Hi All,
I am in the market for upgraded struts and shocks, due to the OEM front leaking all over the place. I am currently undecided if I want to lower at all or not. I have decided to get good struts and shocks, though, and probably a MS3 rear bar.
I've been reading a bunch on this forum, and looking for the Bilstein B6 on tire rack or anyplace else that might have them. It looks like Koni is the only real upgrade for the 5 on tirerack, and though they seem to be bulletproof on my Miata, I read lots about them failing on the 5. I don't want to deal with that, and will spend the extra money for the Bilstein if I don't have to do the extra work. I can't find the B6 for the 5, but I can for the V50. Is it a direct fitment? Part numbers for the other brands show different rear part numbers between them. Bilstein's site shows no listing for the 5 in the B6.
If I decide to go with lowering springs, Eibach, again, is listed for the V50, but not the 5. Only option is H&R for the 5. I'd prefer the Eibach, for no other reason than it is a smaller amount of drop, and H&R is garbage on the Miata. Would the V50 fitment Eibach work on the 5? Vehicle weight looks like it would be fine, but is there any differences in suspension geometry that would effect the amount of drop?
Does the B6 work well with factory springs, if I decided to stick with factory ride height? Or would they be a bit stiff for stock springs?
In the Miata world, there are so many options, it's hard to make a good decision based off the reviews . The 5 looks to be a different story entirely.
So, in a nutshell...
1. What is the best Bilstein for stock springs? If B4, then fine. If B6, will the V50 application work for a 2015 model?
2. If I decide to lower, will the V50 application work properly? That's springs and rear shocks, as well.
3. Are the Koni really that problematic on these?
4. If I end up going with the Eibach and B6 combo, will I need to get parts to get the alignment back in order?
5. If I do need to get parts to make the alignment correct, what would I really need to get?
6. Has anyone played with alignment numbers for better grip/tire wear/handling balance? If so, what have you found that works well?
7. Should the strut mounts or shock mounts be replaced? I'm at 65k miles currently.
8. Are there better bump stops that should be used regardless of lowering or not?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Eric
I am in the market for upgraded struts and shocks, due to the OEM front leaking all over the place. I am currently undecided if I want to lower at all or not. I have decided to get good struts and shocks, though, and probably a MS3 rear bar.
I've been reading a bunch on this forum, and looking for the Bilstein B6 on tire rack or anyplace else that might have them. It looks like Koni is the only real upgrade for the 5 on tirerack, and though they seem to be bulletproof on my Miata, I read lots about them failing on the 5. I don't want to deal with that, and will spend the extra money for the Bilstein if I don't have to do the extra work. I can't find the B6 for the 5, but I can for the V50. Is it a direct fitment? Part numbers for the other brands show different rear part numbers between them. Bilstein's site shows no listing for the 5 in the B6.
If I decide to go with lowering springs, Eibach, again, is listed for the V50, but not the 5. Only option is H&R for the 5. I'd prefer the Eibach, for no other reason than it is a smaller amount of drop, and H&R is garbage on the Miata. Would the V50 fitment Eibach work on the 5? Vehicle weight looks like it would be fine, but is there any differences in suspension geometry that would effect the amount of drop?
Does the B6 work well with factory springs, if I decided to stick with factory ride height? Or would they be a bit stiff for stock springs?
In the Miata world, there are so many options, it's hard to make a good decision based off the reviews . The 5 looks to be a different story entirely.
So, in a nutshell...
1. What is the best Bilstein for stock springs? If B4, then fine. If B6, will the V50 application work for a 2015 model?
2. If I decide to lower, will the V50 application work properly? That's springs and rear shocks, as well.
3. Are the Koni really that problematic on these?
4. If I end up going with the Eibach and B6 combo, will I need to get parts to get the alignment back in order?
5. If I do need to get parts to make the alignment correct, what would I really need to get?
6. Has anyone played with alignment numbers for better grip/tire wear/handling balance? If so, what have you found that works well?
7. Should the strut mounts or shock mounts be replaced? I'm at 65k miles currently.
8. Are there better bump stops that should be used regardless of lowering or not?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Eric