Well Worn Suspension ~175k - Need Suggestions
 

Hello all, VERY long time reader, first time poster.

I've owned my Miata for about 10 years now and I'm finally going to get do some meaningful mods to it. Lack of money was mostly the main cause of it.

I've bought the car with about 70k on her, and I knew that the suspension was considered worn out already. Well, she is still running the stock suspension and she is due for some serious maintenance.

Along with getting a tranny replaced (keeps locking up in reverse) and needing to get the rear main replaced as well. I figured I might as well just do the suspension too.

I have budgeted for about 700-1000 for suspension and would like to get the most out of my dollar and fully interested in dropping her stance as well. (Not slamming.) I want her to produce some Gs (or 1G :) ) in the turns.

Currently, she has some 11lb 15"s wrapped in Yoko S-Drives.

I have done a ton of research on struts, springs, sways, bushings, coilovers, and structural braces. I am wanting to throw a roll bar in if possible(Since it firms up the chassis), but that will chew up about half of my budget.

What would you replace and with what. I've always going with the mentality that once something needs replaced, upgrade it as well.

She is my 95% DD that sees alot of "Running late for work" antics along with a Autocross here and there. (Roll bar will mean that I'm going to go to Heartland Park as well.)

So... What are my options? :D

Wait for the 949 Tecnas!

Definitely want racelands to get really low, they're pretty much the best out there.

The suspension hierarchy thread should help: https://www.miataturbo.net/suspensio...erarchy-41991/

I get 20 negative props every time I say that I was pleased with my racelands under similar conditions (some spirited daily driving and an occasional test-n-tune autocross). They're cheap and will substantially better than you're old stock setup. One thing you don't want to do is put lowering springs on your old shocks, if they're not blown now that's probably the fastest way to do it.

HVT 6216i Love them.

This. You've waited 10 years, may as well wait a few more weeks (months?) to see if these are a game-changer.

So, apparently not much of your VERY long time reading was spent in the suspension section?

...

The technas are a solid choice, but if you don't want to wait I'd go with the Swanky McSwankentein Sir Swags A Lot coilover system xxxtreme.

I did not know about this set. I do have a lot of respect for 949.

I sure hope that is sarcasim... If not, why the intellectual dishonestly. That's no cool. Lots of gullible people out there (like me :noob:)

I wonder how I missed that... Thx! Lots of good info in there.

That Price :cry:

So going to wait on these!

Just looking for constructive opinions...

I figure that I can wait for those. I kept reading about the Tein Basis vs FM V-Maxx posts and I just cannot decided between the two. SOO much bias out there that I cannot seem to get read on the ones that I want.

Actually my last suggestion was serious, read about turning used Bilsteins into coilovers, that's your best budget option until the technas get here.

I absolutely hate the FM VMaxx XXtreme Sport coilovers I installed on my 01 5 months ago. I had been driving the car on track with the only mods being a rollbar and 15x8 PF01's and 205/50 BS RE11's and was having lots of fun. I decided I needed coilovers to lower the car to get some negative camber because I was killing the outside shoulder of tires. Instead of waiting to build up enough to go with XIDA's, I foolishly spent the 1k on the FM VMaxx XXtreme Sport Stage 2 package that also has the FM swaybars. It destroyed my on track handling and I had massive understeer and I was hugely disappointed. I have only been to a track day 3 times and 2 of those were on stock suspension. I enjoyed them much better with the stock suspension.

I also had an 04 MSM up until 3 months ago that was my DD, while the 01 was the racecar, until I sold it. I was so going to put the 949 Tecnas on there but they are still not out so I sold the MSM out of spite;).

As I see it, you have two choices. Spend the <1k for the Tecnas and be within your budget or if you aspire to something that will actually do something useful to the car, save up enough to do it once and do it right and go with XIDA's. If I had been smart and just waited, I would have had enough to get the Big Grip Kit by now and still have it on before the first track day I would have an opportunity to go to.

Believe me, I would if I could justify it to the Commander in Chief of the household. Hell, I 'm having a hard time justifying that kind of cost for a car I would track every now and then. 3-4 hour drive to nearest track and 2 hour drive for an autocross that I somehow have to make time for,

*Sigh* I need to make more money with less time. Anyone got the winning formula for that?

Worth the money

I'm pretty sure this is an alignment issue... or the fact that you bought their swaybars.

Or did you really mean "sport" and not "track pack?" The Track Pack isn't something i'd say is "prone to understeer" on a car that's set up worth a damn.

Available for $1000 shipped to your door!

I said in the original post that it was the Sport versions.

The alignment shop also definitely screwed up my alignment before that track day. I had way more rear camber than front camber.

However, none of this changes the fact that they ride shitty, squeak and pop constantly, and just weren't worth it.

To the OP, I would definitely wait for the Tecnas. I had tons of fun on my stock suspension with only wheels and tires, like I said before. Emilio is promising great ride quality and better handling than stock (especially 175k stock stuff).

Ya, I think I'm going to wait on the Tecnas to see how people like them.

Should I go ahead and start replacing bushings though?

If you have the money to get the bushings right now and the tools to do it properly, then go ahead. When you go back in to replace your old shocks with the Tecnas when they finally come out, it will be a breeze because you will have already taken the whole suspension completely apart once before lol.

Look into diff mounts and engine mounts as well.

I also feel your pain on having to drive so far to a track. I have a 5 hour drive to either of the two closest tracks to me.