After a few nights of reseach... tell me what you guys think about this setup:

Mazdaspeed Spring Set
Mazdaspeed Front and Rear Shocks
Racing Beat Front Sway Bar
Racing Beat Rear Sway Bar
Racing Beat Front Endlinks (1 Pair)

All those parts are looking to cost a little over a grand, but from what I've read the car should handle like an orgasm after all the parts are added? I'm a big fan of mazdaspeed and racing beat thats why I chose the particular parts.

One question - for the Racing beat sway bars, I was reading that I "need" to get some of Racing Beat's custom endlinks for 47.00 (not a big deal)... do I need to get TWO pairs (one for each side of the front?) or will "1 pair" take care of the whole front end? I'm assuming there are not endlinks for the rear of the car?


Thanks!
Jeff

 

1. Why wouldn't you just get the Mazdaspeed sway bars, or the RB springs & Konis ? Mixing is not good. The sway bars are made for the companies spring/shock set, and would react differently to one another.

2. No, the $47 was for a pair. Won't have to get 2.

 

Like Fanman said, Mixing is bad, it's like crossing the streams.
I have the racing Beat swaybar set up with the endlinks and love it.( I have stocks springs and shocks)
RB's swaybars are stiffer than Mazdaspeed. MS uses stiffer springs than RB
I couldnt tell you which companies full set up is better, I just know that on the stock S&S's
The RB sways will take out the body roll and put the car on rails.

 

This should be in the suspension forum...

The MS setup gives you roll stiffness via stiff springs. The sways are just slightly stiffer than the stock sways, which is what you want with springs that stiff.

The RB bars are meant for RB springs. In this case, the springs are "weak" while the sways are stiff.

The MS setup is probably better for all out performance, but worse for ride quality. The RB setup trades off ultimate handling for better ride quality. Going MS springs/Shocks and RB sways does not make for a well balanced setup.

Personally, I went with Tein H-techs, Tokico D-SPECS, and RB sways. This rides basically stock but handles quite a bit better. Took it to a track and didn't get passed all day. One advantage of this is the adjustability of the shocks over the MS setup.

I've run 2500+ hard miles (400 track) with the stock endlinks with no problems, as have most people that autocross. I'd skip the endlink upgrade. You can always add them later really easily if one of yours fails.

 

My biggest fear is having an endlink fail while driving around in town. I would hate to hit something because i didn't spend the extra 50 bucks.... saying that my rsb and front endlinks should be here this week (i bought a fsb from the bst a while ago).

Good point on matching companies, I've heard of people just swapping back thier stock sways back in after they move to coilovers. Supposedly a properly set-up car barely needs sway bars (although f1 cars have them... electronically controlled i think, which contradicts this)... sway bars totally **** your independant suspension too... I was following a car with no sways over a speed bump (which we both took with just one side of the car) and he barely noticed while I had to slow way down.

 

^If you're worried then spend the extra $50 for peace of mind. That is something you can't put a price on.

 

I wouldn't mix springs/shocks/sways unless you really know what your doing. I have the MS springs/shocks/sways and love it.

The racing beat springs/sways are a good combo also if cost is an issue. They are also slightly less harsh when street driving. The MS at the limits handles better, but the reality is most of us drive our 8's at 9 and 10 10ths maybe 1% of the time.

 

thanks brillo -- my mazdapseed suspension will be here Friday in DFW, too bad im going to home for the weekend and cant rub and feel on all the pretty parts, hah

mmm cant wait for the install party on the 29th to put the goodies on

 

I can't see an endlink failing being anything serious unless you're at 10/10ths. It will upset the car a bit, but nothing totally shocking. I'd be afraid of loosing one on the track, but not "around town"

 

I'd rather not drill into my control arms personally. If I break a stock endlink, there pretty cheap, I'd rather just replace it. with a new one. Im not aware of many people having issues with them. I ragged on the car hard for two days at the track with no issues.

 

so what would be the best for drifting? sways strut and shocks? of course considering the non mixing rule.

 

Are you taking your car to the track?