That's good to hear. I'm looking at doing both front and rear. Would like to use urethane bushings as well. Surprised the bars didn't come with them. Are you just ordering stock replacements but in urethane? Wondering since the new bars are larger diameter.
Show me your CX-5 wheels
- Thread starter minhhh
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ridenfish39
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- SE PA
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- CX5 turbo
N7turbo
2023 CX-5 2.5T
Awesome. Glad to hear about the handling improvements too. My wheels are getting built now but it will be another 6 weeks.
By mid summer I hope to have my 19x8.5 wheels on with 255 series rubber. Citious to see how the handling changes. Oddly enough I get hardly any front end plowing or understeer on my 22 turbo currently with stock setup. My tires will break away pretty evenly in a fairly neutral fashion when I push through some hard turns.
I have the BC racing coilover, the Megan rear sway, Megan rear camber, Megan H brace, and Megan front strut bar. This is my daily driver (including Canadian winter) and use it for family trips. All of the mods I listed improved the driving experience each day. The only thing missing is the Megan front sway, which I am hesitate to do given your feedback on the difficulties behind the installation.
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2022 CX5 Signature - Machine Grey
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- NS, Canada
That looks great!
You CX 5 looks fantastic. I just installed my BC Racing coilovers. I love the look and handling. The front dampers are clunking. BC Racing has shipped new front dampers.
It's GOOD for me to read a favorable review of BC Racing BR coilovers. I've read on some other platforms about dampers clunk and BC warranted them and all was well. How much did you lower yours?
I dropped the car 2" front and 2.5" rear. I put SPC adjustable lower control arms on the rear. The alignment after lowering was spot on in the rear BUT the front camber was off 2%. I've ordered 4 SPC coilover bolt kits to get the camber correct. I also bought a digital camber tool to get the camber in the ball park. Adjusting the height went well. Once I got the rear set, it didn't change as I dialed in the front. I installed adjustable end links. The front and rear ASBs were preloaded with stock links. I'm like these BMW adjustable end links. They are have steel joints and stiffer. The OE have plastic joints and skinny.
If you follow my suggestions and the Gen2 instructions, the front ASB should go in much, much easier. I really like the way the CX 5 tracks and corners even with the OEM A36 tires. Since I did this in steps, I could tell a difference on each change.
Using a Megan front ASB, I would get the Prothane 1" urethane universal bushings. They are inexpensive and were an upgrade in handling. They don't come with synthetic grease. You can pick up a tube of dielectric grease that works just fine. Then coat your battery terminals!
When the new wheels arrive, I'll have the shop who mounts the wheels align the car and check my work...
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We are in the same situation. We were quoted 10 to 12 weeks for our wheels.
I'm READY to tie a bow around this project and move on.
While waiting for replacement dampers and wheels, I'm sorting out getting Mazda Edit working on my '24 for a DRTuned for the turbo. Wow Mazda Edit is not HP Tuners or Holley EFI!
Then we stop the mods and drive it....
I totally understand. I just ordered the rear BBK from Corksport and am going to get the front as well. Then I am ordering the sway bars and rear camber arms. Already have springs waiting. Then lastly i need tires for the new wheels. Just gotta wait on work bonus and the BBK which won't ship until June.
As mentioned, when I lowered 2" front, 2.5" rear I had a SPC rear, lower, adjustable camber arm. It brought the rear camber right in on spec.
The front camber is off by 2 degrees.
On the front, I'll install 4 of SPC camber bolts. SPC says it takes 2 per side to adjust more than 1.5 degrees. I'll use a digital camber alignment tool and hope that I get it within spec so the shop doesn't have to remove wheels to adjust front camber. If you lower the front 2" camber more than likely will be canted out 2 degrees.
What I find interesting, the front doesn't have any method to adjust camber without buying Camber Bolts.
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If you use adjustable coilovers, you can make the rear a few clicks stiffer to help with understeer. I have the rear 4 clicks stiffer than the fronts. 26 clicks from full tight on front and 22 on the rear. My wife drives this car. She wants more of a socker mom ride. So we compromised...
My rear Megan ASB is 19mm dia, same diameter as stock. But we don't know if the Megan has stiffer steel. I put Prothane urethane bushings, adjustable links and set it on the second, stiffest, ASB setting. The front Megan ASB, larger diameter than stock, 26mm, is on the softest setting.
I keep mentioning adjustable ASB links. On my race car, we go to great efforts not to have any preload on the ASB. We adjust with the cars wheels on blocks and add the drivers weight to the seat. This is a 0 to 60 is 1.4 second car. If it's not going straight, it's headed towards the wall, quickly. The same applies to our CX 5s. I drove it around with OE front links after lowering. It was a bit squirmy. I shortened the front links 2" from stock, rear until there was no ASB preload. I could tell a difference.
This car tracks, no under or oversteer. It's less stressful to drive than stock and now I have to watch or I'll be 10 MPH over the speed limit. When we wear out these A36s and put on real tires, it's going to be a blast to drive.
IF you use the Prothane universal bushings, you will have to cut the retainers to fit the rear stud spacing. I clipped them with a side cutter. I put the OE bushing retainers on top of the Prothane. They act like giant washers. Now I wish I had taken assembly pics. Here is the best I can get without taking off a wheel.
