Kinda need some opinons from you FD vets....

Koni Struts - 3 -way adjustable
H&R Springs
N-Tech ( or **** ) bushings
Eibach Competition Sway
*** Trailing Arms
*** Toe Links
Cusco D-Shape Shaft
FEED Rear Strut Tower Bar

Does this sound like a good combination of parts? I couldn't figure out what was better Tein HAs or just Koni Struts and H&R Springs?

I plan on ordering at least the bushings tonight due to the clunks happening in my front and rear.

I think it would be sensible to have all of this done at the same time though, and then sort out all the kinks..rather than install..then tune, install..then tune..bla bla.

Wha'cha think? My debit card is hot in my hands..lol.

EDIT: OH....so THEY..must be the website we can't talk about..are these the same guys ripping of JimLabs work? Cuz if they are..I'll go with N-Tech! I was wondering why their name wouldn't show up!!!

 

What kind of 3-way adjustable Koni shocks (no struts on the FD) did you find? The Sports are single adjustable (rebound) with an infinite number of settings. The ride height can be set to one of three positions. Just thought of the ride height; I take it this is what you meant.

There are 3-way or "triple adjustable" shocks, but they are $$$. Rebound, low-speed compression, and high-speed compression damping are all adjusted individually.

Bilstein HD shocks are also worth a look. Not adjustable, but sometimes having adjustments that you don't know how to set aren't an advantage. Adjustable coil-over systems are nice in that they let you adjust ride height (and corners weights) easily. They also use standard springs, so you can get whatever rates you want, rather than just choosing from the FD-specific options. But sometimes a standard shock and spring is better in the sense that it is less expensive and doesn't require adjustment.

I like the D-shape front bar -- it seems to give a little more room underneath than most others, but it can touch the hood liner which dulls it at the contact points. That doesn't bother me, but I don't want you to be surprised.

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/ has good info on sway bars, and just about everything else that is FD related.

-Max

 

Ahhh...thank you for the information..I didn't know that at all. As long as it doesn't dent or make contact with the actual metal, that's fine for me. I don't want any damage.

As for the suspension setup, I'm not exactly going ALL track all the time, but I have road and track raced several times this year (Buttonwillow, Thunderhill, Pacific Raceway). I do want to be comfortable on the street, as this will be my SEMI daily driver (I'm buying a beater).

I'm just extremely confused on what's better...Coilovers or a shock/spring setup.

The Koni's are the sports I assume...they're yellow..lol..I couldn't find very much info on them...I'm waiting to call the store tomorrow to find out what type (website doesn't list). Yes, I suppose I got confused there.

I'm looking at replacing the suspension immediately to help eliminate the clunks and bumps in the suspension, plus the stock shocks are probably toast along with the arm bushings.

I figure it'd be cheaper to do this all at once, rather than piecemealing it all out...

If any of you have some better suggestions, my ears and eyes are open.

EDIT: I'm currently reading the suspension section of that website. Nice....

 

What vendor was the forum censoring now? send me a pm

I have the Koni sports which are one way adjustable. They are good so long as you aren't going with really stiff spring rates (I have progressive Eibach springs which I think are no longer made) What is theh spring rate on the H&R's front and back you are looking at?

 

go for the Tein Ha's instead of the H&R with konis, you get a true coilover system with springs that are matched for the shocks. Plus, although the konis do handle very well, I've heard stories about them leaking before, you may not want to get hassled with something like that

 

By the way? what company is the forum censoring now?

 

Umm...RMS..does that ring a bell?

Ah...I did read that the Konis have a bad habit of leaking sometimes..

I was looking at getting a spring rate of 500/300? as was suggested here. I'm a newb when it comes to suspension. Before, all I did was just purchase a nice pair of sport lowering springs and that was it.

The Tein HAs are nice..but I'd have to order the pillow mounts and that would jack them up into about the same price as those other high quality coilovers, so maybe I should just buy a more expensive one?

 

EDIT: Yepz...definetly RMS...lol..what's the dealio with that? Are they a bad company?

 

archangel, whether you buy the pillow ball mounts or not is entirely up to you. However, the TEIN HA's will still handle very very well no matter what. Without the pillow ball mounts they can be had for as low as under $1000, with the pillow ball mounts, I've seen them go for around 1200-1300. If you want to spend anymore money than that, I would have to recommend either the HKS hiper damper or the apex'i n1 pros or the TEIN FLEX(allows you to change stiffness of car from the inside). However they are all considerably more expensive and also perform only marginally better for the average driver.

 

Something is going on at RMS they have not returned email in weeks and when I called I went to a voicemail box that has been FULL for weeks as well.

The jimlab bushings @ n-tech will squeak if you don't install a zerk fitting so you can grease them regularly. Another option would be MazdaSpeed they are still rubber but 40% stiffer.

 

I've actually decided on the Mazdaspeed bushings..this car will be a semi-daily driver with some autocrossing/roadracing inbetween.

I've been on Thunderhill and Willow Springs, and usually do that once or twice a year, and would like to get into Auto-X just for fun.

After doing some reading(and getting informed by people) the N-tech bushings and polys would just send every little bump in the road to the frame..and I don't think I need the extra stiffness.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I'd PM JIMLAB if I were you and ask him if you made the right choice. Maybe yes and maybe no. He'll tell you the facts so you can make an informed decision.

Ken

 

You should also contact me directly about getting a set of the bushings, if you're interested. I've become a little "disenchanted" with my franchised distributors...

 

You'll hear more road noise, but if you're worried about increased ride harshness, don't be. I have dozens of customer testimonials confirming what I've said all along... that the use of rubber in the suspension bushings was intended to isolate the cabin from road noise, not to give a cushy ride. They're a pivot point, not really part of the suspension. Your choice of shocks and springs and especially low profile tires will have a far greater impact on ride quality.

If you're serious about competitive driving, there's no better way to improve the handling and feedback of your car. The Mazdaspeed alternatives are "40%" stiffer than stock, but is that something that's really measurable? More importantly, are you willing to risk over $1,000 to find out? I wasn't... which is why I had my own Nylon bushings made.

That said, absolutely, positively don't buy them just because I say they're an incredible performance improvement (and less than half the price of the Mazdaspeed replacements). If others told you that you'd be happier with the Mazdaspeed bushings and that sounds like the right path for you, then by all means take it. I don't want to push bushings on someone who might not like them.

 

jimlab,

you need to make the bushings for FC cars now.

 

That would depend on the amount of interested folks. The only way to really make it cost effective for everyone is to do large production runs.

 

Welps..I think you've got a point Jimlab...after getting the Mazdaspeed bushings priced..it's going to take close to 900 dollars to acquire all of the bushings....

My concern is that the bushings might have TOO much squeak or road noise compared to the stock bushings...is this true? As the RX-7 is my semi-daily use car, I'd prefer a quiet ride over a squeaky one...

I must give kudos to you for your outstanding support of the RX-7 community....and I can't wait to see that monster you're building.

 

They require periodic relubrication, like any Urethane, Delrin, or Nylon bushing to prevent squeaking.

 

where can I get a set of mazdaspeed bushings by the way? And howmuch does a whole set run assuming I want to replace absolutely everything?

 

Welps...

I was quoted like 800 buckaroos for the complete set by Cork Sport. They said they'd have to scramble around to find a complete set, cuz it's sold piece by piece.

My front right control arm bushing is SHOT...so I've got to get it replaced soon.