Hi there,
My first post on here so nice to meet everyone, you seem like a friendly bunch!
I currently drive a W reg 2000 Mazda MX5 1.8iS with the Torsen LSD and am looking for some better coilovers. This is my third MX5 and I'm hoping to do a 'novice only' trackday at Oulton Park in September, I did the same in my old Integra Type-R and it was brilliant fun. But I'd like to upgrade my coilovers before I do and get the geo set up properly as well.
Over the years I've had about 6 different types of aftermarket coilovers on my MX5s and am still searching for the magic combination of ride comfort and fast-road/track responsiveness. In total I've had the standard OEM suspension, the standard OEM Bilsteins, Performance 5 'pure drive', HSDs, Tein Control Master Flex, Performance 5 'Sport Drive' and lastly Koni Sports (yellow) with Tein S-tech springs.
I liked the 'Pure Drives' but the outer dampening adjusters seized up after just a few months. Up until very recently I was driving around on their follow up coilovers = Performance 5 'Sport Drive' which were very good but still have NVH issues which Phil is working hard to resolve but it's taking forever and I'd rather have a niggle-free solution right now.
The HSDs weren't bad but began to rust quite badly after just one month, plus they wouldn't go high enough for my ideal ride height of 13" front 13.5" rear (wheel center to arch). The TEIN flex offered more height adjustability but seemed to be quite a harsh ride; even after I backed the dampening off considerably, I think they must've had quite high spring rates and the ride was still a bit uncomfortable.
I like the Koni Sport/Tein S-Tech combination as the ride quality is almost as good as stock on full soft, but the responsiveness doesn't seem to be there. Or maybe I need to just wind up/stiffen the dampening a bit? I heard that they're a digressive shock though and that at higher speeds they work less efficiently though; although I'm definetely no expert, it seems most manufactures are now producing monotube instead.
I did read somewhere that it's better to have a twin-tube system that's specifically valved/adjusted to suit that particular car rather than just jumping on the Mono-Tube bandwagon when the valving isn't correctly setup for your car?
I liked the sound of GAZ Gold Pros but after hearing stories of poor build quality and the same knocking problems on several different MX5s I think I'll steer clear.
The only ones I've not really tried (well the sub £700 ones anyway) are Meister R and BC Racing. Both of which have separate height/spring preload adjustment a side of which I believe is less suspension travel on the back, which is already quite limited on MX5s - apparently even stock MX5s ride on the bumpstops fairly regularly, that's why Mazda made them progressive so that they almost act as a second spring?
I think I read somewhere that Meisters are just rebranded BC Racing coilovers anyway and that they're made in the same factory in China? But then again Meister claim to have made several improvements over the original design e.g. adding an extra 10mm of travel to the rear shocks, outsourcing/using Japanese bearing inside which are stronger than the Chinese stuff? And they have increased the ride height adjustment so you can actually get them upto 13inch front 13.5inch rear unlike the HSDs (not sure if BC Racing go this high).
I'm the first person so admit I'm not an expert (hence coming on here) but feel like I know what I want, just not sure which to buy. I'm prepared to change my coilovers once more, but after that I don't want to be having to take them off again, etc.
Which coilovers qould you guys recommend? Which would WIM recomend?
I basically want a ride height of 13inch front, 13.5inch rear, something that has adjustable dampening. Something that will ride bumpy British B roads well as my car is my daily driver, but also something that will be fairly epic on track..... do such coilovers exist?
Appreciate your help chaps, don't want to end up buying the wrong ones again
Thanks in advance
- Guy