School me on MS3 d-stock autox setup!

[fastdreams]

HELP! I can't find jack-squat for shock replacement.

Any of yous ran your MS3 in d-stock?

I see just about the only wheel choice is the 18x7 kazera at 18.5 lbs.

All the koni applications for the mazda 3 say "excl mazdaspeed3" WTF? How much different can it be?

Do you run a BFB? Drop in filter worth anything? CBE weight loss?

Running short of data on the web here and running short of ideas.

 

[fastdreams]

Man nobody is making a shock for this car it seems. I'll have to talk with Tokico, GAB and Koni and see if they can get something together for me.

Tire choices are very limited.

Has anyone ran the g-force R1, Hoosier A6 or R6 in 245/40-18 on 18x7?

Is it at all possible to factory order the MS3 with 17" wheels? Any contacts with mazda?

 

[aMaff]

I don't think you can get the MS3 on 17s. For info on R-Comp sizes for 18x7s, see the latest Grassroots Motorsports magazine. They did a test on the RX8 (stock 18x7 wheel) with various tire sizes. Pretty typical B-Stock setup. You can actually fit (if it'll fit under the fenders w/o rubbing) a 285/30 hoosier on that sized wheel.

 

[fastdreams]

I don't think you can get the MS3 on 17s. For info on R-Comp sizes for 18x7s, see the latest Grassroots Motorsports magazine. They did a test on the RX8 (stock 18x7 wheel) with various tire sizes. Pretty typical B-Stock setup. You can actually fit (if it'll fit under the fenders w/o rubbing) a 285/30 hoosier on that sized wheel.

Thanks for the info. Latest GRM as in December? I need to go pick that up.

285...geeeez. I don't think that will fit under the MS3.

 

[aMaff]

I guess it's December. It's the one that came out a couple weeks ago.

As a side note, here's what happened when the tried to squeeze the 285/30/18 Kumho V710 on the RX8 wheel:

Gotta almost feel sorry for that sidewall lol



EDIT: For clarification, yes, it's not an RX8 wheel per-se, but it's a B-Stock legal OZ Racing wheel.

 

[fastdreams]

I guess it's December. It's the one that came out a couple weeks ago.

As a side note, here's what happened when the tried to squeeze the 285/30/18 Kumho V710 on the RX8 wheel:

Gotta almost feel sorry for that sidewall lol



EDIT: For clarification, yes, it's not an RX8 wheel per-se, but it's a B-Stock legal OZ Racing wheel.

Hmm darn my short-term memory - I think I've already read that! I remember that one of the tires actually performed very well in spite of being smaller than the others.

Now I'm thinking of taking this car to STU instead - with the lack of shock options for DS.

Then again, as far as I know there are only "street" suspension upgrades available anyway. Seems like my only choice would be the mazdaspeed coilovers, which are nice for the street they probably don't have what it takes for STU. At least I could up the power a bit with allowable mods, and run 17" wheels for better selection of tires.

 

[moxnix]

I don't think you can get the MS3 on 17s. For info on R-Comp sizes for 18x7s, see the latest Grassroots Motorsports magazine. They did a test on the RX8 (stock 18x7 wheel) with various tire sizes. Pretty typical B-Stock setup. You can actually fit (if it'll fit under the fenders w/o rubbing) a 285/30 hoosier on that sized wheel.

Sorry but the RX-8 runs 18x8 wheels (and if you should happen to run into any cheap stock legal sets for the RX-8 let me know I need them )

the 245/35/18 Kumho V710 did very well in the test.

 

[aMaff]

wtf? reading pwnz me

 

[fastdreams]

BTW, it was the November GRM. I already had it and read it. So those braincells really ARE gone...(screwy) Ah well. It's like everything is new all over again LOL.

Does anybody have any input on shocks?

I read that one guy's (mazdasteve3?) review about how he hated the koni sports but I just don't get why they would be that bad. I suspect his perspective and experience may not be what I'm looking for. To be fair he was trying to address the MS3 "floatines". I'm just looking to improve the suspension for SCCA DS.

