I'm going to be building diy coilovers for my 2004 MSM. Also to note, I'm starting out from COMPLETELY stock suspension. also I'm going to be using the stock shocks. I have a picture of the parts I plan on ordering, please let me know if there is anything else I need. I see things like fender washers on some posts, have absolutely no idea what i'd be getting for that, so help with that would be amazing. Also I see things like bushings, will I need bushings or things related to that? If so which ones would I be looking at getting. I will be ordering the Maruha Hats mounts. This is also excluding the springs, I also need some help deciding springs. I plan on not using this car often, more as a car for ("you know what I want to drive the miata today"). with about 20% track use. Would would be the recommended springs to get. trying to lower the back since its up much higher, and I believe rear's are also lower then front on track cars, or maybe I read the wrong thing. Anyways trying to get specs from 949. Also I'd be guessing its also depended on what the ride height is set to, even after tons of forum posts, its still confusing, I'll figure it out sooner or later. Also for spring washers, how many springs are needed, seen one post saying 8, and one only using 4. Any help is appreciated. I also will be installing a front swaybar from racingbeat. (if that effects anything)

edit: After even more searching I've decicided to get 700/400 spring rates. Now looking at QA1 springs, options are 650 or 850, should I still be looking for a 700 or are 700's really 650?

. Thanks!

 

Did you bother to read through the DIY Better Bilstein thread? Pretty much all the answers are there along with a lot more info if you’re going down that path.

 

Yes i've done a lot inside that thread, Im still figuring out where to find 700/400 springs, and washer size wasnt mentioned inside there, at least when I tried searching it and looking.

 

Based on the general consensus in the thread, you may want to rethink the spring rate. More isn't necessarily better. And fender washers are pretty generic and all made to a certain size spec. Just get whichever fits the shock shaft.

 

For spring rate I was looking at street/track springe rates, obviously for DIY it cant handle as much. But Saw mutiple posts saying the MSM shocks were stiffer and also someone said they did 700 on the front msm shocks and it handled perfectly fine. Considering the shocks are on low miles I'm taking a guess it'll be fine.

 

I've built 2 sets of MSM based coilover setups over the past 5 years. 1st I did 550/350 and the 2nd started out at 700/400 and it was just too harsh on the street. I ended up going to 500/350 (still have them on my car) and raised the ride height just a tad and it rode fine (90% street). I think people get caught up in the whole "must be track stuff" and lose site of the fact most public roads are **** compared to a track surface. The 700/400 would ride nice on a track but not at all on the public roads (at least where I am).