Racelands...Rice or worth it?
 

Ok ok I know a lot of people dislike Raceland coilovers. Or atleast that's what I get from other forums.

A couple people on m-s.com run them on their MSM's for daily and track use and say they are the best bang you can get for your buck.

What are you're guys opinions?

My original plan was keep the stock bilsteins on my msm and go with the FM springs. But I might be stuck driving through this winter again this year, I was thinking about picking up a set of racelands instead and going 4x4 status. Then when it get's warmer again lower it back down.

I daily my car, and autox it every other weekend. I've done 2-3 track events, though never full throttle or serious since I don't have a roll bar or anything.(soon to come though)

I'm just looking for something to get me through the next year or 2 that's better then stock, before I'll have a daily and can invest in proper suspension. I could stay with my stock setup, but I really dislike the wheel gap. Needs moar low! :eek:

Why not just stay stock for the winterz, then get a proper setup in the spring?

ricelands.

I don't like the stock ride height. I want to go higher. :p

Picture for reference plz.

Its not worth it. Get a proper coilover or stay on the stockers (just because some people do it, doesn't mean you should). You can get a spring+shock combo and get a decent drop that way if thats all you are looking for. Plus, you are supposed to get a new alignment after significant ride height changes anyway.

Lastly, I am skeptical of the track events without a roll bar. I have seen it, but only twice. How can you afford track events, but not a roll bar? hell I bought a rollbar for the same cost as my last track event.

To be fair, I believe Savington (is he on this forum?) was running racelands in the rental for a while. Although it was a great, adjustable, and cheap solution, last I heard they were blown with the constant abuse they see.

Not actually competing... Couple go arounds inbetween things. Sorry I ment to say that. Also sometimes they do track "tours" where they say not to go hard but ya know on those back straits.. lol. Like I said not anything serious.

Are you trying to get serious about track events? If that is so, maybe ricelands will be ok, but I would be prepared to buy new coils within the year, especially if you daily and/or autox the car.

If you are not trying to track the car, then adjustable height coilovers just aren't for you. The whole point of having adjustable ride height is so you can change corner weight and cross balance the car.

Winter seems like a lousy excuse, but its understandable if you are looking for hellaflush.

the spring rates they use suck. If you have the ability to get softer rear springs. They can be made to be "ok" for the street, and street tire classes in autocross. Put them on sticky tires and you reach their limit quickly.

Yes I would like to get as much seat time as possible. Rollbar is going in soon, next summer I'd like to start doing highspeed autocross.

I'm kinda looking for cheapish lowness too. I think I will most likely run FM springs for now and save my pennies for fm Vmaxx or something better.

The only reason I'm concerned with height adjustment is the car being a daily. Where I work the street's arn't the greatest, I already barely get by at stock ride height. I'm worried I'll do springs and regret the height. I guess your right though about getting an alignment with every adjustment. That totally slipped my mind.

well, you can do custom springs or whatever you like. just pick up the shock you like, and then you can either use summitracing or our own trackspeed engineering to get springs. eShocks has eibach/hypercoil also, but I have never used them.

I don't really your roads and things like that, but from a track prespective its a better idea not to change your suspension until you are comfortable with the limits of the car.

Stock suspension has a lot of travel which helps good bit when you make mistakes (put a wheel off, or hit a hump too hard, or get on a bad gator). Plus, the miata is mighty balanced on stock settings and should help out with the learning. Once you are comfortable at the limit, or are faster than the car, then you can start putting on shocks and springs and all that. Lastly, it seems your suspension knowledge maybe limited at this time. Its a good idea to read up on coilovers, alignment, and general suspension stuff.

i know this may be this forums first raceland thread but cmon! if you see raceland bashing on other forums, there is a good chance they are ----. ive never owned them but ive ridden on them and they are comparable to a stock suspension. as a coilover........... they sucks. save up and get some EZ Streets<------ thats the best bang for the buck(i dont own those either, i have stiff as ---- streets)

If you lower the car but then can't drive it on the streets where you live what have you benefited? I know guys with lowered cars that can't go to certain restaurants and stores because they can't enter the parking lot. They must park down the street somewhere and walk.

Don't get me wrong, I like a tastefully lower than stock car but I also like to go out on the town without being in constant fear. Compromise is good.

I also wouldn't do any lowering without changing the stock bumpstop arrangement.

Thats great advice on the compromise. I thought the NB didn't have bumpstop problems like the NA? care to elaborate more (although I personally find the stock suspension too soft w/ too much body roll on the track, I have only been on my bumpstops during autox).

This^

My suspension knowledge is pretty limited. I know what a bumpstop is and it's function, but as far as what might be better or worse I'm clueless. Teach me sensei!

The NB has a little bit more travel before hitting the bumpstops but still relies on them to be helper springs when the weak regular springs bottom out. Mazda used the bumpstops to serve as higher rate springs. When the shocks contact the bumpstops the effective spring rate goes very high. If the rear contacts but the front doesn't the effective spring rate in the rear can be far greater than the front and can cause a tendency for the car to spin.


If you want to increase your roll stiffness but like your ride as it is, larger sway bars are a useful compromise. They are also a cheaper initial step for the financially conscious.

Here is something for you NB guys to play with:
http://www.fatcatmotorsports.com/FRC...MSDS_1_8NB.htm

But you might do better to start with the tutorial that walks you through the adjustments calculator:
http://www.fatcatmotorsports.com/FRC...S_TUTORIAL.htm

You all need to read about the design of the suspensions if you haven't previously. Spend some time on :http://www.fatcatmotorsports.com/index.htm
and read awhile on every little part.

cool cool, those resources are great. I know I have spent hours sporadically with the FCM suspension calculator to work out spring rates and the like.

Good to know about the mazda bit, I will be getting off the stock suspension here by the end of the year hopefully!

Phil, your car is too nice to sully it with ---- suspension. If you want moar lowe, get some H&R Race springs and use them until you can afford something legit. I've been on my H&R's for 4 years now, and I think the wheel gap and daily ride is perfect (I also have AGX's, but you have Bilsteins IIRC so you'll be fine).

Can the ricelands even be set higher than stock? I know many coilovers are dropped at least an inch even at max height.

Not sure about ricelands, but it makes sense really. Most coils, especially stiffer/more aggressive ones, are using shorter springs by default. That usually requires a shorter shock body and rod.

Ex. a lot of the performance oriented miatas are running something around 7" springs, compared to the stock springs which are 14" free on the NB (depends on front/rear and they are much shorter when actually installed).

I don't understand. The soft Ricelands would be gear for snow the body roll will keep it from sliding. I guess you could raise it too.
2 year warranty!

In adverse weather, its more about the driver and tires than the suspension really.

then again I never see snow

I'll be getting some cheap coil over setup soon. Will be looking a bit more into these, and FMs V-MAXXXXXXXX.

Purely street use though.

I'm supposed to be helping. a friend install Fm v-maxx tomorrow. He waited 2 months for em. It's a 1.8 NA, we'll be using NB top hats and rb endlinks.

Not too much worried about any wait time (unless it's like a year). I know FM has been having some issues keeping the V-MAXX in stock. Saw this on the website:

Please note: these have been extremely popular. The 1999-05 and 1990-97 NB versions are backordered. Orders placed now may not ship until October. The 1990-97 model are in stock and ready to ship.