Corksport Lowering Springs Installed

[CX-SV]

I've seen a lot several things about Corksport installs that scare the s__t out of me.
Glad I went the more conservative route w/H&R. I think it's a more thoroughly developed product. Frankly, I don't see how you can drop a CX-5 3.25" and not need some way to compensate for the camber loss (gain? whatever).

I would tend to agree.

btw - Isn't the biggest issue negative camber and accelerated tire wear especially on rear inside tread? If so, since these tires are cheap (especially when compared to ultra high performance summer tires on high horsepower sport cars and sport sedans) not all owners will be that concerned if that's the main issue.

 

[tibimakai]

I will buy the camber arms when they come out and only then I will install these springs. I may even wait to have money for as sway bar too and do all at once.
Others have installed these springs and I haven't heard any problems with the install.
deej3 The springs had to be shortened and the strut re-threaded?

 

[paris1]

I would tend to agree.

btw - Isn't the biggest issue negative camber and accelerated tire wear especially on rear inside tread? If so, since these tires are cheap (especially when compared to ultra high performance summer tires on high horsepower sport cars and sport sedans) not all owners will be that concerned if that's the main issue.

Maybe. And maybe "cheap" is relative to who's footing the replacement tab. Personally, I think that's a rather odd way to look at it, although I am prepared for some degree of accelerated wear with the H&Rs. I also wonder what happens to ride quality when the springs are so short that, in this case, the front strut rods had to be cut 40mm and, in another installation, the rear springs were so short the owner had some difficulty getting them to stay put while bolting up the lower control arm. Both those situations would indicate a substantial loss of wheel travel.

 

[CX-SV]

Maybe. And maybe "cheap" is relative to who's footing the replacement tab. Personally, I think that's a rather odd way to look at it, although I am prepared for some degree of accelerated wear with the H&Rs. I also wonder what happens to ride quality when the springs are so short that, in this case, the front strut rods had to be cut 40mm and, in another installation, the rear springs were so short the owner had some difficulty getting them to stay put while bolting up the lower control arm. Both those situations would indicate a substantial loss of wheel travel.

"Cheap" is relative and applicable compared to shoeing some cars. Those of us from the world of rear wheel drive sports cars (Porsches) and sport sedans are used to accelerated rear summer z-rated tire wear, expensive tires too. But you answered my question about negative camber and the resulting rear tire wear is the biggest issue associated with that, just as I thought.

The other issues are different from my question even though I agree they are real concerns involving lack of suspension travel, shock wear, and other modifications just to get springs to fit, etc. When springs are cut, the spring rate usually increases too.

 

[paris1]

"Cheap" is relative and applicable compared to shoeing some cars. Those of us from the world of rear wheel drive sports cars (Porsches) and sport sedans are used to accelerated rear summer z-rated tire wear, expensive tires too. But you answered my question about negative camber and the resulting rear tire wear is the biggest issue associated with that, just as I thought.

The other issues are different from my question even though I agree they are real concerns involving lack of suspension travel, shock wear, and other modifications just to get springs to fit, etc. When springs are cut, the spring rate usually increases too.

Did I miss something? Who said anything about cutting springs? Or are you conflating shorter with cutting?

 

[CX-SV]

Did I miss something? Who said anything about cutting springs? Or are you conflating shorter with cutting?

Yes, see post #138. Oh, you might have a point there. They might have been "shortened" (key word was not shorter in post #138) by heating/torching , yiieecchs.

 

[paris1]

Yes, see post #138. Oh, you might have a point there. They might have been "shortened" (key word was not shorter in post #138) by heating/torching , yiieecchs.

I assumed what he meant was that they cut 40mm off the top of the shaft and rethreaded it so that the shaft length more closely approximated the length of the shorter spring. This is not at all how installation is explained in Corksport's instructions here: http://support.corksport.com/instructions/Cx5-3-288-WEB.pdf. So yea, yiieecchs is right!

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

That may cause an issue if/when the stock springs goes back on.. f that.. That's one of those thing where I like Corksport, but as I've said before I've not been without my share of issues with products purchased from them. The good thing about them is they support our vehicles, generally are offering good/tested products, and have excellent customer service. Also why I continue to buy from them.

 

[deej3]

Wouldn't be re-threading the struts at home. definitely something that a suspension shop should be doing.
If you haven't had any problems over there with them the only thing I can think of is that the CX-5's for the NZ/Australian market have different front shocks than the North American market??
Corksport springs look to be same coil rate, just less coils.
Shocks or springs weren't shortened by heating or cutting, been done properly.

