My review of Riceland coilovers
im currently in the process of putting my NB set into my NA but am having some trouble getting the front stock spring/shock out. I have never done any suspension work before so maybe im just doing something dumb but i cant get the control arms to drop low enough. i unbolted the sway and it still wont go low enough to pull out the stock setup. anyone wanna tell a noob how to do it? thanks!
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Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 836
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From: Phoenix
im currently in the process of putting my NB set into my NA but am having some trouble getting the front stock spring/shock out. I have never done any suspension work before so maybe im just doing something dumb but i cant get the control arms to drop low enough. i unbolted the sway and it still wont go low enough to pull out the stock setup. anyone wanna tell a noob how to do it? thanks!
If you aren't using one of those methods, you aren't going to get it off.
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Elite Member
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Houston, TX
If your sittng there looking at the shock a-arms, stick your finger down in front of the shock and feel around. There is a bolt down there that hold the lower arm to the spindle. Take it out and pull the spindle from the lower a arm. Then step on the lower arm and pull the hat bolts under the unibody. Stop, let the suspension compress again. Step on the a arm again and pull the top of the shock out.
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I finally finished getting them installed, thanks for all the help.
I went for a test drive and love it. i dont even have my sway bar attached (im waiting for my endlinks in the mail) and it already handles so much better. I cant wait to see how it feels with a sway also
I went for a test drive and love it. i dont even have my sway bar attached (im waiting for my endlinks in the mail) and it already handles so much better. I cant wait to see how it feels with a sway also
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Newb
Joined: May 2010
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I'm in the process of installing some on my car. I'm taking my time and going slow for reasons of insanity and lack of time. I'll report back when I get them done.
Does anyone have some good tips for getting the old struts/springs out of an NB with as little effort as possible. Some have said just disconnect the strut top and bottom and pry the control arm out of your way enough to drop them but I haven't had luck that way yet.
Does anyone have some good tips for getting the old struts/springs out of an NB with as little effort as possible. Some have said just disconnect the strut top and bottom and pry the control arm out of your way enough to drop them but I haven't had luck that way yet.
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When I was planning my suspension swap I read too many threads and FAQ's and instructions and was overthinking the whole think. Simplify. These are gospeed81's instructions and they were basically all I used to swap my suspension for the first time:
Loosen lugs, jack car up, take off wheels and set in position to use as seats while crouched over spindles.
FRONT:
1. Loosen the two outside nuts under the hood on the shock towers.
2. Remove sway bar mount nuts, 2/side.
3. Loosen lower shock bolt.
4. Remove upper A-arm bolt (BIG bolt on upper inside of wheel well that goes through chassis and both sleeves of A-arm). It pulls out the front, usually with surprisingly little effort. BE READY for whole suspension to droop to extent of shock, and for the spindle to move outwards, tugging on the brake line.
5. Now remove the loose underhood nuts, READY for more suspension movement.
6. Remove lower shock bolt and pull shock out.
Yes, it's really that easy, but not as easy as the rear.
1. Remove two top mount nuts that are hidden in the tunnels that go from tunnel to trunk. You will have to remove fuel filler hose cover plate on driver side, and spare on passenger side.
2. Remove lower shock bolt.
3. Remove upper spindle bolt, tapping out with screwdriver which is easier to remove than the bolt.
4. Pull shock out.
Install is reverse and repeat for both sides.
FRONT:
1. Loosen the two outside nuts under the hood on the shock towers.
2. Remove sway bar mount nuts, 2/side.
3. Loosen lower shock bolt.
4. Remove upper A-arm bolt (BIG bolt on upper inside of wheel well that goes through chassis and both sleeves of A-arm). It pulls out the front, usually with surprisingly little effort. BE READY for whole suspension to droop to extent of shock, and for the spindle to move outwards, tugging on the brake line.
5. Now remove the loose underhood nuts, READY for more suspension movement.
6. Remove lower shock bolt and pull shock out.
Yes, it's really that easy, but not as easy as the rear.
1. Remove two top mount nuts that are hidden in the tunnels that go from tunnel to trunk. You will have to remove fuel filler hose cover plate on driver side, and spare on passenger side.
2. Remove lower shock bolt.
3. Remove upper spindle bolt, tapping out with screwdriver which is easier to remove than the bolt.
4. Pull shock out.
Install is reverse and repeat for both sides.
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I did the long bolt after thinking there was a better way and that the bolt would be hard to work with. The long bolt was easy to get out.
I would say that the big problem is that my sway bar end links were frozen solid and no little 5 or 6mm allen key fitting was going to survive if I forced the issue. I used a spring compressor also and pried the lower arm down when I pulled the shock out. Once you have coilovers you never have to do that again - thank goodness.
I would say that the big problem is that my sway bar end links were frozen solid and no little 5 or 6mm allen key fitting was going to survive if I forced the issue. I used a spring compressor also and pried the lower arm down when I pulled the shock out. Once you have coilovers you never have to do that again - thank goodness.
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Newb
Joined: May 2010
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Got the front struts out and the top hats on the racelands tonight. Did the big bolt through the upper control arm method to get them out. I recommend that to anyone over the other methods although I don't know what the CR.net way is?
******* headache after headache. I'm planning to run the upper OEM strut bushing and the lower OEM bump stop bushing as well as the raceland bump stop in the front (I haven't looked at how the back is setup yet.). I noticed someone running an NA miata in this thread said that running the OEM bumpstop by the top hat and the raceland one would be too much but to me it seems the OEM tucks out of the way. Can anyone with an NB miata and racelands comment?
I'm starting to remember why I stopped having project cars. Working on cars is a blast but when its your car its just a headache.
******* headache after headache. I'm planning to run the upper OEM strut bushing and the lower OEM bump stop bushing as well as the raceland bump stop in the front (I haven't looked at how the back is setup yet.). I noticed someone running an NA miata in this thread said that running the OEM bumpstop by the top hat and the raceland one would be too much but to me it seems the OEM tucks out of the way. Can anyone with an NB miata and racelands comment?
I'm starting to remember why I stopped having project cars. Working on cars is a blast but when its your car its just a headache.
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So when I re-adjusted my rear preload to raise the back of the car up a little, I sprayed a little sillicone lube on the spring perches. Made it alot easier to adjust the spring height but now the damn rear squeeks like crazy! I thought sillicone spray is ued to stop squeeks on most things. It hasnt gotten dirt in there, I have only driven it twice since adjusting it and it has sat for a week or so.
Does anyone else have squeeking problems? Yes I put the ring insulators back in!
As for the alignment:
As long as you do not mess with the camber bolts you should be ok if you are running the same ride height. As you change ride hight (especially to the extremes) you will get camber changes that might need an alignment to fix.
Does anyone else have squeeking problems? Yes I put the ring insulators back in!
As for the alignment:
As long as you do not mess with the camber bolts you should be ok if you are running the same ride height. As you change ride hight (especially to the extremes) you will get camber changes that might need an alignment to fix.
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