help picking modest suspension upgrade

[joshritger]

I am looking for some help with picking out some modest upgrades for the suspension on my 2007 Mazda 3 hatchback. I have been looking at the hotchkis/Mazda Speed 3 or racing beat swaybar packages and Koni adjustable struts. I would like to keep the stock ride height as I have to drive in snow. Suggestions on sway bars and struts are greatly appreciated. Oh and this is for day to day commuting and just fun driving, no racing or auto cross.

Thank You,
Josh

 

[pickarze]

Suspension Recommendation

Josh,

I'm currently upgrading my 03 2.3 HB. After lots of research here's my put. I too use my 3 for a daily driver and commute. The roads here in VA suck and we do have snow as well. I'm going with Racing Beat for Springs and sway bars. They really test and research their applications (that's why they don't sell too many products.) Their lowering is very conservative (just under an inch or so). I went with Koni FSD auto adjusting struts from Tire Rack (currently on sale for $650 (some sites have them for $800). All reviews were stellar. I don't want to have to physically adjust them. The self adjusting feature seems to work according to the reviews. I'm still waiting on parts to arrive (struts came today.) Good luck in the hunt. GB

 

[joshritger]

pickarze: do you know what the difference is between the Koni FSD and the Koni Adjustables is? Also are you planning on getting the end links from racing beat to go with the swaybar package?

 

[GoFast]

have you considered doing an MS3 suspension swap?

 

[joshritger]

The reason I was looking at the aftermarket koni struts is because they have a lifetime warranty and I have heard good things about them. I have looked at the racing beat swaybars in the past and may go that route as I have just read about some issues with the hotchkis swaybars. I have had some iffy luck with my mazda and I was hoping some decent aftermarket upgrades would improve the handling.

-Issues: Had to have the automatic transmission replaced around 15,000 miles and it still doesn't feel quite right (the transmission does not like to down shift unless i give it a lot of gas i.e. bringing the rpm's up to like 4 grand). Maybe it has something to do with the pedals sensitivity? I also feel that the rear end of the car moves around way too much when driving down the free way. It feels like it is pushed sideways by wind also.

 

[mjthorne]

You might want to try coilovers because it will offer you some flexibility with respect to ride hight and damping stiffness.

I can't comment on a brand specifically, but right now I'm looking at Tein basic co's.

Happy hunting. Let us know what you decide.

 

[joshritger]

What is the major difference between an adjustable strut like the koni sports, and a coil over like tein basic. I looked at the coil overs and they were quite a bit more expensive. For day to day driving would I notice a difference between a sport strut and coil overs? Also can anyone tell me their experiences with the koni fsd struts on a mazda 3. I am leaning more toward the sport strut idea, but not sure which one to get yet.

Also on a side note has anyone tried the cobb swaybar package or springs for the Mazda speed 3.
Would those work on a regular 3 hatch?

 

[Captain KRM P5]

BC coilovers are great for the money and provide the best all around performance. after you consider the price of springs and shocks, you're pretty close to what it would cost to buy a set of coilovers, and you don't get the adjustability from a setup like that. BC coilovers have a full range of ride and height adjustability so you can choose how much drop and stiffness you want at that moment.

http://siteground207.com/~protegeg/product_info.php?products_id=1320

 

[joshritger]

Koni Sport Struts are adjustable right? Did I look at the wrong info somewhere? Also currently I can pick up a set of koni sports for around 600 and racing beat springs for 200 so they are a bit cheaper yet than the coil overs. And they koni's have a lifetime warranty.

 

[joshritger]

I did some more research on how the koni sports adjust and that looks like a little too much work for me, so maybe the koni fsd or some coil overs, does anyone know if the koni fsd will work for the racing beat springs? If I get new springs I don't want to lower the car much and the racing beats are about the least amount of lowering I have found. How do you adjust coil overs?

 

[joshritger]

If I only were to get the new struts without getting springs, would that be a bad idea? I would like to get the struts and the swaybar at the same time but if I do that I can't afford the springs at the same time. I am also thinking about the koni fsd and the two options are stock springs or the eibach pro kit and I dont want my car lowered as much as the pro kit does. I have to drive in snow alot during the winter.

