RebelRacing

The MP3 is suppose to be a "neutral" handling car!

I was on RacingBeat's site and they mentioned in a project article that the struts for the MP3 won't fit on normal Proteges. The MP3s received bracing/beefing around the strut towers to handle a larger mountings. Is this true? If so what strut could I buy to get the same action?

I also at the same time would like to lower the car a bit, but no more than 1.5 inches. Has anyone found a set of springs that have the same properties as what is found on the MP3 and drops the car about 1 inch?

Mazda isn't going to sell the parts from the dealers to make a Protege an MP3 (at least in Canada) but I would like the MP3's handling characteristics.

I guess if I could sum it up in a small statement "I would like an MP3 lowered 1 inch with adjustable struts!"

Davard

Try Mazdastuff or Mazda Motorsports

Jas00x

Call up the guys at Mazda Motorsports (they have a website, but they don't usually have all the new parts on-line)
They should be able to hook you up!

-Jason

RebelRacing

Hey all,

I have checked many places for equipment, thus finding that the MP3 struts supposedly don't fit my 99 Pro. Unfortunatly, websites are great if you want prices, shipping or to look at the pics, but how would I go about comparing...other than trial & error(gets expensive). How do you measure struts? What info should I be asking for?

What would be the possibily of modifying to fit the MP3 struts? has anyone actually done it or seen anything like it. All RacingBeat can do is tell me there might be complications installing MP3 struts in a 99 Pro...so they haven't even tried it I guess!

The reason I'm so hard for the MP3 (I wish I could have waited and bought one) is it's a known package that works and get raves too.

Does anyone else have a setup thats working great, let me know.

Eric F

Mazda Motorsports is very helpful. I've talked to Tim and Brian many times. I was most impressed when they were honest and told me that they didn't know something, rather than making something up like other places have.
I've been researching similar things about the 3rd gen suspension and MP3 parts. The MP3 (Tokico) struts should fit '99 and '00 Protégés. The change made to the front end of all '01+ Protégés was thicker sheet metal used in areas where the suspension and front cross member attach to the chassis. This might have caused slight changes to the upper spring seat on '01+ Protégés from '99-'00 Protégés, but I really doubt it. In either case, you should be able to use your stock upper spring seats with the MP3 (Tokico) struts with no problem. The MP3 (Tokico) struts don't come with new upper spring seats anyway.
There are also MazdaSpeed adjustable struts available through Mazda Motorsport for all 3rd gen Protégés. They are four way adjustable in front and five way in the rear. They are made by Tokico as well and are basically Tokico Illuminas with MazdaSpeed specified valving. The sway bar mounts on the Tokico (MP3) struts were reinforced to provide an extra safety margin with the thicker sway bars. The front MazdaSpeed struts feature even more reinforcement than the MP3 struts, while the rear MazdaSpeeds have the same sway bar mount as stock struts.
The springs you should probably be looking at are the ones available from Racing Beat ($195). They work fine on '99-'00 Protégés and are 21% stiffer front and rear than stock ES springs. The lower the car .875" front and rear, and are the exact springs used on the prototype MP3 that Racing Beat prepared for Mazda. This should be slightly more lowering than the stock MP3 springs. Mazda took Racing Beats design and slightly modified the parts for production. Racing Beat isn't sure what the MP3's final specs were.
The only stabilizer bars I'm aware of at this point are the MP3 (Racing Beat) front (25mm) and rear (20mm) bars, or the AWR adjustable rear bar (3/4"). The AWR rear bar has two mounting flanges welded to each side of the bar, one near the end and the other in the middle of the bar. This allows the slightly thinner AWR rear bar to be adjusted from slightly softer to stiffer than the MP3 rear bar. The AWR bar uses the stock cross member brackets and bushings bolted to aluminum extensions, and the stock end links. It's slightly difficult to force the bushings in the brackets with the larger diameter bar, but it's very doable and has the effect of using denser rubber bushings, making the bar slightly more responsive. The MP3 rear bar uses wider brackets that must be bent slightly to fit the '99-'00 cross member mounting points. The front cross member on '01+ Protégés was modified to accept a four bolt brace, and possibly strengthened mounting points for the front sway bar. According to Jim Mederer, engineer and co founder of Racing Beat, the mounts are probably the same so the front bar should fit the '99-'00 Protégés. The bars placement above the front cross member means difficult installation however.
I currently have the AWR rear bar installed at the stiffer setting. It fits fine with the stock end links and cross member brackets and bushings. On the softer setting it is closer to the rear lateral link, but shouldn't cause any interference as the bottom of the strut where the end link mounts moves in conjunction with the lateral link. To switch settings, the end links must be removed from the bar and the strut because the mounts are on opposite sides of the rear lateral link, and the end link won't swing around it while still bolted to the strut. The bar is very effective and noticable reduces body roll in the rear. It also makes the body roll in the front that much more noticable, and unacceptable IMHO. I think I'll be ordering the front MP3 bar and hoping to verify it fits my '00 ES very soon.

RebelRacing

I was surfing RacingBeats page about the difference in the stock 01-up strut and the MP3s Tokicos...The big difference is in the swaybar link mounting point. It's been strengthened and would not work with the stock end links (something about the stock end links would rub on the Tokico) Now what they don't mention is if you used the MP3 struts and swaybars with links...could work!

I like the rear bar in your reply from AWR. Have you used the bar on the softer setting or would it be pointless...I personaly would just use the performance adjustment.

Eric F

I've never used the softer setting on the AWR rear bar yet, but it would work just fine. Actually, it might be a better match to my stock front bar right now.
As for the MP3 (Tokico) struts, the end link mount is reinforced, but won't contact the stock end links. Whether you need different end links with the MP3 front bar I'm not sure yet. Hopefully, I'll be finding out soon.