concealer404

iTrader: (3)

You'd be more likely to need the bump stops without the extended top hats.

You're on stock NB hats now, right?

curly

iTrader: (25)

Just experienced this myself while installing some brand new Ohlins. Ended up being bound up rear bushings.

Put the car on jack stands and take the wheels off. Jack up on each set of control arms until it just lifts that corner off the stand. Now loosen and re-tighten everything that's not an eccentric. On the rears that's one outer upper bushing, two inner upper bushings, and one long outer lower bushing. On the fronts it's one long inner upper bushing. Doesn't hurt to do the lower shock mount bolt at the same time.

Hope this helps.

WMP

iTrader: (1)

That's what I figured. ISC's website says they don't run bump stops with their top hats.

Yea, stock NB hats and the shocks are very close to the bump stops. The All Star sleeves would let me get a little lower, but then it would be riding on the bump stops.

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

I've been considering getting some nicer sleeves before i even try the Ebay ones for my setup. Already have custom extended top hats.

WMP

iTrader: (1)

Could be. I'll check it out. I replaced the eccentric bolts while I had the car apart, so I didn't touch any of the other bushings. That doesn't mean one's not sticking though.... Here's a pic of what's left of my old rear shock mount bolt/bushing... That's pretty much the condition of every bolt on my car...

SchmoozerJoe

iTrader: (2)

You should PM Cordycord... he has a closet full of the good ones.

WMP

iTrader: (1)

Yea the post about them earlier in this thread and talking to the guy that did my alignment have me convinced that they're worth the extra money.

Or I'll sell you my eBay sleeves for $30 haha

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

I have.... 4(?) sets of Ebay sleeves hanging around from various things haha.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Farva, you are already about 2 to 2.5 inches lower than stock. Take a look at the advertising literature from Mazda on your car.

Take pics of your sleeves as you have them now.

WMP

iTrader: (1)

Here's a pic of one of my front shocks before I made some final adjustments. The perch/locking nut are now down as far as they will go, I had them temporarily adjusted high enough that they would be seated at full droop. After looking at it some more, the front is definitely lower than stock thanks to the 6" springs, but the rear is still pretty high. I'll try to take a better picture of the car later today...

Here's how I arranged everything from top of the shock down:

- OEM 14mm Nut
- Bilstein 17mm Lock Nut
- OEM Washer Thing
- OEM Rubber Bushing (some people use part of a bump stop)
- OEM NB Top Hat
- Other OEM Rubber Bushing (the one that fits in the hole in the top hat)
- 2 fender washers (replaced OEM bump stop "cup")
- Integra bump stop cut to 36mm

No spring isolators between spring and top hat. So far I haven't heard any scary noises, and I work in the shitty part of town where the roads are less than satisfactory. I did put a rubber ring (came with sleeves) between the perch and the spring. I figured it might be a good idea since the spring is steel and the perch is aluminum. The sleeves/perches are identical to the ones in the original post. They have about a 12mm non-threaded section at the bottom. This and the two thick perches/nuts obviously limit adjustability, but I didn't want to flip them and have the treaded part resting on the clip because it looks too thin to be trusted...

I might just buy two all star sleeves for the rear and see how I like them.

bahurd

iTrader: (8)

In my post #217 you'll see how much lower the QA sleeves will put you.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

You are limited in droop by your springs. Using 7inch springs is better for that.

FWIW, you can get the adjusters lower if you were to flip the black collars over. They will go down until you run out of threads at the bottom.

xj220sc

Has anyone else used ES 9.6111 bumpstop? Searched the part number saw nothing. I use them and love them $4.99 at autozone. I also used sway bar bushing kit has my strut mount 9.8105R I think thats the part numer.

etikoner

iTrader: (1)

Anyone ever just install a schrader valve and play with nitrogen pressure as a tuning tool?

Also, been eyeing some ohlins double digressive pistons on ebay..

sbcrx007

iTrader: (1)

Regarding the MSM Bilsteins, was there a consensus as to what spring rates were fastest on track (comfort not a concern), with R comp street tires like Rivals or RA1s?

I've seen numbers listed here as high as 550/350 (believe that was Jacob300zx) on stock valving. Highest I saw from Hustler was 450/300, I think it was JeffGoji who was actually running 550/375.

Curious for any first hand knowledge on handling improvements (read: lap time improvements) with such higher rates...

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

RyanG is using 600/350 or 600/400 on stock MSM Bilsteins in a daily driver with street tires that he also tracks. The ride is good enough to take a grown woman with a college degree on a date in the car and not be embarrassed.

Ryan_G

iTrader: (8)

^This.

I also chose these spring rates for the MSM bilsteins because of a thread over on mazda-speed.com where someone had a shock dyno of some MSM bilsteins that they used to make some calculations which lead to those spring rates for heavy track use. I'll trycto remember to find out later and link it here.

sbcrx007

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Steve & Ryan, If you do find that link let me know, I'll search for it in the meantime.

Ryan - how is it on track?

hahaha, nice.

sbcrx007

iTrader: (1)

I think this is it:
Verify susspension choices...

concealer404

iTrader: (3)

So what i'm hearing is that i need to swap out my 550lb fronts for 600lb units before i install the setup that's still languishing in my garage?

And some AllStar sleeves as well, huh?