DaiaBu Posted April 28, 2011 Report Share Posted April 28, 2011 How do everyone, I'm about two months into ownership of my 2006 2.0 Sport MK3 MX5 (Soft top) and thoroughly enjoying it. However, after doing a lot of reading up of the inherent issues regarding it's ride height and geo set-up, and after noticing a few issues myself, I've decided its time to do something about it. And I've heard that WIM are the guys to do it... Firstly, lowering. The car is a sport but sitting like a 4x4. At first this didn't phase me, but after stepping back from it the other day, it does look very high. I've noticed that the handling, whilst great, isn't quite as sharp and precise as I'd expected - the car skitters a little over rough roads, and at high speed, I swear the steering and front end feels a little light and vague - not dangerously so, but enough not to feel 'planted'. What I wanted to know is, are these symptoms typical of a standard 'high' MX5 and would lowering 30mm followed by a full geo setup at WIM help to resolve the problem? Secondly, although I bought the car to have fun with, it's also a daily driver. Ive heard that the lowering actually improves aspects such as comfort, ability to ride bumps and even road noise - is this true? Whilst I want to improve my handling and looks, I don't want to make the car too impractical for my daily commute. Are there any negative aspects to lowering the NC? Thirdly - costs. I see that WIM will do lowering by installing their own springs and setting up of the geometry for £295 - is that all in, inclusive of VAT? I know that Mazda sell the Eibach lowering setup for a similar price, but I was aiming to bring it to WIM as I've heard nothing but praise for your service, and Im little over an hour away (Live in Dartford, just round the M25). Are the WIM springs similar to Mazda Eibachs, a different make, etc? I assume it's still a 30mm drop. Anyway, apologies for all the questions, as you can appreciate I like to know as much as I can before getting the work done. I do intend to phone you guys soon, but as I was doing some more research tonight and found the WIM forum, figured I'd jump on and ask here as well, in case there's anything anyone can help with. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorps Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Hi and welcome to WIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted April 29, 2011 Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Hi, welcome to WIM I'm sure Tony, Pete or some of the other 5 owners can answer your questions. What I can tell you is that you won't be lowering the car from standard as it was raised before being brought into the country. That is why the handling is poor as the raised height has upset the geometry. Plus you need to check the bushes haven't been preloaded. These threads may help for now http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=3057&hl http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=5496&hl http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=3455&hl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted April 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2011 Hi, welcome to WIM I'm sure Tony, Pete or some of the other 5 owners can answer your questions. What I can tell you is that you won't be lowering the car from standard as it was raised before being brought into the country. That is why the handling is poor as the raised height has upset the geometry. Plus you need to check the bushes haven't been preloaded. These threads may help for now http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=3057&hl http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=5496&hl http://www.wheels-inmotion.co.uk/forum/ind...pic=3455&hl Sorry, yeah, I know now that it's not standard and is sitting too high. Ive done some reading on the great NC MX5 conspiracy... Thanks for those links. It definitely looks like lowering and having the guys at WIM check the geo is the way to go. I should also add that the front tyres are of rather poor branding at the moment. However, they are fairly new, so I intend to live with them for the moment, get the lowering done, then change both tyres at a later date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Phoned up yesterday and took the plunge. Booked in for the morning of Saturday 14th for WIM springs and geometry setup. Looking forward to seeing what a difference it might make. My only concern is that the lowering might make the car less practical and comfortable as a daily driver. The guy I spoke to claims not, although the ride is slightly firmer. Can anyone else with the WIM springs comment on the comfort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_r Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 Phoned up yesterday and took the plunge. Booked in for the morning of Saturday 14th for WIM springs and geometry setup. Looking forward to seeing what a difference it might make. My only concern is that the lowering might make the car less practical and comfortable as a daily driver. The guy I spoke to claims not, although the ride is slightly firmer. Can anyone else with the WIM springs comment on the comfort? the guys at WIM know what they are talking about they would not have gone through the hassle of getting springs for the MX5 if they didnt do the right thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveh Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 I have WIM coils on a 2010 sport tech,didn't notice any difference in 'ride' quality. The lowering and geometry setup transforms the handling from a car that was pretty average to in my opinion exceptional. Mines a daily drive, recent 1500 mile tour of Scotland ,the only issue I've come across is the odd speed bump with the car fully loaded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted May 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 I have WIM coils on a 2010 sport tech,didn't notice any difference in 'ride' quality. The lowering and geometry setup transforms the handling from a car that was pretty average to in my opinion exceptional. Mines a daily drive, recent 1500 mile tour of Scotland ,the only issue I've come across is the odd speed bump with the car fully loaded. Exceptional. That's what I'm hoping for really, improved handling with no negative comfort aspects. