong. That includes my JRZs.

ground control makes a full body coilover I believe, which is where the problem lies. The koni shock with the gc sleeves would be fine as the koni shock is fine.

Ah that makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up :icon_tup: