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If you have access to a lathe you can make a sleeve to press into the shock eye and use the cheap 4$ NA bushings.
But the NA ones suck. They sag in like a year. If someone went through the effort to make an adapter or just convince prothane or someone to make a poly bushing that fit they'd be on to something.
But the NA ones suck. They sag in like a year. If someone went through the effort to make an adapter or just convince prothane or someone to make a poly bushing that fit they'd be on to something.
I'm in regular contact with the VP of Prothane. If you have a specific product suggestion, I welcome you to direct it to me at Bill@MiataRoadster.com
I'm in regular contact with the VP of Prothane. If you have a specific product suggestion, I welcome you to direct it to me at Bill@MiataRoadster.com
Mazda has stopped stocking the NC10-34-710 lower shock bushing. This is used on OEM base shocks, Hard S Bilstein, MSM Bilstein AND aftermarket Bilstein HD and Sport NB miata shocks. There is reasonable demand for something here as the lower bushing (sometimes called "silent blocks") will disintegrate before the shock wears out.
I've got modified NB hats - TIG welded extended (as per my previous image).
But I'm not convinced that I made them tall enough this time.
For this build I'm doing 550/330 6" f/r with helpers. I'm looking for 12f 12 1/2r ride height on Advanced collars.
My NB hats are +5/8" front and +1 3/8" rear. I may be too tight on the fronts.
What is the increase in height of the Mauha hats?
They're 20mm according to them.
I actually currently have 1" hats essentially identical to what you made on the front of my car, but the diameter is a touch big and i didn't feel like doing the work to make them fit my nicer car. I run/ran 1" front, 1.5" rear.
Rundown of my setup:
MSM bilsteins revalved by Two Six Motorsports
Bauer sleeves/perches
Cut down Integra Speedthane bumpstops (medium)
Energy suspension spring isolator
Eibach sliders
Hyperco CS100 4" "zero rate" tenders
Hyperco 6" springs, 850lb front, 500lb rear.
I'm swapping them out for Xidas. I do not anticipate any real performance difference, and from full droop to full available compression, it has more travel than the Xidas. (Not necessarily relevant, it doesn't actually use all of it due to spring rates and ride height) I've driven this setup and Xidas back to back and actually feel that at identical spring rates, the Bilstein setup is a bit more controlled at high speed mid corner bumps, but there's some other differences between subject cars that i'm contributing to the "noise." I'm swapping only to save weight.
I actually currently have 1" hats essentially identical to what you made on the front of my car, but the diameter is a touch big and i didn't feel like doing the work to make them fit my nicer car. I run/ran 1" front, 1.5" rear.
Rundown of my setup:
MSM bilsteins revalved by Two Six Motorsports
Bauer sleeves/perches
Cut down Integra Speedthane bumpstops (medium)
Energy suspension spring isolator
Eibach sliders
Hyperco CS100 4" "zero rate" tenders
Hyperco 6" springs, 850lb front, 500lb rear.
I'm swapping them out for Xidas. I do not anticipate any real performance difference, and from full droop to full available compression, it has more travel than the Xidas. (Not necessarily relevant, it doesn't actually use all of it due to spring rates and ride height) I've driven this setup and Xidas back to back and actually feel that at identical spring rates, the Bilstein setup is a bit more controlled at high speed mid corner bumps, but there's some other differences between subject cars that i'm contributing to the "noise." I'm swapping only to save weight.
Very nice setup. But what ride height? I want to be lowish.
I've got Gen1 Xida on my '97 FI and I have no complaints, they are plush and do well at AMP with an inferior driver ;/. This Hard S build I'm doing here is for my son's lightweight NA car. It'll be interesting to run them back to back.
My Gen1's are 550/350 so a lot softer than your set up. What will you order for springs on Xida?
Very nice setup. But what ride height? I want to be lowish.
I've got Gen1 Xida on my '97 FI and I have no complaints, they are plush and do well at AMP with an inferior driver ;/. This Hard S build I'm doing here is for my son's lightweight NA car. It'll be interesting to run them back to back.
My Gen1's are 550/350 so a lot softer than your set up. What will you order for springs on Xida?
Car is pretty low. 4.25" pinchweld rear, 4.125" pinchweld front. I used to run it a touch lower but needed some clearance with the current wheel/tire setup. I'm moving that setup to a DD so i'll go back to the old 700/400 springs i was running before. The 850/500 was very comfortable, but that's a lot of spring for a stock body car on 200tw 205/50s.
