Raptor said:
They are actually not racing beat springs, they are made by the MAZDA OEM. Only the prototype MP3 tuned by Racing beat had racing beat springs on. All the info on that in on the Racing Beat website. And they will lower the car by 3/4 of an inch. I got the Racing beat springs on my sedan ( bought from Racing beat when they ran a small production) and thats what they lowered my car. Now the car is sitting just right, this is where it should sit stock, instead of that lift kit we have !!
Hmmm, what actually makes them "Racing Beat" springs...Your springs aren't actually "Racing Beat" springs, because Racing Beat out sources their springs to a spring maker. I don't believe Racing Beat has the facilities to make their springs in house.
Semantics isn't worth arguing. The springs in the MP3, for all tense and purposes, are "Racing Beat" springs. The springs in the MP3 however are different from those that are sold by Racing Beat now. The difference isn't much, but the handling should be the same.
The MP3 springs aren't as stiff as the Racing Beat springs by the percentage rate given, however this doesn't mean that they aren't the same spring rates proportionately. The MP3 springs don't lower the car as much as the Racing Beat springs, hence the difference in the stiffeneing percentage.
In order to determine if the MP3 "Racing Beat" springs and the Racing Beat "Racing Beat" springs are the same is to put them on a spring dyno and determine the rate, then put them in the same car back to back to determine if there is any difference between the two.
Yes, Racing Beat has had no reason to do this. Yes, Mazda changed the ride hieght that Racing Beat sent over in the pre-production test car. Yes, Mazda used their OEM spring supplier to make the springs based on what Racing Beat sent them.
The springs in the MP3 are powder coated the Racing Beat red, and have the name on them. For that reason they are "Racing Beat" springs. If they aren't, then no one acutally owns "Racing Beat" springs, regardless of the name on them and the color.
Next you are going to tell me that the sturts in the MP3 aren't really made by Tokico.
As for the Mazdaspeed Protege, they changed the dampening and spring rate slightly. Enough of a change to make the car handle a little better and to get rid of a little more understeer that was present in the MP3.