JM1Protege
Member
Damn dude white looks so much better!!!! looks sick man
Protege03ak46's Build Thread
- Thread starter Protege03ak46
- Start date
justanothermp5
Banned
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- Rust Bucket
needs more low..got some gap there
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- aggressive auto culture
The springs hadn't settled when I took the picture. It's lower
(iagree)
wow.. I went through the whole thread!! EXCELLENT write up and congrats on your amazing car! cheers for having the balls to try different stuff on your car, love the camo fender and white wheels with orange lugs IMO.. btw the e3o is a great car. I had a tuned 325is and to the date it is my favorite car to have fun with 
. looking forward to the next pics!!
. looking forward to the next pics!!GeorgeBrotege5
Member
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- 2003 Mazda Protege5
i agree with white wheels...
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- aggressive auto culture
Been working and researching for my new project and i think its time to let it out of the box. With 16's in the front I had to dump my skunks practically all the way down which means im pretty much on the bump stops. You know what that means: horrible ride. So Iv come up with a design for a custom front coilover. Before you go all willy nilly saying "why don't you just buy coilovers already." For one reason, I have pretty much all the parts and tools i need, minus shocks. Another is I LOVE custom fabrication and that's what I'll be majoring in at Wyo-Tech next year. Here's my plan of attack...
1. Ill be using my stock strut bodies as tubes to hold the new shocks. Best part is its free and i know it'll fit without a problem
2. Shocks. These are what Iv been looking for over the past 2 months. Iv tried struts from other cars like; VW Rabbit, VW Golf (mk2 and 3), VW G60, BMW E30, Nissan S13 and MR2. Most fit well for the most part but I came to the conclusion that its not exactly cost effective. Not to mention the fact that these cars arnt very close to the protege's front weight. Then I started looking at oval track/modified type shocks and hit the gold mine. Shocks are available in almost every compression and rebound setting you could come up with. They also have a super short body and short stroke. For those of you who don't understand, it basically means the car is already lower while maintaining full strut travel. Afco is the brand Iv chosen, specifically the 10 series big body with a 5/5 compression/rebound. This will give me a good balance of ride and performance with my 350lb springs. They have a 9" stroke, compressed length of 14.75", extended length of 23.50" and a 2.03" O.D. body. Iv measured the inside diameter and they will fit inside snug. Im going to chop off 2" of the stock mount tubes. From there ill be able to get the proper ride height while still remain the strut travel. One problem Is the fact that there is a bearing mount on the bottom of the shock. I think Iv found a solution in using a mount traditionally welded on to a control arm. Using this I can make a bracket that will wrap around the mount and let it sit flat up against the bottom of the strut tube. The shock will still be way to down in the tube so ill have to raise even more by having a spacer machined up.
3. The springs/threads will basically be sitting on a ring im going to weld around the strut. To alow for max low it'll sit on the end link tab.
Over all Im predicting ill be able to lay frame and still have strut travel. Most importantly ill do it for under $300 **crosses fingers**
comments, concerns and questions all appreciated. LMK what you think
1. Ill be using my stock strut bodies as tubes to hold the new shocks. Best part is its free and i know it'll fit without a problem
2. Shocks. These are what Iv been looking for over the past 2 months. Iv tried struts from other cars like; VW Rabbit, VW Golf (mk2 and 3), VW G60, BMW E30, Nissan S13 and MR2. Most fit well for the most part but I came to the conclusion that its not exactly cost effective. Not to mention the fact that these cars arnt very close to the protege's front weight. Then I started looking at oval track/modified type shocks and hit the gold mine. Shocks are available in almost every compression and rebound setting you could come up with. They also have a super short body and short stroke. For those of you who don't understand, it basically means the car is already lower while maintaining full strut travel. Afco is the brand Iv chosen, specifically the 10 series big body with a 5/5 compression/rebound. This will give me a good balance of ride and performance with my 350lb springs. They have a 9" stroke, compressed length of 14.75", extended length of 23.50" and a 2.03" O.D. body. Iv measured the inside diameter and they will fit inside snug. Im going to chop off 2" of the stock mount tubes. From there ill be able to get the proper ride height while still remain the strut travel. One problem Is the fact that there is a bearing mount on the bottom of the shock. I think Iv found a solution in using a mount traditionally welded on to a control arm. Using this I can make a bracket that will wrap around the mount and let it sit flat up against the bottom of the strut tube. The shock will still be way to down in the tube so ill have to raise even more by having a spacer machined up.
3. The springs/threads will basically be sitting on a ring im going to weld around the strut. To alow for max low it'll sit on the end link tab.
Over all Im predicting ill be able to lay frame and still have strut travel. Most importantly ill do it for under $300 **crosses fingers**
comments, concerns and questions all appreciated. LMK what you think
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- 2002 Mazda Protege ES
wow man, you really know your s***. Good luck with it!! I love seeing custom work on cars as well so I cant wait to see the project go underway.
719prottege
Member
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- 03 msp
i guess the real question, wich many people will probably ask, is... can you make me some? lol
civickilla03
Member
are you relocating the endlink tab? from what i understand your going to be cutting the 2" from the top of the strut tube, but the springs already sit lower than the top of the tube. i understand the shock will be shorter, but if your keeping the same spring and its still going to be above the endlink, i dont understand how you think it'll be able to go lower.
the reason i ask is because my springs are sitting on my endlink tabs. are you cuttin the tabs where the strut connects to the hub and moving it up? thats the only way i see this being able to lay frame.
the reason i ask is because my springs are sitting on my endlink tabs. are you cuttin the tabs where the strut connects to the hub and moving it up? thats the only way i see this being able to lay frame.
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- aggressive auto culture
Skunk springs are smaller. I'm not even on the stock purch weld. But your right. I still can't go super low. I do have awr adjustable endlinks. You thinks it's possible to relocate it lower it down near the hub mount.
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civickilla03
Member
hmmmmmm i dont know. im not sure if there has to be a specific geometry to the endlink, or if its just there to connect the strut and front...what, sway bar? but i cant see that causing any serious problems, other than handling wise. a lower endlink tab would mean a shorter endlink, shorter endlink= less play= more understeer. but other than that you should be able to. i cant wait to get those shorter springs, my height adjust-ability will be pretty crazy.
So with front camber, you know of anything else besides camberplates, bolts, or notching, that will let me get some camber control?
So with front camber, you know of anything else besides camberplates, bolts, or notching, that will let me get some camber control?
justanothermp5
Banned
- :
- Rust Bucket
you can really weld the endlink tab anywhere on the strut tube and run a short endlink
that would be ideal since you could weld the tab to where the sway bar is actually parallel to the ground, and not angled up like it prob is now
and like my brother said, if you take the part that bolts to the hub, cut that from the strut tube, and then move that up so that part of the tube is actually hanging out of the bottom, you wont have to mess with the endlink tab and you'll be able to lay frame pretty easy lol
that would be ideal since you could weld the tab to where the sway bar is actually parallel to the ground, and not angled up like it prob is now
and like my brother said, if you take the part that bolts to the hub, cut that from the strut tube, and then move that up so that part of the tube is actually hanging out of the bottom, you wont have to mess with the endlink tab and you'll be able to lay frame pretty easy lol
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- aggressive auto culture
Nothing comes to mind, but I'm sure someone can comment. Although Im pretty sure thats it.
bullshark524
Member
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- 2000 mazda protege es soon to be 2000 mazda protege klze
today my friend posted a link on my facebook of the article about you. so i gave him the link to here so he can see how awesome this build really is
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- aggressive auto culture
Lol! Link to this article? Nw-built?
