cheesebox

I have a problem with my front right strut/spring when I go over a pothole it makes an awful noise. I was hoping I could replace both my front strut/spring assembly's with used low mileage ones that someone took off their car when upgrading. What years will bolt on? I see that 04-11 should all fit but than some people say series 2 rears are different? Would series 2 or series 3 front strut/spring assemblies bolt right up? I dont own a spring compressor and would rather just order a low mileage set off someone and bolt it right on. Otherwise ill get that money draining bug and buy the bilsteins (damnit ive already been eyeing them) and ill have to try to find New oem style springs and I feel like that will break my bank.

Thank you very much for your knowledge and advice.

Steve Dallas

If you are replacing the strut and the spring together, they are interchangeable. The differences between the S1 and S2 are in the rear spring perch location and length of the rear spring.

If you are sticking with the stock springs, I would go with Bilstein HD shocks. They are great shocks, and you will never have to worry about them again.

cheesebox

Thank you, I have been eyeing the Bilsteins and I really would like to go with them but where would I get a set of new original ride height springs all the ones I have seen are around 100$ a spring which is just too much for me after I pay atleast 100$ per strut too. Will it affect me negatively if I Just do the fronts with Bilsteins as currently I definitely cant afford to do all 4 corners? I see the series 3 comes with bilsteins could I find a s3 at a youpullit and take its front shock/springs and use those?

Thank you very much and sorry for the storm of questions.

Steve Dallas

What year is your car? The aftermarket Bilstein shocks are made for series 1 cars (2003-2008). If your car is a series 2 (2009-2011), your best bet is height-adjustable coilovers. There is no series 3.

wannawankel

Series 3 is coming? RX-9?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

I suppose you mean R3. I have this setup, R3 shocks and springs on a 2004 car. As long as you source shocks and springs together from the same model RX8, everything bolts right up. If you start mixing things, your life becomes complicated.

cheesebox

I did mean R3, sorry for the confusion and thank you for all the help now I will try to get my hands on some 2011 r3 front strut/spring assemblies and my life will be simple.

40w8

I've been looking for a home for my leftover springs and shocks off a07 rx8 GT which have 33k miles, and no winter driving.

Sadly, I'm away from them until March waiting out winter.

Steve Dallas

You'll want to do the front and rear at the same time if you transplant R3 parts into a non-R3. The spring rates are supposedly different (they have different part numbers from standard series 2 springs), and the shocks are valved differently. Things will be weird for you, if you have R3 fronts and standard rears. Besides, the rear shocks are usually the first to go. If they aren't already bad, they probably will be soon.

Also, since we now know your car is a 2006, the cheapest and easiest thing to do is buy Bilstein HDs and use them with your stock springs. R3 suspension parts are not cheap--even used--as that is a very popular swap for autocross and other applications.

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