Lowering Kit and Rims for 2014 Mazda3
- Thread starter jadnice
- Start date
Ares Araya
Member
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- 2014 Mazda 3 Sport GS
The car with that amount of drop does look great. And luckily for me my car is the same color so I have a preview of how mine will look. Btw. What is the % of your window tint? Thanks
I guess around 85-90%, don't know exactly. The higher grade models in Europe have a factory window tint on the rear.
I surprised the wife by buying her a new car, her first question was....so when are your going to lower it?
Later that week....Eibach Springs/18" Hyper Black Enkei M52
What's the offset on your rims? +40? +50?
Debating if mine can be lowered with +40mm without rolling...
18x8 50mm, i went for a mild drop with eibach. if i went coil-overs or corksport springs i probably would've needed to roll fenders.
@concept....the only time i drove the car before lowering it was home from the dealership. the ride is much stiffer and handling is better, but it could use a stiffer rear sway bar and better struts and shocks for my taste. But it's fine for the wife as a daily driver. I got a new company car so traded in my 2010 Mazdaspeed3 since my wife doesn't drive a manual.
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- San Diego, CA
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- 2014 Mazda3 S GT auto, 2008 MX5 6-speed
Thanks, Cj,
How does the "stiff" ride compare to that of your 2010 speed 3? Would you say that it is about the same? If so, that's not too bad, I guess. I don't want a punishing ride, yet, I don't want to spend 3 months calibrating a coilover setup, either. It's too bad you aren't closer to San Diego. I'd ask to sample it, personally.
The Eibach Pro kit on my 89 MX6 GT were not harsh at all.
My son's Pro kit with Eibach struts on his Honda CX hatch are very firm - much more so than the OEM struts and springs. On the other hand, the Progress/Koni Sport setup on my MX5 are almost Lexus-like, yet still improved handling, quite a bit.
Also, was a camber kit required?
How does the "stiff" ride compare to that of your 2010 speed 3? Would you say that it is about the same? If so, that's not too bad, I guess. I don't want a punishing ride, yet, I don't want to spend 3 months calibrating a coilover setup, either. It's too bad you aren't closer to San Diego. I'd ask to sample it, personally.
The Eibach Pro kit on my 89 MX6 GT were not harsh at all.
My son's Pro kit with Eibach struts on his Honda CX hatch are very firm - much more so than the OEM struts and springs. On the other hand, the Progress/Koni Sport setup on my MX5 are almost Lexus-like, yet still improved handling, quite a bit.
Also, was a camber kit required?
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With the stock struts/shocks I would say it's a tad stiffer than a stock MS3 but doesn't handle nearly as good, but I expected that. If I upgraded the struts/shocks it would probably be too stiff for a daily driver. All depends on what you're looking for, for her needs, the ride is perfect. Coil-overs would have been overkill for us and I agree, a pain. Also any lower and it wouldn't make up our driveway (our curb is pretty steep).
Overall I'm really impressed with the car and it's finishes, wish it had more power but I got it for the gas mileage and it's still fun to drive. If the WRX was close in MPG, I would've gotten one, but its not even in same neighborhood. Even the A3 wasn't that impressive. It came down to the 6 and the 3, love the looks of a 6 then i drove one....So I got the 3. (wink)
Camber didn't change much, just 1/10th degree. Hope that helps.
Overall I'm really impressed with the car and it's finishes, wish it had more power but I got it for the gas mileage and it's still fun to drive. If the WRX was close in MPG, I would've gotten one, but its not even in same neighborhood. Even the A3 wasn't that impressive. It came down to the 6 and the 3, love the looks of a 6 then i drove one....So I got the 3. (wink)
Camber didn't change much, just 1/10th degree. Hope that helps.
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- San Diego, CA
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- 2014 Mazda3 S GT auto, 2008 MX5 6-speed
Most likely, if the ride is good for your wife, then it won't be too jarring for me or my wife who, like yours, does not drive manual transmission cars. Powerwise, I'm coming from an 01 Corvette, so I fully expected to pick my brief burst of speed contests, more carefully. With traffic the way it is, though, my 2.5S is certainly adequate. I like the way it kicks down and spins the tach up so quickly. Quite a few Sentra drivers are surprised!
Thanks for the insight and info. By the way, there is a 10% rebate offer on the Eibach website.
Thanks for the insight and info. By the way, there is a 10% rebate offer on the Eibach website.
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Thanks for the heads up!
Guys
i just purchased Coilovers and Upgraded Swift springs for my '14 Mazda3 Hatch via Font Motor Sports. After reading hundreds of forums, i decided to go full coil overs and not just Sport Line Eibach Springs. if you are going to do it, do it right.
i just purchased Coilovers and Upgraded Swift springs for my '14 Mazda3 Hatch via Font Motor Sports. After reading hundreds of forums, i decided to go full coil overs and not just Sport Line Eibach Springs. if you are going to do it, do it right.
Font Motorsports
Member
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- 2012 Mazda 2
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- San Diego, CA
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- 2014 Mazda3 S GT auto, 2008 MX5 6-speed
To me, the bottom line is:
My immediate list:
1. Suspension
2. Exhaust (Magnaflow cat-back - incredible sound)
3. ScanGauge 2 (need more info, yo)
4. Lightweight wheels (less unsprung weight)
I can get a really nice suspension (with Ohlins in a couple of years) or a decent suspension upgrade and enhancements 2 and 3. (# 4 will have to wait.)
...kinda like deciding between a medium-sized house with landscaping and a nice car or
a giant house with no car and no landscaping.
Yes, "doing it right" means different things to different people. There are people who would argue that doing it right means going for Ohlins-quality coilovers or not doing it at all. Many aftermarket dampers are poorly matched to each other, and few are individually dyno-tested, so you can end up with unpredictable handling and potentially even dangerously poor quality if you're not careful. There are good brands of separate springs and dampers, too. Koni are generally considered to be a decent quality damper. I'm still hoping that Racing Beat will release springs for this car, and I would combine them with Koni FSD dampers. That would offer a reasonably priced option that doesn't lower the car too much, improves handling, and offers a decent ride quality. I've done the 1.5" of lowering on other cars, and it's too much for the roads and parking lots around here. 1/2" would be just about right for me. I might be willing to go as much as 3/4". I'm also not sure I'm willing to spend the money on a decent coilover system for a car that gets 33,000 miles put on it a year.
I'm very excited. The first time I emailed Racing Beat, Jim Langer told me they were waiting out the market for aftermarket parts for the 2014 3. I asked about their exhaust and mentioned I was still interested in springs, and he replied that springs and anti-roll bars are in production right now! I may get the anti-roll bars, too. The Racing Beat front and rear anti-roll bars I have on my 2009 RX-8 were one of the best modifications I've ever done to any of my cars. The steering response is amazing, and body roll was greatly reduced, as expected. Now I just have to wait and see if Koni is going to release FSD dampers for the new 3.
