Need Suspension Advice
 

So I'm (hopefully) selling my Explorer in a day or two and I'm getting ready to leave the miata for a few months (basic training) on the 28th of this month. I want to get some suspension goodies on before I leave so my question is: Should I go with some cheap coilovers like v-maxxes or BC's or should I go with a better proven/quality shock/spring setup for a good bit less money? I want to stay at/under about 7-800 bucks so any other ideas would be appreciated as well.

Flyin' Miata : Chassis : Suspension : Flyin' Miata stage 1 suspension kit

I think I have pretty much decided that this is the way I'm going for my NB. I considered the kit that includes the swaybars, but I'm going to try this first. If I decide to add them later, it will cost me an extra $30 over the package deal. If I decide I don't need them, I saved $180. With the bigger stock bars on the NB over the NA, it might not be as critical to upgrade the bars.

I'm no suspension guru by any means, but my stock 99 rolls like crazy. And it pushes like crazy. First thing it will ever get is a new front sway bar. And OMG it needs shocks like whoa. Stein if you got some Bilsteins let me know.

So do you really think the stage one is better than say V-maxx coilovers that would be $7 less (before shipping) or if there sale is still going on $107 less?

I have only read a few snippets on the v-maxx on m.net, so can't really comment on them. All that I do recall from my searches is that it is the cheapest way to get to coilovers, shy of ebay DIY spring kits which some have had success with. That said, the cheapest coilover kit, just to get a coilover kit, isn't the direction that I am going to go. FWIW, the Cheapo Ebay Coilover kits, at around $40 shipped amazes me. How can they sell four springs and four threaded sleeves with collars for that? Spring rates tend to be 450 front and 350 rear. That makes the rears a little heavier than desired for most people.

One other thing to consider is, if you want to get 15x9 6UL's, you can't make them work with stock diameter springs. You HAVE to go to coilovers. That may or may not affect your decision. 15x8's, on the other hand, aren't an issue.

My main thing with the FM kit was the small drop. I measured up my car and it looks like I will see a 1" drop on the front and 1.5" on the rear, keeping 1/2" rake. Even that might be too much for me for my rural gravel roads. It will probably be OK, becase the same movement of the car on a bump will be lessened on the heavier springs, so it should "end up" in the same spot even starting 1" lower. In a perfect world, I would have liked the higher rate springs with 0-1/2" drop.

I do like the amount of increase in spring rate that their springs give (almost triple the stock springs). When they say they "designed" the springs to work with the illuminas, I believe it to a point. It's easy to overpower shocks with too much spring. I think the match is a good one and is supposed to ride pretty well on the softer/softest settings for DD and still auto x pretty well at 5 front, 4 rear.

Obviously, I'm not speaking with any personal experience. Just reguritating what I learned on the web in my search.

EIDT: Might want to take a look at this thread. Some real world experience, along with a lot of "subjective" criticism. http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...ghlight=v-maxx

Ok, that helps a little bit. Another benefit of the coilovers for me is that I can change heights. Right now I probably shouldn't be but 1/2-1" lower than stock with the roads I drive, but if I'm stationed in an area with better roads a year from now I'd like to be able to go a tad lower. Have you heard anything really bad about the v-maxx's? i know Brad really likes his BC's but they are a good bit more $$ even though they are still relatively cheap for coil overs.

Read the thread I linked. It's the best info that I found. It seemed like the only people that bought them were really low post count people. May be shills? I don't know.

I just reread that thread again myself. Spring rates seem wrong and shocks are China built. I think your money would be better spent elsewhere on known commodities.

i didn't even see the link earlier....must've put it in after I left this thread. I'll be reading that for the next little bit. Thanks a lot.

I'm toying with the idea of selling my bilstien/gc for some hardcore shit. Interested?

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