chiefmg

I finished the last part of my new suspension today (four wheel alignment). While I haven't had the chance to really twist its tail yet, from what I have seen all I can say is OMG!! This car handles awesomely well. And this is on the stock Dunlops w/33,000 miles on them. FYI, I have the Tokico HP kit (struts/springs) and the Mazdaspeed front/rear sway bar kit. I can't wait to show my taillights to some unsuspecting rice boys down those lovely twisty roads we have around here.

mthegodfather

Do you have some pics of the new lowered look.

Saint-beast

is it more stiff. . . what size of tire u have???

Saint-beast

I'm afraid of lowering cause I got 17" rich and it's too bumpy already . . . I cannot imagene if i'll lower it . . . may be should I change some thing. . . I wanna change just spring without struts . . . does it make sense?

goldstar

The problem is you will accelerate wear on your OEM struts if you leave them in place and only go to higher rate springs. It's best to change both together. Never switch to larger diameter stabilizer bars without replacing the struts since the OEM strut mounting ears tend to break from the increased force generated by larger bars. I don't know what size tires you're running on your 17's but an extremely low profile tire will cause a rougher ride. You could try switching to a higher profile tire but keep speedometer error in mind.

chiefmg

I am running the stock tire size ('03 ES, 195-50/16). No pictures yet, I am waiting until I get the money to paint the body kit that I have. Also I had some trouble the other day trying to post pix on a different thread, so don't want that frustration too soon again!

I would call the ride firmer than stock, or more controlled. It isn't stiff, but you can notice the change. The wheels are tracking the bumps in the road, without jarring you around. If you are serious about the handling of your car, I can recommend the strut/spring upgrade. The set I have only lowers the car about 1.25 inches (according to the instructions), which is less than what the Eibach ProKit gives. It is more than sufficient for my needs.

mazdabel

Yee-haa! I have Eibach lowering springs on the way from ebay ($230) and I just ordered an SS (BM; $101.68) Just wanted to spread the cheer! Any ideas about the best shocks? I'm told i dont necessarily have to get them. will post pics before and after!

chiefmg

Based upon what I know and have read, it is best to install some aftermarket struts along with your lowering springs. Your stock struts won't work properly with the reduction in travel and will eventually fail, plus there is a well-documented problem with the strength of the sway bar mounts on them. I bought Tokico HPs (blues), the Illuminas (adjustable) are also good. You can go full boat and splurge for the Mazdaspeed struts, but they are pricey. I got my Tokico kit off eBay (jdmwerks), there are a couple of other places where you can get reasonable deals. If you like cornering performance you won't be disappointed.

mazdabel

So, chief, that IYO would do away with the discussion of replacing shocks or what? Hmmm. AM struts...interesting!

chiefmg

Just want to make sure we are all using the same terminology. Struts are what we have on our cars front and rear. Shocks are what are used on the rear of some cars (usually rear wheel drive models). They all consist of a sealed tube which has oil inside along with various orifices that serve to dampen the motion of the car over bumps. People tend to use these terms interchangeably, which leads to confusion.

Sorry if I muddied the waters. I would say plan on replacing your struts at some point, but you can get away with using the stock ones for a period with the Eibachs.

mazdabel

Great! In due time I will purchase a pair (of struts) but for now I'll shop around by considering macdaddy's "suggested mod list". thanks for the clarity chief!

chiefmg

You will want to get a set of four struts to do both front and rear at the same time. Otherwise you might get some weird handling characteristics. You can find some Tokicos (either HP or Illumina) from JDMWerks on eBay at a pretty good price, their shipping etc is fast but their communications suck. Search around on the forum, there have been a couple of other threads about struts and people have listed several suppliers with good prices. And don't forget to budget for a four wheel alignment after you get them installed. FYI, I was quoted a price of $70 by Tire Discounters for the job, only to find when I went there they wanted $100 since the car was lowered (even though the only change they had to make was the toe-in front and rear). Make sure you specify your car has been lowered when you are asking about alignment prices.