Hey folks, I'm considering an RX-8 and I wanted your opinion on something. Is there a growing consensus towards any particular brand of struts? And how tuneable is the chassis with adjustable struts (in other words are they that big an improvement)? I right now have a Honda Prelude and (I'm guessing) because of all the weight on the front, messing with the struts alters the balance a lot but I wasn't sure if it would do as much on a rwd car with 50/50 weight distribution, less built in understeer and newer strut design. Basically I'm asking if new struts are absolutely necessary :p

2nd question, which color would be faster, green or blue? :D

 

Hard to say if any are available yet, I don't believe so. However I'll give a big thumbs up to KYB AGX for making a great performing adjustable strut so keep an eye out for a RX-8 strut from them, Koni will certainly make a nice one as well, but I think bang for your buck KYB AGX is the way to go. Whether or not they will improve the RX-8 much is hard to say but odds are it will.

 

At the risk of being called pedantic, I must point out that the RX-8 suspension does not use struts. Shocks or dampers, yes, but not struts.

 

details details... :p

 

Actually it's a big detail in the car! You won't find the same suspension setup on another car unless you are maybe spending $60k. That's the magic of the RX8

I think the only shocks avail right now are the mazdaspeed ones.

There should be more later, as the car is still pretty new to market.

I know I bumped myself out of class with installing the JIC's, but it is more about fun than points with me.

 

Rotary Extreme can get you a set of the Mazdaspeed ones. They are non adjustable so they should qualify for B-Stock.

I have no idea how much better they are, but would love to know if you get them as I had them on my Xmas list

 

So can you run mazdaspeed springs and still be BS legal?

Or will that bump you into BSP?

 

I thought aftermarket springs automatically put you out of a stock class.

 

That's what I thought......

But MSP springs might be avail as part of dealer offered packages! That would be sweet!

BTW Ike, you have the same name on nasioc.com? If not, what is it?

 

Sorry, dealer installed items are not stock legal.... especailly not springs.

Some people with S2000 were afriad they might get protested for dealer installed rear wings, which don't really make a difference unlike springs.

As far as for semi-serious racing, I wouldn't get KYB's... if you are really trying to tune the shocks, adjusting compression and rebound at the same time is not the way to go, which is what KYB's do...

Koni's only adjust rebound, and that's the way I'd go, unless you want to spend tons of money and get real double adjustables.

 

Yeah, I can get STi springs from my dealer but it's very illegal in stock class, and prettymuch the same scenario. I can't even run 17" wheels when Subaru offers them as an option and they are Subaru wheels, because it's dealer installed.


Ike

 

Yeah, that's unfortunate!

But if the MS stuff is Factory Installed soon, that will be another story

 

I wouldn't count on MS stuff being factory installed any time soon, and if it is nothing as far as much performance stuff. I could see a appearance package but that's just going to slow you down

 

Agreed But it won't slow you down very much at all!

Ike, you every do analysis on corner entry and exit speeds?

A few mph will usually result in the hundreths of a second. It's the multiple cumulation of these hundreths that add up to good track..... and autox times