 

[paris1]

Wouldn't be re-threading the struts at home. definitely something that a suspension shop should be doing.
If you haven't had any problems over there with them the only thing I can think of is that the CX-5's for the NZ/Australian market have different front shocks than the North American market??
Corksport springs look to be same coil rate, just less coils.
Shocks or springs weren't shortened by heating or cutting, been done properly.

Or here's another possibility. This was your mechanic's response to the fact that the Corksport springs are so much shorter than the stock ones. Rather than putting them on the struts loose and letting the car's weight drive the shock body up into the spring as the shaft sank into it, he decided to do what he did to make the spring and the shock length match up better before reinstallation. Did he use Corksport's online installation instructions? How did he deal with the rear springs, which are also much shorter than stock? I seriously doubt that Mazda supplies different length shocks for different markets.

 

[deej3]

That's exactly right. The spring can't be loose in the shock to pass a Warrant of Fitness over here. Must be captive in the shock to pass hence the reason to shorten the shock. We could have put them in as they were and lowered the vehicle down to hold them in but wont pass out standards. You may have different rules up there. The Rears were captive, only just. Any shorter they wouldn't have been.

 

[pt00323i]

I assumed what he meant was that they cut 40mm off the top of the shaft and rethreaded it so that the shaft length more closely approximated the length of the shorter spring. This is not at all how installation is explained in Corksport's instructions here: http://support.corksport.com/instructions/Cx5-3-288-WEB.pdf. So yea, yiieecchs is right!

see figure 2L, note the top of the spring is not touching the top hat, so the only time the spring will move is when you hit a large bump/dip, when the strut reaches full extension. However during normal drives the spring might not move. I would bring the strut to a machine shop and have them cut off 40mm or so and re thread, $50 should do it. then you need to wait for JBR's rear camber arm. -2deg camber in the back is track car territory, you will eat up your rear tires, but it will turn in great!

 

[paris1]

OK; now I get it. As for figure 2l, it doesn't really show anything as the spring is still compressed. But knowing how my H&R was just barely captive on the front strut after reassembly, I can believe the Corksports were loose as a goose. I've got -1.6 degree on my LR and -2.0 on RR. I've seen so many opinions about what's too much and what's OK here that I don't take anyone's opinion very seriously. I'm just in a wait and see mode. If I get more wear than I'm comfortable with, I'll consider the JBR camber arms if and when they are released.

 

[tibimakai]

Now that make sense.
But I still don't like it this way. So every time, they would lift the car in a shop, the springs may not go back in there spot when the car is lowered.
I'm thinking, how could I cut the struts and re-thread them? The grounded diameter, is the same as the thread diameter? The grounded surface is not hardened?

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

OK; now I get it. As for figure 2l, it doesn't really show anything as the spring is still compressed. But knowing how my H&R was just barely captive on the front strut after reassembly, I can believe the Corksports were loose as a goose. I've got -1.6 degree on my LR and -2.0 on RR. I've seen so many opinions about what's too much and what's OK here that I don't take anyone's opinion very seriously. I'm just in a wait and see mode. If I get more wear than I'm comfortable with, I'll consider the JBR camber arms if and when they are released.

Pretty much what I have for camber

 

[tibimakai]

Here is CorkSport's answer:
"We have many people who have installed these without modification of the struts. It sounds to me (after reading the thread) like the poster who did the modification decided to alter the strut regardless of our instructions which do not call for that, and when it is not necessary. I hope this helps. You should have no problems at all though using your stock setup without adjusting cutting, heating, welding, or changing the stock setup."

 

[deej3]

Interesting answer considering it is "necessary" to have a captive spring to pass a "Warrant of Fitness" here in Nz. Even if its not law over there I wouldn't be driving a car with springs that fall out of perches when jacked up.

 

[cjas22]

Slightly off topic but deej3.. What rims do you have on the CX-5? They look amazing

 

[paris1]

Interesting answer considering it is "necessary" to have a captive spring to pass a "Warrant of Fitness" here in Nz. Even if its not law over there I wouldn't be driving a car with springs that fall out of perches when jacked up.

That's kinda' what spooks me about Corksport product development!

 

[deej3]

Slightly off topic but deej3.. What rims do you have on the CX-5? They look amazing

They are 20"X8.5" TSW Bardo. 40p offset.