Cheap ebay Miata coilovers

[chrisofna]

Hey Guys,

I was wondering if this might be possible to make work for a coil over set-up, but I have some questions. First off, how similar are the struts on the Miata as compared to the Festiva? Second, what size spring are they? Third, I was looking at a kit of ebay (item number 360138832733), I was wondering if it'd be safe to get this just for the adjuster, use the stock festiva top hat, and get a different spring? I've been trying to find Coil over set-ups with aluminum top hats but man, when you find them, be prepared to pay a ton of money.

[goodbabbu]

SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH ...
how bout using the SEARCH button

[chrisofna]

How about you be a helpful person for a change? My question was a little specific. Its easy enough to tell me to search but apparently its harder for you to help me. Everyone else's coil over set-ups doesn't help my question, so chill the heck out.

People like you kill forums like this.

[MONSOON]

Im not sure if this is what youre looking for or not. Though it doesnt mention Miata springs.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12152

And I hate to say it but goodbabbu is right. Sometimes you have to do some of your own legwork.Thats not killing a Forum, its making you self sufficient. Its entirely possible that noone here has done what youre trying to do. So you get to be the guinnea pig and find out for us.

[nonamekid]

How about you be a helpful person for a change? My question was a little specific. Its easy enough to tell me to search but apparently its harder for you to help me. Everyone else's coil over set-ups doesn't help my question, so chill the heck out.

People like you kill forums like this.

^QFT. You had specific questions and were given an inappropriate response. If the answers are that easy to find, instead of telling some to search it is quicker to do the search yourself and then post a couple of links to threads that might be of assistance, like Monsoon did in his first paragraph. Coming in a topic and screaming search does not help the problem but just aggravates members.

[chrisofna]

Yeah, that thread wasn't very helpful. They were talking about 323 coilover kits but thats doesn't help me much because the 323 stuff is super expensive as well.

[nonamekid]

Ask skeeter what he did for his setup. I thought he had coil overs and made on them on the cheap.

[oxbrain]

1. Why do you want coilovers?

2. Those ebay kits use very crappy metal, which is why they're so cheap. You could get better results carving your own from plastic. Losing a spring perch at high speed sucks, I advise against finding out how much.

3. Coilover springs are narrower than the festiva springs. The stock top perch won't work, not safely anyway.

4. New springs are going to run you $160-250 anyway, why not just spend the $500 on a ground control kit?

5. If you want cheap performance, FMS springs, FMS swaybar bushings, and junkyard "fresh" struts are very hard to beat.

[chrisofna]

Ask skeeter what he did for his setup. I thought he had coil overs and made on them on the cheap.

I've messaged him numerous times on his set-up. He said he got it from a private auction and it said they were universal coilovers.

and to answer your list oxbrain:

1. I want at least the ride height adjustability.

2. See, I've seen on Civic forums that theyve been used with high success rates.

3. Thanks for this answer, thats essentially what I needed to know.

4. I didn't know that GC lets you choose your spring rate. I thought they were all given 230-up spring rates with all thier coilovers. And those come with plastic top-hats don't they? And they are really expensive for what it is.

5. Its not going to be enough for what I wanna do. I don't want a fresh stock suspension set-up.

[Hot_Wheels]

i wouldnt use miata coilovers there meant to transfer weight for a RWD car, springs are set up diffrent from a RWD car to a FWD car. I my self am looking at a set of dropzone Escort gt coilovers, i think ther probably the same as a civic probably just diffrent spring rates. Dropzones could be had for a 100 bucks on ebay and there some what of a known name. I would go with GC if you could afford them, or Matrix (summit racing carries them) or the dropzone. just stay with some what of a familar name. dropzone says they offer a lifetime warranty

[joebreck117]

5. Its not going to be enough for what I wanna do. I don't want a fresh stock suspension set-up.

FMS also sells higher rate lowering springs

[chrisofna]

I dont know how low I'll be able to go though. Theres alot of factors I'm having to consider when I'm lowering my car, the main thing being the fact that I'm running 185/60/R14s. Just getting lowering springs might cause rubbing which then I'll have useless springs, thats why I wanted height adjustability.

I was considering going with the Matrix suspension set-up from Summit if I couldn't find anything I liked. It looks like Dropzones are just rebranded Matrix coilover conversions. I'll probably get the 323 set-up.

[oxbrain]

and to answer your list oxbrain:

1. I want at least the ride height adjustability.

2. See, I've seen on Civic forums that theyve been used with high success rates.

3. Thanks for this answer, thats essentially what I needed to know.

4. I didn't know that GC lets you choose your spring rate. I thought they were all given 230-up spring rates with all thier coilovers. And those come with plastic top-hats don't they? And they are really expensive for what it is.

5. Its not going to be enough for what I wanna do. I don't want a fresh stock suspension set-up.

1. Adjustability doesn't do much for the festiva except mess up your camber and toe settings. As long as you're not rubbing of course. We run 195/60/14, but we've also cut away the fenders and hammered the frame back to clear.

2. People may get away with it all the time, that doesn't mean it's safe using pot metal for spring perches.

4. Ground control has a lot of springs available that they don't list. Figure out what rates you want and one of their sellers can order it for you. The plastic top-hats aren't really anything to worry about, since they are just sandwiched between the spring and existing top perch, they just keep the spring from moving sideways. As long as you're not completely unloading the springs over bumps, they won't ever wear out.

5. The FMS springs and bushings make a huge difference in the handling of the car, it's like night and day. Combined with the aspire swap it results in an amazingly balanced car. I guarantee you that you won't get much better with coilovers, and quite probably will wind up with something worse. Junkyard shocks perform 99% as well as GR2s and 95% as well as AGXs, and you can pick them up for $5-10 apiece.

[chrisofna]

I dont see how junkyard shocks will help performance AT ALL. I'm gonna end up going like I said above with FRESH shocks from KYB.

I will NEVER, EVER use plastic top hats. With how much force is on the spring at any time, how could you say thats safe? Your talking about the pot metal being unsafe while saying putting plastic pieces where force is applied is?

[oxbrain]

I dont see how junkyard shocks will help performance AT ALL. I'm gonna end up going like I said above with FRESH shocks from KYB.

I will NEVER, EVER use plastic top hats. With how much force is on the spring at any time, how could you say thats safe? Your talking about the pot metal being unsafe while saying putting plastic pieces where force is applied is?

It's not that the junkyard shocks will help, they're just a lot cheaper and offer no noticeable performance hit. We did about 4 hours on the track with a junkyard monroe on one side and a KYB AGX on the other and couldn't tell the difference. :dontknow:

The plastic top hats are completely sandwiched against the stock upper spring perch, it's basically a big plastic washer with a center piece to keep the spring aligned. The stock perch takes all the force, not the plastic. Also, on the magical chance that the plastic fails, you only drop 1/2-3/4", which you might not even notice.

The pot metal lower perches are supported by crappy pot metal threads on equally crappy pot metal tubes, which rest on the stock lower perch. If the tube breaks, the threads break, or the perch breaks, you drop 3-5" down to the lower stock perch, or until your tire hits the fender. At high speed, this can cause a very violent pull to that side and possibly a spin.