I need help indentifying these springs.

[shoogerfree]

I bought my MS3 used just yesterday. I feel stupid because I just now realized that it rides so harsh that it could possibly have aftermarket springs. The dealership didn't tell me anything about this. It doesn't look very low, but now that I think about it, it does look a bit lower than stock. So I looked under it and saw that the springs are blue as well as the sway bars. Does anyone know what kind of springs and swaybars these are?

 

[bigdaddy]

those look like cobb tuning springs

 

[Speed3Rookie]

those look like cobb tuning springs

Yep....Cobble Cobble

 

[GhostMercury]

yea def cobb by the color, thats a nice suspension setup, you got there. I got the same here, and love it

 

[shoogerfree]

Thanks. I'm new, so I wasn't sure. Looks to be the Cobb Tuning stage 2 suspension. I'm both happy and a little disappointed. I thought I was buying a car that hadn't been messed with. It seems to ride pretty rough. But it handles Amazing. Would the Eibach pro-kit progressive rate springs make it any smoother? Should I get shocks? The car has about 33,000 miles on it and I don't know how long this suspension setup has been on the car.

 

[GoFast]

throw some different shocks on there like some koni yellows. if there are stock shocks on there they are probably shot

 

[GhostMercury]

the stock shocks most likely are not shot from having the cobb setup. They were designed to work with the stock shocks. And no the eibach would not be any better. cobb is far more superior. These cars aren't driving on clouds stock so what you feel really is how the car would ride no matter what. Nobody even knows that I'm lowered when they ride in my car, because it's not very rough. What kind of car did you have before the ms3?

 

[shoogerfree]

the stock shocks most likely are not shot from having the cobb setup. They were designed to work with the stock shocks. And no the eibach would not be any better. cobb is far more superior. These cars aren't driving on clouds stock so what you feel really is how the car would ride no matter what. Nobody even knows that I'm lowered when they ride in my car, because it's not very rough. What kind of car did you have before the ms3?

I had an 03 VW GTI 20th anniversary edition riding on stock suspension. It rode a bit softer than the Mazda, but I think I'll deal with the ride quality. We have some really rough roads here. Especially in downtown Tampa. It certainly does handle better as far as I can tell.

 

[RelliMS3]

people actually have been finding their stock shocks to be shot at around 15k miles and there is a decent chance the original owner never changed them so you might want to find some nice aftermarkets to switch them out with.

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

people actually have been finding their stock shocks to be shot at around 15k miles and there is a decent chance the original owner never changed them so you might want to find some nice aftermarkets to switch them out with.

How are the stock shocks blowing?

 

[rooster1]

IMO its going to take a lot more than that to blow out your shocks...

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

I've heard in the past with previous vehicles how if you put stiffer, aftermarket springs on OE shocks, that they would cause damage. So it's best to have aftermarket shocks in addition to the new springs. I didn't think that would be the case with our vehicles already having stiffer setups from the factory.

 

[RelliMS3]

How are the stock shocks blowing?

I don't know, its not like i went through a serious pothole or anything. I just took the car to get aligned and he said the shock is leaking oil or something but, apparently my shock had been blown for some time without me knowing. He said it was probably just from being defective from the factory. Poor quality

 

[bacarl]

I've heard in the past with previous vehicles how if you put stiffer, aftermarket springs on OE shocks, that they would cause damage. So it's best to have aftermarket shocks in addition to the new springs. I didn't think that would be the case with our vehicles already having stiffer setups from the factory.

Shocks and springs are rate matched to each other. The stock shock is a damper for the stock spring rate. If you increase the spring rate (which aftermarket lowering springs do) then the shock no longer damps the spring properly (eg the spring is too "strong" for the damper). This is the case regardless of how stiff the factory suspension is. Cobb's springs aren't a drastic rate increase so the shocks will be healthier than with super high-rate springs, but they're not an ideal match. To maximize performance and component longevity, aftermarket dampers should be used.

 

[Silver Ecstasy]

I love it man, you're my local suspension guru! Thanks for the information.

 

[bykeryder4life]

I am surprised the dealer sold you a used MS3 with upgraded suspension and didnt say anything about it to you. I would take the car to them and make them take a note that the car has been modified before they sold it to you.....that way if it blows up or something goes wrong they dont blame you and say you abused it. Hell that car could have had many other mods and was put to stock before selling but they didnt do the springs

 

[essejkcamraw]

hey man, i was looking at a set of OZ ultrleggeras on ebay and they were on your car....the guy lives in dade city. they are the cobb kit. i believe he said they were on for 15k miles? wheels an springs...so they are relatively new. you bought the car at mastro suby right?

 

[bykeryder4life]

he bought a mazda from a suby dealer?^^^

 

[essejkcamraw]

he bought a mazda from a suby dealer?^^^

well the dude who owned it traded it in on an 08 STI. so yes...im assuming so? when i was looking at cars i also went to that suby dealer to check out some sti's since i was goin back an forth between the speed an a sti an saw that mazdaspeed at the mastro suby dealer, which might of been why they didnt disclose any details on the vehicle. ive heard shady things about mastro suby...but the car seemed really nice.

 

[shoogerfree]

hey man, i was looking at a set of OZ ultrleggeras on ebay and they were on your car....the guy lives in dade city. they are the cobb kit. i believe he said they were on for 15k miles? wheels an springs...so they are relatively new. you bought the car at mastro suby right?

Yes, That's the car. I talked to the guy who owned it. He's an adult with 2 kids and said the only other mods were a Cobb SRI and the wheels. He traded it in on an STi. The car is in absolute perfect condition and I can tell he took really good care of it. I am surprised Mastro didn't tell me about the suspension setup though. Maybe I should let them know. I'm sure they will play dumb about it and say they didn't know. And it is possible that maybe they didn't. Do you have the link to the ebay posting with my car in it?