 

[joshritger]

So I have been looking at reviews for the past week or so of the koni fsd and there have been some reports that they are a little soft, that is one of the reasons that I am replacing the stock ones, most of the reviews that I have seen for the bilstein hd struts said that they were better. Any experience with these two struts? Also the bilsteins are a bit more expensive though.

Thanks,
Josh

 

[davens]

I just put oem Mazdaspeed3 springs and Koni FSDs on my 08 S Sport. I like them.
Soft? Maybe softer than the stiffest setting of the adjustables, but then again my fillings don't come out when I hit a concrete expansion joint. They are stiffer than stock, but not to any extreme.

One thing I didn't count on was the negative camber on the rear(-2)...I thought by using the MS3 springs and minimizing drop to under .25", the camber would be fine. This is not the case. Since I commute 120 miles a day, -2 is unacceptable for tire wear. So I had to order some adjustable rear arms.

 

[jazzman]

I just put oem Mazdaspeed3 springs and Koni FSDs on my 08 S Sport. I like them.
Soft? Maybe softer than the stiffest setting of the adjustables, but then again my fillings don't come out when I hit a concrete expansion joint. They are stiffer than stock, but not to any extreme.

One thing I didn't count on was the negative camber on the rear(-2)...I thought by using the MS3 springs and minimizing drop to under .25", the camber would be fine. This is not the case. Since I commute 120 miles a day, -2 is unacceptable for tire wear. So I had to order some adjustable rear arms.

Was the negative camber caused by the MS3 springs, or the combination of the springs and the Koni FSD's? This might be a dumb question, but I'm a noob when it comes to suspension. I thinking of going this route as well, already have the springs, but I'm not sure if I want to deal with a camber problem. Which adjustable rear arms did you get?

 

[davens]

I don't know which or both caused the camber because I switched them at the same time. If I was to guess, I would say it was the springs. I see a lot of lowering springs that recommend the adjustable arms, but I thought the oem MS3 springs wouldn't drop it enough to affect the camber.

I ordered these last week, but have not received them yet:
http://www.*******************.com/index_files/Page379.htm

And for the record, I like the setup...noticeably stiffer the stock, but not punishing for my aging tastes.

 

[jazzman]

Hmmm... Everything I've read says you don't need new camber links unless you drop over an inch from stock. MS3 springs should only drop about 10mm. I think the MS3 and MZ3 have the same camber links, so I'm going to guess it was the combination of the shocks and springs? Anyone else running this setup have problems with negative camber?

 

[joshritger]

So I am now thinking about getting the koni fsd or the bilstein hd struts, and possibly the racing beat swaybar package. I would put the struts in first then the sway bar second. Can anyone tell me from experience which strut is better? Also if I just change struts and not replace the springs, will that affect the camber? I do not plan on changing the springs. I am trying to get rid of some of the play/looseness in the rear of my car.

On a side note I am looking at getting some all season tires, and from doing some research I have been looking at the kumo ecsta asx and the kumo ecsta lx platinums, anybody have experience with these or other good tires? I have read about falken being good, but I have no where to purchase those around here.

Thanks,
Josh

 

[BurnoutX]

hey josh,

personally i am a fan of bilstein HDs on other cars and i would definately get them again if i were in the market.

my general guideline is that i have winter wheels and summer wheels. i do like to rock all seasons on my summer wheels, but i take em off in winter for the wheels/rim sake. kumho asx have gotten good reviews here i believe.

 

[YearOfTherat]

On a side note I am looking at getting some all season tires, and from doing some research I have been looking at the kumo ecsta asx and the kumo ecsta lx platinums, anybody have experience with these or other good tires? I have read about falken being good, but I have no where to purchase those around here.

Thanks,
Josh

Depending on what part of the country you live in, I'd consider getting weather specific tires especially for the winter. All season tires are brutal in deep snow.
In regards to falkens, which model were you lookng at?

 

[joshritger]

I do rock winter tires in the winter, bridgestone blizzaks, best money I ever spent. I was considering the kumo ecsta asx and the kumo ecsta lx platinum, because I had read good reviews of them, I was leaning more toward the lx platinums because of the fact that they are supposed to have less road noise, better wet traction, and a higher mileage life expectancy. I didn't really look too much into the falkens because I couldn't find them on tirerack and my local shop doesn't carry them. I am probably gonna get them from tirerack and have them installed locally. I had read good things about them, but I believe that they were mostly summer/performance tires that were being mentioned.