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N7turbo
2023 CX-5 2.5T
The Corksport springs are 17% stiffer in the front and 32% stiffer in the rear so that should get me close.
They also say you can align the car without extra equipment but that doesn't seem true based on what I've read here.
The front does not have camber adjustment. Maybe these guys are okay with wearing out the inside of their tires and less traction. The rear does not have away to adjust camber without a lower control arm on a Gen 3.
You see my alignment sheet before and after. The front is still out of alignment. The 4 bolts are about $60.00. The bad news, when it's aligned, the tech has to remove both front wheels each time he adjusts camber. Unless he has a digital camber tool that might get it in spec.
The rear does not have camber adjustment either.
When the height changes on ANY car, the camber changes, a CX-5 in not excluded.
I'm using 2 adjustable rear lower control arms, 4 front camber bolts and 4 adjustable ASB links. I plan on doing it right the first time. Tires are to expensive vs. the cost of the additional parts.
You could always put on the springs and see if the camber is in spec. Then order the parts to correct it. I noticed the spring vender you mentioned sells some very nice, high priced, shorter ASB links.?
I cut a set of expensive tires doing just that when I lowered my Honda and didn't put on the adjustable, rear, lower control arms. The Honda front camber had just enough adjustment.
Maybe they meant, one can align it without any additional parts but it won't be in spec!
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Maybe this subject deserves a separate post....
Springs, Shocks and Anti Roll Bars
For my race car, I have several boxes of springs to get the right height with least spring rate and no coil bind.
What the pros say, have just enough spring rate to hold up the car and let the shock and ARB do the rest. Springs hold the car up but do not contribute to handling with the exception of lowering the center of gravity.
Shocks hold the wheel on the pavement. The amount of compression and rebound is determines weight transfer and holding the tire on the pavement. We adjust the compression and rebound to suit how much power we are making, tire and track conditions.
Anti Roll Bar. The ARB holds the body from rolling from side to side. There are many factors that determine the correct diameter and length. In general, the ARB is set neutral setting at ride height. It works with the shocks to control the body.
When buying parts, the owner needs to define what out come are they looking for.
A LOOK: lowering springs and see if the end links are neutral at the new ride height. Shocks may need to be changed so they don't bottom out. Bump stops adjusted.
Handling and A LOOK: all three of the above come into play. Adjustable coilovers, ASBs and end links give ths most flexability to dial in the car to one's tastes.
My point, lowering springs, alone, will not help handling significantly. If yhat is the goal, that is the right path.
Springs, Shocks and Anti Roll Bars
For my race car, I have several boxes of springs to get the right height with least spring rate and no coil bind.
What the pros say, have just enough spring rate to hold up the car and let the shock and ARB do the rest. Springs hold the car up but do not contribute to handling with the exception of lowering the center of gravity.
Shocks hold the wheel on the pavement. The amount of compression and rebound is determines weight transfer and holding the tire on the pavement. We adjust the compression and rebound to suit how much power we are making, tire and track conditions.
Anti Roll Bar. The ARB holds the body from rolling from side to side. There are many factors that determine the correct diameter and length. In general, the ARB is set neutral setting at ride height. It works with the shocks to control the body.
When buying parts, the owner needs to define what out come are they looking for.
A LOOK: lowering springs and see if the end links are neutral at the new ride height. Shocks may need to be changed so they don't bottom out. Bump stops adjusted.
Handling and A LOOK: all three of the above come into play. Adjustable coilovers, ASBs and end links give ths most flexability to dial in the car to one's tastes.
My point, lowering springs, alone, will not help handling significantly. If yhat is the goal, that is the right path.
N7turbo
2023 CX-5 2.5T
I appreciate the insight but owners say they made a huge difference in controlling body roll and that the car gains that "it's on rails" feeling.
Everyone I've seen put on the corksport springs have said basically the same thing. And I have not seen any of them use front camber bolts and have had no wear issues with their front tires. But i have seen most use rear adjustable camber arms. So a little weirdness there. As I've mentioned I'm doing the springs, shocks, camber arms and swaybars. So hope I don't really need the camber bolts but will see when the time comes. Might buy them and if I don't need them then return them.
I don't dispute the reports. The owners are happy with results is all that matters.
A lower center of gravity helps handling. On rails is subjective.
I'd like to drive a lowered CX 5 with springs and compare. It might be ones perspective and expectations. My racing back ground may have different expectations.
As far as camber, on all cars when its lowered, the camber goes negative. CX 5s operate with the same rules of physics as other cars.
Do the Corksport springs lower the car 2"? The more its lowered the more it changes camber. It's possible they don't lower it enough to be out of spec. I skirted around having to buy a front end camber kit on my Honda by lowering about an inch.
As mentioned, I lowered my CX 5 2" front and 2.5" rear.
There is no camber adjustment front or rear on my 2024 CX 5. So the camber went negative when lowered. Rear adjustable lower control arms and camber bolt for the front. Simple and not expensive.
I posted my alignment report. Maybe someone who only put on lowering springs will post their alignment report too.
I'm new to Mazda and this forum. I don't mean to upset the status quo or hurt the reputation of any supporting venders.
On the other hand, any product offered needs to stand up to common automotive practices.
I followed the herd and didn't buy camber bolts for the front end. My front camber is off 2%. I'll fix it next week. It's not a big deal.
I'm reporting so it might help others.
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