MX5Ireland

my car is i.8 mk 1 it was lowered when i bought , it has bilstein shocks . ramps and country roads are a real problem what would i have to do to raise it and would it affect the handling

john, mine was the same until i changed coilovers for kybs and trim springs. old system was brilliant on good roads but up here in the north-west it was too hard and low. new set-up suits the terrain far better and doesn't sit too high. i would definatly recommend you change your set-up. far more comfortable as well.

Hi Barney,
Any chance you could "review" your current setup, am thinking along the same lines..

Steve

same as johnv jap import when bought on blisteins but mk2 must be a jap thing to do with smooth roads or to do with driffiting you got a lsd

had kyb/trim spring set up fitted for roscommon camping trip. got allignment etc. checked on friday morning on route to boyle. we,i think all will agree, encountered all road conditions that weekend and looking back at some of those mountain roads and progress made on them my undercarriage survived without a scratch. handling was very predictable, but i do think that tyres are a huge factor in the overall package. comfort levels are hugely increased as before, even though handling was great the ride was extremely hard and long journeys very tiring. i think that aquarian5 was fitting the same set-up as i have and he may have some comment to make.

Have you fiddled with the settings on the shocks?

is there settings on the shocks

no settings on kybs i got, just the basic ones from mx5parts. kyb kayaba sports handling kit, 4 x shocks and springs.

barney wrote:had kyb/trim spring set up fitted for roscommon camping trip. got allignment etc. checked on friday morning on route to boyle. we,i think all will agree, encountered all road conditions that weekend and looking back at some of those mountain roads and progress made on them my undercarriage survived without a scratch. handling was very predictable, but i do think that tyres are a huge factor in the overall package. comfort levels are hugely increased as before, even though handling was great the ride was extremely hard and long journeys very tiring. i think that aquarian5 was fitting the same set-up as i have and he may have some comment to make.

Yes I changed over my suspension to KYB AGX adjustable shocks fairly recently...and they do make a HUGE difference..MUCH firmer on the road now with very little pitching(nose down) under braking. I have dialled in 5 on the fronts and 4 on the backs, and am happy with that for the moment.
I had intended to fit the trim springs as well but......the guy I had fitting them wasn't happy with how the 'half coil' at the top of the spring sits into the top mount ....I KNOW I KNOW there is a knack in getting the spring to sit properly, Barney informed me.. . So I am just using the standard springs which seem fine for the moment......
I would recommend the adjustable shocks for the MK1 definitely.

So if anybody wants a set of bump stops I have a spare set going.......

is it possible to raise it by fitting new springs

johnv wrote:is it possible to raise it by fitting new springs

Well I'm sure you can John, you say that your car was very low when you got it, ie with Bilstein shocks, chances are that it has a sports springs fitted as well. If you revert back to standard springs the car will sit higher than before.

It is recommended to get your alignment rechecked if you adjust your suspension/ride height etc.
HTH

Regards John.

It depends on whats on there at the minute tbh. If they are std springs then changing them for later ones would raise the height as they got progressively higher during the years (presumably for pedestrian impact regs), but they do sit way to high imo.
If it is on some kind of aftermarket springs then you would need to find out what they are and you would be able to find ones that are longer/firmer.
I personally have Bilstein shocks with 2nd gen Flyin miata springs and love em. the ride height is spot on, sits nice and low but never grounds out on anything, unlike the kyb shocks and eibach springs that i use to have which were way to low.
The bilstein shocks are hard though, great on good roads but can be a little harsh on bad ones.
Remember the bilstein shocks do have a spring perch which sits the spring 10mm lower than a std shock aswell.
Hth Ash

Its the springs that determine the ride height of a car so changing them to different ones might be an option for you.
Firstly find out what your running right now post up your set up and you will get good advice on what your options are.Ash is spot on about FM springs they are very good but pricey as you have to import them from the States.
I ran Eibach springs before while good on the twistys hit a bad patch of road and you were out of your seat too low for Irish roads now i run FM springs,FM rear shock mounts[awesome] and KYB shocks very happy with it.

when i got my 5 i couldn't get my trolley jack under it, now with the new set up i can. only raised car about an inch but made a huge differance. cuscos have their own top-mount as part of the unit so it may actually be the standard top-mounts that give the extra clearance.

aquarian5 wrote:I had intended to fit the trim springs as well but......the guy I had fitting them wasn't happy with how the 'half coil' at the top of the spring sits into the top mount ....I KNOW I KNOW there is a knack in getting the spring to sit properly, Barney informed me..

So if anybody wants a set of bump stops I have a spare set going.......

Cool might take you up on that John. I had the trim springs on the rear in the past, think I remember something about them sitting halfway round the perch. I intend to swop in all four before the summer.. what does the knack entail?

Thanks!
Steve