BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

I kind of figured this is what I'll probably have to do. Thankfully this car isn't a daily driver. If I can't find someone with them installed nearby I'll just go ahead and order them. They can't be that terrible if so many people are willing to run them.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Recommend the RB Hollow front sway from vendor of your choice (949?). Skip the rear sway bar. Hardcore guys with higher HP either run the OEM rear or disconnect it altogether.

949 endlinks are the best choice -- true turnbuckle style -- can be adjusted without disconnecting.

Skip the STB.

Master cylinder brace should be easy to DIY. Look into furniture "elevator bolts" at the Lowes racing department. Not sure it's needed though. Don't have one myself and I'm firm.

Get braided lines from vendor of your choice. Check out RockAuto.com. Centric disks + StopTech Street Performance pads ($32). MOT on the StopTechs is 1300F!! Really nice pad for a great price.

I'd skip the bushings on a street car.

Shop around on the meth kit. Just get a basic kit. Sometimes there are sales. I got a stage 1 no reservoir kit from CoolingMist when I did mine -- on sale for about $150. Use my WW bottle as a reservoir and control with my MS. Enough fluid for 25 minute track sessions. Works great. Has been reliable for nearly 30K miles -- although the pump is finally getting weak. Can't complain.

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

I always use RockAuto for parts on my daily drivers, don't know why I didn't think to check them for Miata brakes. I guess I just didn't think they'd have higher performance parts. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm getting the bushings for the drag strip to help reduce wheel hop. The slicks should take care of a lot of that, but my bushings right now are all dried up and cracking and likely a big part of the problem.

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

Why? because of the added NVH, or because on a street car you will not notice any benefits?

Curious, because my oem bushings have 170k on them and I've always planned on going with poly + zerks when I do them.

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

Also curious for the reason you say to skip them hornetball.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

I don't find the HD door bars interfere with my left leg at all. Seating preferences probably make a difference.

They do stiffen the chassis.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

NVH/maintenance on a street car.

OTOH, if your bushings are shot, then poly is a cheap way to fix it. Bushings on my silver car with 213K miles are still in great shape -- but I think they last a lot longer garaged in TX than in an area with winter and salt.

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

This car isn't winter driven and has never seen salt. I also imported it, originally coming from California. But my bushings could still use replacing. But like I said, main reason is wheel hop at the drag strip.

Jeffbucc

I also didn't have a problem with door bars getting in the way of my legs. Don't notice them at all once you are in the car.

FAB

iTrader: (4)

As for bushings there is something to be said about the differences in materials. Poly is poly... Hard, unforgiving and depending on the location usually requires maintenance. But all in all, for the miles you'll likely put on your car it's a good solution.

Something that is very often overlooked is Whiteline. Whiteline started out in Australia (as a non-performance company) because apparently it's common during their typical mandatory vehicle inspection procedures to involve bushing inspection. Makes sense, keeping a vehicle controllable should be just as important as it's effect on the environment.

Could you imagine if each time you had to get a smog test done, they also inspected your control arm bushings? Whiteline knows polyurethane isn't a good solution for your average daily driver so they moved forward and developed a "Synthetic Elastomer".

Ride quality of rubber with the strength to keep cornering, braking and acceleration loads feeling firm. Plus all the Whiteline we sell is covered by a lifetime warranty.

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

Interesting Fab, because I always thought whiteline just sold poly bushings. Now, i must wonder - why aren't whiteline bushings all that popular in the miata crowd? I mean, I know people use them.. it's just the argument on bushing is usually poly vs rubber and never involves "synthetic elastomer" or whiteline bushings.

FAB

iTrader: (4)

Your first comment answered your question Product knowledge.

Whiteline, having relatively new roots in the US has taken obvious marketing campaigns that don't involve our 24 year old roadsters. You can't blame them and it doesn't mean it's not a superior solution for our cars too.

So who did they target? Take a look at how well praised Whiteline is in the Subaru/Evo/FRS/BRZ/Mustang communities. The current "Popular Cars" get all the love.

Another key point is the offset in their front control arm bushings. Take a look at the picture on my product page (HERE). The bushings are offset to allow an additional camber adjustment. A bonus for those who have maxed out the range of the factory configuration.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Call me a skeptic.

What I see is a bushing with an inner metal tube that moves with respect to the bushing and requires lubrication, just like any other non-molded rubber bushing.

I would also note that Australia is a benign environment. What might last 15 years there may not last a single set of seasons here. Just ask the Pontiac G8 community how long their front suspensions last in the Rust Belt.

FAB

iTrader: (4)

Skepticism is a good.

Lubricating bushings isn't so much the problem. It's when I need to service them regularly, or given the frequency - you could say irregularly.

A couple of things Whiteline has done to combat this:

1. Unlike your standard Poly bushings - most of the bushings and crush tube surfaces you apply lubrication to on Whiteline parts have a crosshatch pattern molded into the inside of the material that does a great job at keeping the lubrication where it should be.
2. Their bushing is more foregiving and acts more as an actual bushing allowing some level of buffer before applying 100% of the load to the lubrication.
3. The lubrication they use is specifically formulated for the bushing material they use and better suited for these high pressure areas giving it better stability. When polyurethane is installed correctly it does a decent job of this, but the lube often ends up being pressed out long before you feel like servicing them.

And as for the G8 - I agree with the poor design but you certainly can't use it as a specific stab to the Aussies. I live an hour from the GM headquarters (located in the heart of the Rust Belt) and I just had to replace both front control arms on my brothers 2010 Chevy Impala because the bushings had broken almost completely free of the shells... You'd think they'd figure out a better solution.

FAB

iTrader: (4)

My Whiteline rep just sent this to me. It comments on why their current stuff is superior (textured collars..) and their plan to go grease free!

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Wan't meant as an Aussie stab. Just a factual statement, Australia (especially coastal Australia where people live) is a pretty benign place (so is CA for that matter). No matter how much upfront testing you do, nothing replaces real world experience.

I would be SUPER interested in grease free bushings of this type. After they have a bit of real world use that is.

/s An Old Engineer

Jeffbucc

I have a hard time seeing it unless it is delrin or spherical. I would pine for greaseless bushings too, but I see sand from the desert not playing nice with that. Either that or you have to replace the bushings more frequently.

Not sure. I'm happy to be proven wrong!

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

So my tax return came in, looks like its time to start ordering parts.

Already ordered EBC solenoid from DIYautotune, clutch line and slave cylinder from ProjectG, as well as some blank rotors. Pads will be coming from rockauto sometime in the next week or two.

More parts are getting ordered meow

Fireindc

iTrader: (13)

needs pics of parts!

BoostedSmurf

iTrader: (1)

I agree!

Parts should start arriving in the next couple weeks in Detroit, it'll just be a matter of making trips across the border to pick everything up.