TAKE MY MONEY!!

Lol
I've been looking to replace my OEM r package stuff with something that was MADE for ride quality. I assure you, if you want to REALLY test these things out. Let me buy them and i'll give them hell on Michigan raods. That will be the true test. These seem perfect for me though. Can lower the car a little, better ride quality, and better handling, low price and aren't racelands. Win win.

 

Seriously, I'm trying to find a Miata just so I can put these on it.

 

Don't know yet. So far, the prototypes tecnas are better on our rough local track (Streets of Willow) with 450/400 rates than Street Flex with the same rates. That might improve further when valving is finalized. The primary difference is stroke and droop travel. The rear tecna has over an inch more shaft stroke than the Street Flex, but the same bump travel.

What you are asking is "will tecnas absorb bumper better than AGX's?"

Crushed beer cans stuffed into gym socks will absorb bumps better than AGX's. tecna ride quality is near that of Xidas on rough surfaces.
Stainless bodies, powdercoated or anodized everything. The main reason we are track testing tecnas is to see if we can blow them up. So far, they just got better after a day at the track.

For the many of you asking if you can get free shocks to test, ah, no... ever.

 

 

Any plans for an option with stiffer rates down the road?

 

I'm in for next spring to buy these.

I've dealt with 949 already and they are a great place to spend my hard earned money. I trust that these will be another shining example of filling a need at a reasonable cost.


Thanks 949

 

Do you need some really cold weather seal testing done?

Say -30 Celsius and very bumpy winter roads ?

 

K, sign me up. You are going to sell so many sets of these if they perform anything like you are saying.

 

Nope. These are not race shocks. Also, they're not race shocks.

The tecna use standard length 2.25" springs for weight savings and tire clearance. It should be easy for folks to swap springs if they so desire.

 

Same here. I'll be following these with interest.

 

I happen to think my FM1/Illumina combo is very comfortable on the street. Setting 2 perfect for daily use, setting 3 great for aggressive driving. And I've tried a good handful of setups including different bilsteins.
From how you're describing these they better be HEAVENLY for you to say the tokicos ride like garbage. I mean seriously, they better blow our socks off.

 

Agreed, which is why I'll anxiously await some reviews before I drop cash. I have no doubt they are better than my setup which admittedly is trash, but turning better lap times than tien flex, AND ride quality close to xidas and I'm throwing money at my screen.

 

My experience with the Tokico Illuminas is thus;

Adjusted to provide the best ride quality they are capable of with lowering springs, they have almost no low speed rebound damping. Worse than OEM. Weak enough to be unnerving on a fast freeway connector road taken at 7/10ths. Adjusted stiff so they have any low speed rebound damping at all (still about 30% of what it needs to be) and the hysteresis in low speed compression becomes so severe as to render the dampers useless at full speed on a track with sticky tires. Bouncing and heaving everywhere, chattering under braking on rippled pavement. If all a driver knows is poorly matched entry level stuff, they might not understand how much room there is for improvement. In short, they don't do anything well.

The Illuminas are bad enough that they are not even on my radar. Bilsteins are far superior. It still baffles me that people spend money on AGX's, Koni ST's and Illuminas.

The only damper/spring anywhere in this price range that I'm comparing to is the standard Vmaxxxxx,xxx.xx-xx or OTS Bilsteins with Tein lowering springs.

 

that's interesting because I went from Vmaxx to the FM1 and noticed an improvement in ride quality and comfort, all else being completely identical

 

Nothing to be baffled about. I'm sure my story isn't unique.

First project car I've owned.
First resource I start to use to learn how to mod? Miata.net
First miata aftermarket company with a good reputation I learn about? Flyin Miata.
People on m.net say FM is the best and you can trust them.
Call FM and order their recommended suspension package.

I'm not saying that's the best pathway, but I think it's common. When faced with the choice between junk racelands at one end of the spectrum and XIDAs and AFCOs at the other, the FM/Illumina combo makes some sense.

 

Oh come on - you realize he's gotta make money too right? Just annoying how people are basically willing to dismiss everything else and claim these as the new holy grail before they are even out.

I mean no disrespect at all, but just a few months ago him and Sav would laugh at anyone that doesn't get Xida. Performance OR comfort. Basically its either OEM or Xida, and anyone spending money on anything in the middle is a braindead moron.

Now that they're participating in the mid level suspension market, these things are supposed to blow everything else out of the water.

We will see I guess. I respect 949 and obviously hope these are as good as they say they are, but man these claims are getting pretty huge.

 

Sounds like someone is butthurt over having bought what a respected, knowledgeable member of the community is saying is a sub-par suspension. I'll trust Emilio.

 

Honestly, I see what he's saying. The hurdle Emilio faces here is trying to convince someone who is already happy with what he has to part with money for his (Emilio's) new product.

 

Way to be a downer. Here's the difference to me:

1. Not cobbled together from various OTS parts that were never intended to be used together.
2. Specific, realistic goals that exactly match my own (plush ride, height adjustable, balanced handling).
3. Developed by someone who has spent countless hours experimenting with Miata suspensions and the ride/handling question.
4. Pricepoint that makes it competitive with convenient solutions that had questionable development (V-Maxx, Megans, etc) and inconvenient solutions that required guesswork (DIY Bilsteins or Konis).

Sure, it needs to actually hit the market, and then we'll see if it still meets all those criteria. But if it does, then it's not just another mid-level option -- it's a mid-level option offering something none of the others are.

 

In what ways is the ride quality of the FM1/Illumina setup better than the Vmaxx?

When you turn the **** from "2" to "3," what does it do?