The Slammed Life

He shouldn't need the link kit he could most likly get away with using the stock slotted camber with the coils and if I was u I would have gone with a 205 stretch the 215 looks to meety on the small of a with wheel but that's just me
 
Having my BC coilovers installed on my 05 mazda 3 hatch in two days, Sitting on after market 17's. I want it to sit pretty low but not too low, so how should I have the coilovers adjusted? I'd like about about maybe 1.5" space between top of wheel and bottom of fender. Also I am big into car audio so i usually have a system that ways about 180-280 pounds. So that has to be accounted for in the rear.

I'm worried about once their installed and the rear sitting low with all the extra weight getting tire rub on bumps and normal driving. So do i just have the real coils really stiff or will i still get bad tire rub from normal driving.

Or do i do a SLIGHT positive camber, for front and rear; or roll the lip in the fenders or both?

Any help/advice greatly appreciated!!!
 
Uhmm Mazda 3's idk about Thoughs so much I would ask Chris the guy with the fender flared Mazda 3 he would now more then I would
 
rlambert02 said:
Having my BC coilovers installed on my 05 mazda 3 hatch in two days, Sitting on after market 17's. I want it to sit pretty low but not too low, so how should I have the coilovers adjusted? I'd like about about maybe 1.5" space between top of wheel and bottom of fender. Also I am big into car audio so i usually have a system that ways about 180-280 pounds. So that has to be accounted for in the rear.

I'm worried about once their installed and the rear sitting low with all the extra weight getting tire rub on bumps and normal driving. So do i just have the real coils really stiff or will i still get bad tire rub from normal driving.

Or do i do a SLIGHT positive camber, for front and rear; or roll the lip in the fenders or both?

Any help/advice greatly appreciated!!!
Click to expand...

Hi. I'm Chris. :)

If they are just the regular BC coilovers and not the extreme drop package (you'd know if you bought it) I would suggest starting out with the front struts turned as short as they will go, all of the adjustment perches and collars installed but turned all the way down. That will show you the maximum drop (Should be around 2.75" lower from stock so your fender arch will be around 24 1/4" inches from the ground) with them still installed and it will also allow you to easily adjust the car to sit higher if it's too low.

I would install the rear struts at maybe 20 clicks toward stiff. They can be too stiff for people used to a stock car and you can always tighten them more later. Maybe even full stiff but that's only if you like a very firm ride. It might help to keep the system from bouncing the car around over highway dips. Make sure you adjust them first though because you can't do it with them installed due to the way the car is designed. DO NOT mess with the length of the rear struts. They're fine as they come for any height setting. For the fronts I'd do the same 20 clicks to start out. The fronts are extremely easy to adjust the struts so it can be messed around with as often as you want until you get a ride you like.

To answer your rubbing question, you should be fine on bumps and such but it would help to know what your wheel specs are (width, offset, and tire size) to tell you for sure. To give you an idea my brother's 3 is an inch lower than the settings I just described on 17x7 +38 with 215/45/17 tires on them. We rolled his front fenders flat but his rears are fine.

To free up more space you'd want NEGATIVE camber to pull the wheel inside the wheel well more and stop rubbing. With the drop you'll pick up some negative camber (natural camber from the drop, nothing you adjust) which will help a bit as well.


ALSO for those of you who know my car. I am more or less functional height for winter. I have maybe 1 finger tire gap all around the car and I took out the front camber. The rear will follow and then an alignment will happen. She's not as low and sexy but the functional look really works with the flares. I'm currently at 17x8.5 +10 (25mm spacers all around) with 225/45/17 tires and they're still somewhat sunk.
 
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^true on the natural camber, but still get an Alignment or you will end up like me with destroyed tires after 3k...
 
Definitely not recommending to drop a car without an alignment. That was an unspoken assumption on my part.
 
Well thanks for all the info man im really new to higher up performance mods especially suspension, also my tires are the same as the size u stated, but dont remember if its 7 or 7.5. But I wil try to relate that to the shop im taking it to, to have the work done and hopefully they get it all done pretty good.
 
If they have never worked with coilover don't let them touch it man. I would say do it ur self cause just reading what he wrote u. is really good info.
 
Installing coilovers is pretty straighforward but if you don't have the time or tools it's easier to let someone else do it. You can adjust all the setting I mentioned before they even go on the car so the shop doesn't have to mess with it. If it's too low with those settings it's easy to raise up in your own driveway.
 
Yeah there is a pretty large Mazda community out in AZ that probably would help you out (just provide beer/pizza)
I installed mine with a buddy of mine and honestly its pretty friggen easy.
 
This shop specializes in suspensions and they told me they've done plenty of coilover installs, so I am hoping thats true, and i would try to do it myself but i'm missing a few key tools needed, and I have a broken hand :/ but thanks for the all info guys, it's nice to finally get some feedback on some stuff haha. I'll post some pics and updates. Taking the car to the shop in 2 hours! cant wait!
 
Yo guys I need some incite about spring pre-load. I'v read lots off different theories ranging from keeping close within the boundaries of what the factory recommends all the way to jacking it up to the top of the threads to tighten things up. Anyone pushing stance willing to share what there spring preloads are like?
 
2011 Mazda 2

15x7 +36 with 205/50/15 Falken Azenis
Max camber, 0 toe on front.. nothing in the rear (no adjustment possible.. in stock form)
Ksport Kontrol Coilovers, lowered approximately 4-5"
All lock rings in at the front (soon to be changed.. taking out some rings)
No rear lock rings/spring perches in the rear.. just running Ksport Coilover springs, and shocks in the rear.
Front subframe is 2 7/8" from the ground (will get a pic to verify after school)


s***, just realized my school blocks all photo sites, so all I can do for the next couple hours before I get home is share the link to pics of my car: http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123759908-Post-Pics-of-your-Mazda2-Demio/page9
 
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Well most stance guys have really high preload so they don't rub in the fenders as much as with out preload. people use preload to get the right stiffness out of their coilovers. there is a happy Medium of preload to help u handle better. Most of the time for track use its not goods to have a lot of preload cause u will be bouncing everywhere and not handle very well at all.
 
Oh yeah I know, just to even get low in the rear I had to take everything out.. Actually thinking/visualizing my setup in the front, I can probably get away with keeping in my lock rings, I'm just gonna use a different technique (well same one I used to get that low in the front) to get it lower. Preload on the front has been adjusted already.

And about track setup, if there's one thing I know from my racing experience, is how to setup a suspension. In my eyes, you adjust preload to track conditions, surface, and valving of shocks/weight of the car. Btw, not making a personal attack or anything, just so you know. Just sharing my opinion.

Edited my post with wheel setup. So how does one get on the list? Who do I need to get, or who needs to look at pics of my car? Actually, I'll be adjusting my suspension tonight to get more low, so I'll save my updated, and all necessary pics for then :)
 
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