Ordered 900/500 springs for the Xidas to replace the 550/350s that came on them. Gen2s.
^ That's nice! Those spring rates were ok on the street? I'm always amazed at how high you can run your rates on a miata when there's enough travel! Ride height looks perfect.
Never ever paint those stone chips. Those were earned.
AMP 6 yrs ago when it was still half dirt. Added chips.
Enables a 2.5" main spring to be coupled to a 60mm helper (ie raceland red helper). Still fits over the bilstein.
Do you actually know what the rates are on the Raceland helper springs? Unless you already have them you can buy off the shelf flat wire helper springs in the rate you want (i.e. helper or tender) for about $28 each and use off the shelf couplers.
I suppose they could be CNC'd but that'd be overkill - I think just abs would be fine for these.
I'm just replacing my plastic ones (no idea what material exaclty) with the alloy ones I posted above, precisely because plastic isn't strong enough. The lip that retains the spring has been damaged / crushed / snapped by spring movement on 3 of 4 them - and only over a few hundred miles of usage.
I actually currently have 1" hats essentially identical to what you made on the front of my car, but the diameter is a touch big and i didn't feel like doing the work to make them fit my nicer car. I run/ran 1" front, 1.5" rear.
Rundown of my setup:
MSM bilsteins revalved by Two Six Motorsports
Bauer sleeves/perches
Cut down Integra Speedthane bumpstops (medium)
Energy suspension spring isolator
Eibach sliders
Hyperco CS100 4" "zero rate" tenders
Hyperco 6" springs, 850lb front, 500lb rear.
I'm swapping them out for Xidas. I do not anticipate any real performance difference, and from full droop to full available compression, it has more travel than the Xidas. (Not necessarily relevant, it doesn't actually use all of it due to spring rates and ride height) I've driven this setup and Xidas back to back and actually feel that at identical spring rates, the Bilstein setup is a bit more controlled at high speed mid corner bumps, but there's some other differences between subject cars that i'm contributing to the "noise." I'm swapping only to save weight.
Do you have dynos of the revalve? Want to get mine done but would be good to have something as a guide (can't use Two Six Motorsports unfortunately as am on other side of the world so it would ruin the value proposition to ship that far)
Do you have dynos of the revalve? Want to get mine done but would be good to have something as a guide (can't use Two Six Motorsports unfortunately as am on other side of the world so it would ruin the value proposition to ship that far)
I might have dynos. Send me a PM tomorrow to look and i'll send them over if i can find them.
Do you actually know what the rates are on the Raceland helper springs? Unless you already have them you can buy off the shelf flat wire helper springs in the rate you want (i.e. helper or tender) for about $28 each and use off the shelf couplers.
Do I "actually" know? humm, the Raceland reds are flat wire helpers also, a dime a dozen used on ebay and go to flat (coil bind) at the static weight of the car. They have zero effect on spring rate other than to hold the mains in place when they extend. That's interesting you found helpers for $28 in 2.5"? Really decent price.
I'm just replacing my plastic ones (no idea what material exaclty) with the alloy ones I posted above, precisely because plastic isn't strong enough. The lip that retains the spring has been damaged / crushed / snapped by spring movement on 3 of 4 them - and only over a few hundred miles of usage.
Where did you get them from? Odd. Any chance that the lip is catching on something or shifting?
I can get the math data I did done in a variety of materials but you've got me concerned. I have run OTS plastic couplers for years with no issues, and plastic retainers.
You've got some strange lateral loads if the vertical lips are breaking. Could the mains be over extending beyond the length of the helpers and crashing back down on the couplers? Helpers not long enough?
Where did you get them from? Odd. Any chance that the lip is catching on something or shifting?
I can get the math data I did done in a variety of materials but you've got me concerned. I have run OTS plastic couplers for years with no issues, and plastic retainers.
You've got some strange lateral loads if the vertical lips are breaking. Could the mains be over extending beyond the length of the helpers and crashing back down on the couplers? Helpers not long enough?
Couplers were cheap ones I found locally (in New Zealand so other side of the world to you probably). I'll post pics of damage when I'm home and have a chance. There's a reasonable amount of slop / sideways movement possible which is what I thought might be causing it (kinda repeated spring twisting + side load against the lip causing fatigue then damage).
The helpers were compressed/under load at full droop (not much point to them otherwise) when I installed at a rough guess of the right ride height, but now you've suggested it I guess it is possible I lowered it enough after that, that the springs were no longer in contact at full droop.
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