lowered my car: eibach/tokicos -- some afterthoughts

[eyezpinned]

i just finished lowering my car a few days ago: eibach springs (1.5f/1.2r), tokico struts. i'll post some pics later today. my afterthoughts:

the install:
surprisingly easy. there's a write-up on here that is an awesome reference point. basically a set of jack stands, a 17mm and i believe a 14mm and your good to go. i tackled it with a friend. we threw it on jack stands (back, then front). he did one side and i did the other. we had a small compressor and air tools, and we knocked the whole thing out in like 2.5 hours including doing the brakes. TRICKY PART: if you have rear drums, some of the brake line is metal. after installing the struts you may have to bend it a little to get the clips back in. otherwise it was simple.

the look:
the wheel gap is almost eliminated, but another half inch would have probably been perfect. i got the whole setup for $160 so i'm not complaining.

the feel:
the ride is great. more aggressive on bumps, but definitely still very tolerable.

alignment & camber:
an alignment is a must. had a bit of negative camber in the back, but the alignment corrected it. alignment i think really helped me appreciate the upgrade more. your car can probably use one anyway, so dont skip it. car drives a lot better after.

rubbing:
initially i was worried about rubbing because the gt3s i bought were wrapped in 195/60/15 tires. bottom line: on this setup they don't rub.

[RS_OBD'oh_2]

wtf? $160?????
The springs alone cost more than that.... and each strut.
Who do you know and why are you not sharing with everyone else?

[tehbrookzorz]

It's not just the camber that will be off. Your toe will be out badly until you get an alignment, and that'll scrub off tires faster than a little negative camber.

[hotsiit]

Great review, but also Awsome price! ....
...Waiting for pictures

[eyezpinned]

wtf? $160?????
The springs alone cost more than that.... and each strut.
Who do you know and why are you not sharing with everyone else?

they sprung up on ebay 2 or 3 weeks ago from a canadian auto parts recycler. the setup is used, so i was taking a risk, but after exchanging a few emails i was pretty confident they were in good shape. i was also given a warranty. they were off a 96 with 110,000 km so like 68,000 miles. im guessing the struts/springs have 1/4 of that because they look great just a little dirty. the thing was the ad was worded funny and didnt come up on most searches. i posted a few pics of my car and everyone was saying how it would look better lowered and they just popped up. i swear it was like divine intervention. god must have an mx3 in his garage.

[RS_OBD'oh_2]

wow.
You've got some pretty good luck. I'm using the same setup and I'm sure it cost me over 800 for everything.

[fowljesse]

Oh,oh oh... If your car doesn't have it, get the 22mm rear swaybar off of it. If your car DOES have it, get it for me, and I'll buy it from you!
Please?

[Flyer]

Oh,oh oh... If your car doesn't have it, get the 22mm rear swaybar off of it. If your car DOES have it, get it for me, and I'll buy it from you!
Please?

Wait, does the 1996 MX-3 have the 22mm swaybar?

[fowljesse]

Purdy sher they do.

[RS_OBD'oh_2]

hmm.. will have to check that out.

[fowljesse]

Also European ones.