Lowering springs/suspension

[Drummajor]

Hi guys.
I want to lower my mx250c.
I want to lower with some shorter springs, has anybody got any recommendations on which to use but more importantly which to avoid. I bought a set of adjustable lowering springs from eBay a while ago and they were sh*t. Hardly lowered the car at all and the ride was so hard it was painfull.
Any experiences would be greatly received .
Jason

[Scottie22]

The wickedness in me really wants to say let some air out of the tyres! But that is NOT what you are looking for I know!! Forgive me!!

[Drummajor]

Scottie , did it work for you ?

Seriously though, I just want to reduce the gap between the top of the tyre and wheel arch

[Jaguartvr]

Lowering the profile of the tyre can make a big difference. You could try the local tyre shop.
I did it in the reverse as I had problems grounding when coming into the drive, going up a profile made all the difference.

[Scottie22]

Seriously, what I did was cut a couple of coils off the front springs (Spitfire)

Yes it did work. and I got the stance I was looking for.

If the car subsequently handles like a boat, eventually I will go to a tuning company and tell I have the right height, could they fix me up with the correct rating springs to give me better handling.

[Drummajor]

I don't think cutting the springs on the Mazda suspension will work. The coil will not sit properly and may fail mot . This, I think is not an option. Although I had already given it some thought.

[scimjim]

I think I paid £50 last year for two springs to my spec - you just need free length, dia and poundage 8", 1.9" & 300 in my case) - made in UK too

[Scottie22]

Might seem like a daft question, but how did you know what poundage would give you the perfect ride?

[scimjim]

Trial and error from many owners experience on road and track. I don't know how much lighter the mx250 body is over the mx5 but you know what the originals were, you know you want them shorter, so not too difficult to guesstimate. Likewise with a spit/herald based kit - there's years of experience out there - you just have to take the lighter weight into account.

You can buy decent adjustable kits but much cheaper to get fixed length. What you need is friends who race and have piles of springs in their garage for you to try

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by Drummajor

I don't think cutting the springs on the Mazda suspension will work. The coil will not sit properly and may fail mot . This, I think is not an option. Although I had already given it some thought.

My MOT chappie asked me how I'd lowered my front suspension.

When I told him I'd cut a couple of coils out of the springs he said 'what's the difference between a cut spring and a broken spring?'

I replied that a cut spring had been deliberately modified whereas a broken spring was a component that had failed. He accepted that and passed the car.

Scimjim - where did you get your custom springs wound, local business or t'internet?

[Drummajor]

Mr Towed.
Did you cut Mazda springs ? Or triumph springs ?

[Mister Towed]

Originally Posted by Drummajor

Mr Towed.
Did you cut Mazda springs ? Or triumph springs ?

Sorry, should've made myself clearer, I cut down my Triumph Vitesse springs (220lb) by 95mm with an angle grinder.





This left me with the stance I wanted but made the ride far too hard, limited the safe top speed on rural roads to 50mph (as the front wheels kept hopping off the tarmac above that) and left the chassis grounding on any road that wasn't billiard table smooth.

I then sourced a pair of Mk1 spitfire springs (150lb) and cut 30mm out of them. This improved the ride and handling and means I can actually get over speed bumps.

I've not heard of anyone cutting down MX5 springs but I can't see any reason why you couldn't, just bear in mind that cutting them shorter raises the spring rate and will make the ride firmer.

Ultimately, having custom springs wound to the right length and weight would be by far the best solution for lowering any car with coil springs, which is why I've asked Scimjim where he had his done.

[scimjim]

I had my springs made through a friend in Portsmouth who could actually go to the manufacturers but demon Tweeks etc sell most common sizes without too much mark up.

There are also calculators like this (no idea how accurate they are): http://www.ridetech.com/info/spring-rate-calculator/

[scimjim]

Poundage is dependant upon wire diameter (generally the same for all until you get to multirate springs), coil ID/OD (2.5", 2.25" & 1.9" are common ID) and the number of active coils so cutting coils off can have a massive effect.

[Scottie22]

Wanted:
new friends in Hereford who race a lot and have plenty of old springs left over, apply within :-)

[Drummajor]

Ok. Thanks for your replies.
Lets try another approach . Has nobody bought some shorter springs and fitted them? What make? What did you think about them?
Thanks