The koni sports have proven to be awesome for a lot of other people running in stock classes. What's more is the mz3 koni's can't be that far off from how they would be valved for the ms3. Typically when people upgrade to koni yellows for street use, they also upgrade to a stiffer spring - so it stands to reason that if an mz3 koni user upgraded, they'd get to at least a ms3 level spring or higher. By that logic it seems to me the mz3 koni should work just fine on the ms3.

Am I torturing my logic here to get what I want?

 

[aMaff]

dunno... couldn't hurt to talk to koni and find out what they're supposedly valved for.

 

[moxnix]

Am I torturing my logic here to get what I want?

Yes.

I would talk with Lee Grimes at Koni and see what his opinion is on it. Maybe just get a set of Mazda 3 struts revalved to your needed specs (it would cost a little more but could be worth it)

 

[fastdreams]

Yes.

I would talk with Lee Grimes at Koni and see what his opinion is on it. Maybe just get a set of Mazda 3 struts revalved to your needed specs (it would cost a little more but could be worth it)

I've spoken with two folks at Koni, one a motorsports tech (sorry forgot his name already) and after a short chat he suggested I talked with Paul for a quote for a one-off set.

Paul said pretty much that they don't have anything developed for the MS3 that he can quote me. He's the guy that has me thinking it's worth trying the koni sports. I suppose I could call back and push for something custom but I'm starting to feel like it's a waste of time. Just run stock and have fun losing. Not like I'm going to go to nationals and it's not likely I will want to go beyond local events. Depends on how serious my codriver gets I guess, and how well we can develop the car next season. He's the better and more experienced driver.

Stock classing rules suck If I wanted to do any actually useful mod it puts me right into STU, where I would be raped by STI's and EVOs.

I heard there was a fasttrack rule change with the SCCA that the turbo- ST class cars CAN up the boost now. That gives the STIs and EVOs a further advantage to the MS3 in STU. Fuhgedaboudit.

 

[TinmanMS6]

You can always get the Konis revalved down the road if you feel the need.

 

[moxnix]

I've spoken with two folks at Koni, one a motorsports tech (sorry forgot his name already) and after a short chat he suggested I talked with Paul for a quote for a one-off set.

I heard there was a fasttrack rule change with the SCCA that the turbo- ST class cars CAN up the boost now. That gives the STIs and EVOs a further advantage to the MS3 in STU. Fuhgedaboudit.

Thhat might have been Lee. In that case I would just drive right now and wait and see if they release a speed3 sport.

You heard wrong about boost in ST. Maybe you are thinking about the boost in SP rule change recently.

 

[Jeff@Tri-Point]

We have a set of Koni's and H&R sports on a shop car here with some 18" wheels that I have autocrossed. The surprising thing is that even with H&R sport springs it rides on the bumpstops, I can only imagine any springs that drop the ride height lower than this, the car might even handle worse. For a stock class, the front compression (bump) seems pretty soft and the weight transfer seems to be a little fast, I would advise stiffening up the front bump if you do choose to revalve them. We have done many Koni Inserts for strut shocks like the SRT-4 in D-stock that have increased compression over 25%. Some have even came back to us wanting even more than that.

I beleive the Mazda 3 shocks might be a little softer than the SRT-4 shocks out of the box, I would have to check that up. Now since we are talking about a Mazdaspeed 3, just add that much more weight transfer and it would only make since to add the same amount as the SRT-4's if not more.

Here is a picture of the Mazda 3, it lacks in travel in my opinnion. So in STU, not a doubt in my mind that I would either recommend stiff front bar or springs, or shorten the shocks.

 

[fastdreams]

Thanks a lot for your input Jeff.

What I really want is to have a double-adjustable shock to run in DS for a season or two.

I'd like a coilover setup and all that but I think running in STU is suicide, especially with the caliber of drivers in my region.

So...
What I'm likely to do is pony for a custom set of double adjustable konis for D stock.

If the season doesn't go that well, then I will probably go with more of a track day mentality and upgrade to coilovers, 17x8, and the typical bolt-ons. Then go ahead and get creamed in STU and have fun with it.

So Jeff, do you know the spring rates of the OEM MS3 springs? I've only found second hand info that says f=33N/mm r=30N/mm. (188lbf/in & 171lbf/in)