New Shocks
#12
I highly recommend putting a larger front sway bar on your car while you are under there. Racing Beat or Flyin' Miata both have 1" bars that will give the car a much more solid and planted feel both in the corners and on the interstate at high speed. You should also get some 949Racing adjustable endlinks to attach it with. The sway bar changes both the demeanor of the car and the confidence level you will feel driving it. The difference will be very obvious. You will thank me.
Edit: I have a used set of the adjustable Konis I have never tried out. I'm too happy with my tight NB Bilsteins right now.
Last edited by sixshooter; 09-27-2011 at 07:08 AM.
#13
I hated my car when it was on the stock stuff because the rear only had about 3/4 inch of travel before slamming into the bump stops. The cars were just designed that way. Getting anything with more travel before it hits the stops and a little more damping is a plus so I think you will probably like that about them.
I highly recommend putting a larger front sway bar on your car while you are under there. Racing Beat or Flyin' Miata both have 1" bars that will give the car a much more solid and planted feel both in the corners and on the interstate at high speed. You should also get some 949Racing adjustable endlinks to attach it with. The sway bar changes both the demeanor of the car and the confidence level you will feel driving it. The difference will be very obvious. You will thank me.
Edit: I have a used set of the adjustable Konis I have never tried out. I'm too happy with my tight NB Bilsteins right now.
I highly recommend putting a larger front sway bar on your car while you are under there. Racing Beat or Flyin' Miata both have 1" bars that will give the car a much more solid and planted feel both in the corners and on the interstate at high speed. You should also get some 949Racing adjustable endlinks to attach it with. The sway bar changes both the demeanor of the car and the confidence level you will feel driving it. The difference will be very obvious. You will thank me.
Edit: I have a used set of the adjustable Konis I have never tried out. I'm too happy with my tight NB Bilsteins right now.
#14
There are two good reasons for the end links and a third that may not matter to you personally.
First, they have a ball and socket arrangement on both ends that don't allow any free play before actuation like the stock rubber filled ones. The vastly stronger than stock sway bar will more easily overpower the rubber bushings allowing 3/4 inch or more of movement at each end link before full force of the bar can be applied to the control arm. All four connecting points in the stock links have give. This may be sensed as slop, which is what we are trying to cure.
Second, the adjustable length of the end links allow you to more readily use the multiple mounting holes in the sway bar ends (allowing the sway bar's effective force to be adjustable, which is a good thing) and allowing you to set the angle of the bar for component clearance which can be a problem. Stock links can be a bitch to reach some of the mounting holes, if at all. And they may be the holes you want or need to use.
Third, it allows you the ability to set suspension pre-load, which I haven't fooled with because I'm not operating at that level yet. It has to do with helping balance out weights and forces at the four suspension corners for track use.
Yes they are a little pricey but they make a huge difference and I think they are necessary to upgrade with the forces the larger bar generates. Not adding them is like upgrading to tighter springs with stock shocks. They are a system that works together.
Edit: They are expensive because they are quality components rated for thousands of pounds of force. And aircraft grade heim joints are high anyway, fwiw.
First, they have a ball and socket arrangement on both ends that don't allow any free play before actuation like the stock rubber filled ones. The vastly stronger than stock sway bar will more easily overpower the rubber bushings allowing 3/4 inch or more of movement at each end link before full force of the bar can be applied to the control arm. All four connecting points in the stock links have give. This may be sensed as slop, which is what we are trying to cure.
Second, the adjustable length of the end links allow you to more readily use the multiple mounting holes in the sway bar ends (allowing the sway bar's effective force to be adjustable, which is a good thing) and allowing you to set the angle of the bar for component clearance which can be a problem. Stock links can be a bitch to reach some of the mounting holes, if at all. And they may be the holes you want or need to use.
Third, it allows you the ability to set suspension pre-load, which I haven't fooled with because I'm not operating at that level yet. It has to do with helping balance out weights and forces at the four suspension corners for track use.
Yes they are a little pricey but they make a huge difference and I think they are necessary to upgrade with the forces the larger bar generates. Not adding them is like upgrading to tighter springs with stock shocks. They are a system that works together.
Edit: They are expensive because they are quality components rated for thousands of pounds of force. And aircraft grade heim joints are high anyway, fwiw.
Last edited by sixshooter; 09-27-2011 at 09:45 AM.
#16
can someone offer up a good option for sway bar end links that are budget friendly
Disregard that. FM has the racing beat ones. probably going that direction unless someone has a huge complaint about them.
Disregard that. FM has the racing beat ones. probably going that direction unless someone has a huge complaint about them.
Last edited by RedTurboMiata; 09-27-2011 at 12:20 PM.
#17
if you're really on a budget, I'd get one 1 pair of endlinks, and use 1 one each bar. The point is to remove preload after you've been dropped, and you really only need to adjust one side to do that..
But keep in mind the endlinks on your car now may not be in the best condition. They may even need to be cut off to be removed.
But keep in mind the endlinks on your car now may not be in the best condition. They may even need to be cut off to be removed.
#18
if you're really on a budget, I'd get one 1 pair of endlinks, and use 1 one each bar. The point is to remove preload after you've been dropped, and you really only need to adjust one side to do that..
But keep in mind the endlinks on your car now may not be in the best condition. They may even need to be cut off to be removed.
But keep in mind the endlinks on your car now may not be in the best condition. They may even need to be cut off to be removed.
#19
949 Racing endlinks.. They're currently backordered but some of the best out there for the money
http://949racing.com/949-racing-miata-end-links.aspx
http://949racing.com/949-racing-miata-end-links.aspx
#20
949 Racing endlinks.. They're currently backordered but some of the best out there for the money
http://949racing.com/949-racing-miata-end-links.aspx
http://949racing.com/949-racing-miata-end-links.aspx