Mazdaspeed Shocks and Springs in NA Miata??
 

Hey all, I'm a little new to this forum, and I'm pretty sure I have the gist of it all down, but I figured why not refer to the guys that actually turbo (and further mod) their Miatas! I have a NA that I would like to get a little tighter suspension. It's my daily driver, and currently the setup I have is, for lack of better words, ridiculous.

I'm probably dropped 2 to 2.5 inches and my car likes to drag on everything. Don't get me wrong, the car looks cool and gets approximately 1 or 2mpg better (at least, that's what it's been calculated to with the same driving technique as before) with the setup, possibly due to the lowering of the Coefficient of drag. I could be wrong, who knows. Anyway, the setup it has now is: BG/B&G springs, FatCat bump stops, and Gabriel shocks. Yes, I know that's a terrible mix, but when you run your Miata into a curb and destroy your lower control arm as well as a shock, you can't really complain for a $220 shipped suspension setup. Needless to say, I hate the setup, and I've driven on it for probably 2 years. The roads here in Louisiana are terrible, and now my tires rub on the inner sidewalls. As of now, she's sitting in my garage and I won't drive her until I resolve this dilemma.

What I would like to know is the following:

1. Which top hats should I use? NA or NB?
2. Does the Mazdaspeed shock and spring setup raise my car higher than stock or lower it like it does to the NB ? If higher/lower, by how much?
3. Can I use the current FC bump stops on a MS setup, or would I have to get some new ones? If I can't, are the MS one's sufficient?
4. I want to install a Flyin' Miata shock tower brace on my car, but on the site it states explicitly that I'll need longer studs for my top hats. Does that mean I'll have to use (assuming I can) NB top hats to make it work, or do NA top hats work?
5. Most importantly, does anyone here want to sell me their MS suspension setup?? :rofl:

Thanks,

Matt

The MSM shocks are awesome, the springs will make it sit way too high. Get some perches and softer springs like 325/250 and you will really appreciate that set-up. You might be able to run the MSM springs on perches too.

I second this.

The mazdaspeed shocks are indeed frikken fantastic. I have 03 NB LS bilsteins and my ex gf's mazdaspeed suspension was superior. Just too high.

Not trying to thread jack but it seems like a related thread and I can avoid starting another one. What would be the best springs to substitute for the stock MSM springs? I have an MSM and it does sit really high and I would like to lower it a bit. Car is a street car but I plan to take it to a track and start autox with it. Otherwise the suspension is amazing. Little harsh at times but handles like it is on rails.

Plan old ebay 450/350 collar kit and a rb front bar will do that car wonders on MSM silver bilsteins.

I did this conversion and am happy with the ride but I do need to find a way to lowwer it. Its not higher than stock I dont think? but an inch or 1 1/2 down would be better. I just wish I could keep the stock springs the ride is great I just want it lowwer.

You see, at this point I don't mind a higher Miata. I have had mine pretty low for the past few years and I have to say it's a bit annoying. Being that the roads are terrible in Louisiana, the bottom of my car is sacrificed. I don't want that. If I get a MSM setup, I will have bilsteins and eibach springs (I think they are eibach??) and will later get adjustable coils. For now, it's my DD and I don't want to ruin it. If I can have a tight suspension Miata and miss out on the terrible dips in the road causing me to bottom out, I am all for it.

Is there a difference between bilstein silvers and yellow ones? I noticed the MSM setup uses silvers, but do they also sometimes use yellows?

Lastly, I notice that Flyin' Miata sells a conversion kit to allow my Miata to utilize the NB setup. Does this mean that I need to change the NB top hats to y NA top hats if I want the MSM setup to work? Or does this mean that the NB top hats do something that NA Miatas just don't like? Idk. :/

With no other changes, NB top hats will lower a car previously on NA hats. They are however better, as the NA hat bolts the shaft to the hat past the spring perch, wasting an inch or so of travel. Not a big deal on the fronts, but we only have 2ish inches in the back, so NB hats free up some travel. That's the difference.