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hello and welcome to wim The Mazda lowering coils are "cold rolled" meaning it takes time for the coils to relax to the intended drop. Our coils are pre-stressed meaning you get the drop there and then. The reason i use pre-stressed coils is the Geometry, we need to finalize the positions on the day, not in a few weeks time. My intention with the wim coils was to re-establish the original build intentions, we are not modifying the car, more simply putting it back to were it was. The coil rate is the same other than the rear for the RC which we developed further. The helix position is closer obviously but works perfectly within the dampers inert dynamic frequency, bump and rebound fall within original parameters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted May 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hello and welcome to wim The Mazda lowering coils are "cold rolled" meaning it takes time for the coils to relax to the intended drop. Our coils are pre-stressed meaning you get the drop there and then. The reason i use pre-stressed coils is the Geometry, we need to finalize the positions on the day, not in a few weeks time. My intention with the wim coils was to re-establish the original build intentions, we are not modifying the car, more simply putting it back to were it was. The coil rate is the same other than the rear for the RC which we developed further. The helix position is closer obviously but works perfectly within the dampers inert dynamic frequency, bump and rebound fall within original parameters. That's good to hear, as I live on the other side of London, so a one-stop solution is ideal. I must admit, I wasn't going to bother lowering the car. But after reading that Mazda raise the MX5s for the UK market and after feeling a little underwhelmed by some handling aspects, it swung the decision for me. Im looking forward to being able to enjoy the car as it was intended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted May 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 Had the car in to you guys today and just wanted to say a big thank you to your team. I had to wait a while because of an MR2 that overran while it was being set up, but overall the service was friendly, swift and professional. The car not only looks better, but is handling much sharper, and it feels much more planted on the road - I drove the 70 miles or so back round the M25 feeling a lot more confident. The tendency of the front end to 'wander' a thigh speed has been corrected and the steering wheels feels much more centred and weighted. Road positioning feels better and the car seems to handle rough asphalt a little more confidently. Fantastic service and very happy with the result. Many thanks guys, money well spent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorps Posted May 14, 2011 Report Share Posted May 14, 2011 Another WIM result Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 Thank you for the positive feedback, sorry i wasn't there to meet you but it comforting to know the guys looked after you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted June 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thank you for the positive feedback, sorry i wasn't there to meet you but it comforting to know the guys looked after you. No problem Tony. It's been about a month now and the car is handling superbly. Quite a bit firmer over bumpy back roads which can be a bit unsettling, but excellent fun, I think a lot of bumps often sound harsher than they are. I do have one question, but I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid. I could swear that over some of the bumps on the roads around here, that there is an ever so slight muted knocking noise from the rear nearside wheel. It's so quiet that I can only hear it with the roof up - which is making me wonder if I'm being paranoid and it's just the character of firm suspension. Ive tried bouncing the rear of the car and there are no untoward noises, and the rebound feels firm, but fine. The handling is fine, the car doesn't feel unsteady at the back. A quick look underneath reveals nothing untoward, although I don't have a proper jack to get under it and give a proper inspection. Is there anything to worry about? Are they are any common weaknesses in the suspension I could try looking for? I'm fairly sure this has been happening since the lowering, although it's very subtle so I find it hard to know if it's something to be concerned about. Sorry for the vague description :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Odd one..... The coil is held captive in the damper so that cannot knock, have you checked the drop-link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted June 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Odd one..... The coil is held captive in the damper so that cannot knock, have you checked the drop-link? Not given them a thorough inspection, just a visual check. Could I tell if they were faulty just by feeling for movement? Is there anything else that it could be - balljoints, bushes etc? Im not sure if there even is a problem or if its just the sound caused by the suspension travelling. Having never had a car with firm suspension and less sound insulation before, I find myself listening for every little thing and worrying whether its simply caused by the character of the car or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 A visual check is all you need, it would be wise to check the joints and wheel bearing but i doubt if you will find anything on such a new car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted June 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 A visual check is all you need, it would be wise to check the joints and wheel bearing but i doubt if you will find anything on such a new car. OK, I will keep an eye (ear) on it for now. The car is due for it's MOT next month so I will ask them to give it a check over then. Just worried Ive come a cropper to the badly potholed roads we have in the southeast Thanks for the advice Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted June 16, 2011 Report Share Posted June 16, 2011 Your welcome..... As for the roads, tell me about it, we get 10-15 wheels a week in for repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaiaBu Posted June 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2011 Thinking about it, I only hear the sound over short, sharp bumps - such as potholes and those small speed bumps you get in car parks, etc. Or when driving a long a road with lots of joins or small ridges across it. I dont hear it when going over normal speed bumps. Im assuming it could just be the firmer suspension being a bit 'snappier' over small undulations, does that sound plausible? Regardless, the car feels great. All it really needs now is a new pair of tyres and it's set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark.r.cullen Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 Hi Sorry to bring up an old thread but did the muted knocking noise just disappear over time? Just got a new mx5 and it has a dull muted sort of banging noise from the rear. I did not specify the eibach springs, so standard ride height. I don't know whether this is just settling new suspension or if I should be hassling the dealer :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liner33 Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 Hassle the dealer ! Could be someting loose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 There shouldn't be noise so something is wrong.....Loose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark.r.cullen Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 Okay thanks. How very annoying on a brand new car I'll get on to them and hope they don't try and give me the "They all do that, sir" line. I don't remember hearing it on the test drives... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted July 13, 2013 Report Share Posted July 13, 2013 I can tell you 100% there shouldn't be any noise. You have purchased a wonderful car but there is something loose. My bet is the very rear upper trailing arm/ s, these are undone during the suspension raising for the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.