zx2 vs sr

[Sleeper6]

Alright Ive looked around I see alot of ppl running zx2 struts but are the sr's usable as well? I know theyre a different ride hight but Im pretty sure the rest is the same. But otherwise whats the best package to run in your opinion, Ive got the time to save but I cant decide between a coil over set-up or to run some zx2 with enkeis. Yet me know what you think, thanks! Btw I plan on keeping it on 15s, 16 rotas at the most but mainly a stock appearance.

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92 GS Beige
93 GS red (r.i.p.)

[solo_ryder]

Alright Ive looked around I see alot of ppl running zx2 struts but are the sr's usable as well? I know theyre a different ride hight but Im pretty sure the rest is the same. But otherwise whats the best package to run in your opinion, Ive got the time to save but I cant decide between a coil over set-up or to run some zx2 with enkeis. Yet me know what you think, thanks! Btw I plan on keeping it on 15s, 16 rotas at the most but mainly a stock appearance.

When people here refer to zx2 struts they are referring actually to the ZX2 SR struts. You can get em at the ford dealer.. The ZX2 ones are the same, but the SR are supposed to have better valving for lowering springs...

As for the ideal setup.. Just run zx2 and a good lowering spring like the zx2 eibach or some h and r's... If you wanna go low and play with your settings and have a stiff ride then get ksports.

[Sleeper6]

Alright thanks for the info. I was wondering what to use, my main concern is too eliminate any of the body roll while keeping about a stock ride hight. Any prefrence on H&Rs vs the Eibachs?

[solo_ryder]

Alright thanks for the info. I was wondering what to use, my main concern is too eliminate any of the body roll while keeping about a stock ride hight. Any prefrence on H&Rs vs the Eibachs?

H&R should be stiffer then the eibachs..

To eliminate body roll you can also get front and rear strut bars and the biggest thing you can do is get a Whiteline rear sway bar!

Or just go full coilver haha. But that is abit more cash and ur ride quality will go downhill

[Sleeper6]

Alright thanks for the info. I was wondering what to use, my main concern is too eliminate any of the body roll while keeping about a stock ride hight. Any prefrence on H&Rs vs the Eibachs?

H&R should be stiffer then the eibachs..

To eliminate body roll you can also get front and rear strut bars and the biggest thing you can do is get a Whiteline rear sway bar!

Or just go full coilver haha. But that is abit more cash and ur ride quality will go downhill

Already have the strut braces and a rear sway on mine as its a gs, but whats the whiteline sway bars run? Ive never heard of that one. Also I dont know if any of you guys have looked into it but awhile ago I saw someone who raced a dsm (eclipse fwd) and he had a full frame fabricated for his that bolted into the engine cradle to the back suspension and was wondering if you guys have ever seen anything of the sort on an mx3 the dsm guy said it was good for an extra second or two on the track

[solo_ryder]

Alright thanks for the info. I was wondering what to use, my main concern is too eliminate any of the body roll while keeping about a stock ride hight. Any prefrence on H&Rs vs the Eibachs?

H&R should be stiffer then the eibachs..

To eliminate body roll you can also get front and rear strut bars and the biggest thing you can do is get a Whiteline rear sway bar!

Or just go full coilver haha. But that is abit more cash and ur ride quality will go downhill

Already have the strut braces and a rear sway on mine as its a gs, but whats the whiteline sway bars run? Ive never heard of that one. Also I dont know if any of you guys have looked into it but awhile ago I saw someone who raced a dsm (eclipse fwd) and he had a full frame fabricated for his that bolted into the engine cradle to the back suspension and was wondering if you guys have ever seen anything of the sort on an mx3 the dsm guy said it was good for an extra second or two on the track

Never heard of it

But if you are sooo concerned about handling then get coilovers lol, but your ride goes to s--- unless you are ready to spend alot on some custom or hard to find ones. Sounds to me like you want what you THINK is good handling (maybe based on what others say or what you build up in your mind) but you are not sure how well a MX3 handles even in stock form. If you want the best handling FWD mx then you are gonna need more then just ZX2 SR's and a lowering spring. If you want a good, stable mx for the street.. then for 200 bucks a whiteline sway bar will help alot with keeping the rear end of the car flat (which I think is what causes most of the body roll). Your GS rear swaybar is no different then the RS rear sway, you are thinking of tie bars which do nothing. Tires will also help, running a sticky tire like a Falken Azenis will help handling too.

Bodyroll isnt all bad, TO much is not good but some body roll is ok and is optimal for the best handling.

[Sleeper6]

Lol, Im pretty sure how they handle in stock form as this is my second. But mainly what I was looking for is advice on best shock/spring set up that will stiffen up my ride enough to eliminate the forward roll when I brake and keep it stable in the bends at stock ride hight as I see plenty of back road time, and theyre not always paved (ie big ruts) Everyone with coilovers that Ive seen has it lowered about 3 in to get any handling benifit.

Im kinda the only mx3 head in my area so I dont have anyone to compare it too so I figured Ild ask before dropping a serious amount of money on a suspension setup that wont work. I do appreciate the whiteline advice however I only saw a front listed on their site, got any links for a rear?

[solo_ryder]

Lol, Im pretty sure how they handle in stock form as this is my second. But mainly what I was looking for is advice on best shock/spring set up that will stiffen up my ride enough to eliminate the forward roll when I brake and keep it stable in the bends at stock ride hight as I see plenty of back road time, and theyre not always paved (ie big ruts) Everyone with coilovers that Ive seen has it lowered about 3 in to get any handling benifit.

Im kinda the only mx3 head in my area so I dont have anyone to compare it too so I figured Ild ask before dropping a serious amount of money on a suspension setup that wont work. I do appreciate the whiteline advice however I only saw a front listed on their site, got any links for a rear?

A car lowered that low is not always a good thing. My car is to fricken low, but since I am used to the ride height now I can't really go higher as it will be weird. If you want a good setup then do what I have now.. Ground Control coilover sleeves and ZX2 SR struts... I won't have this setup for much longer as I am installing Koni reds but it was and still is a decent setup for me that killed body roll alot.

If you are serious about handling and want to get rid of body roll for whatever reason get some ksports.

Here is a link for the whiteline and other goodies:

http://neverenoughauto.com/index.php?di ... y_id=56688

[Sleeper6]

Thanks for the link, Im putting that on the list of must haves with the front one

[solo_ryder]

Thanks for the link, Im putting that on the list of must haves with the front one

I dont think the front as needed, the rear is more important. A good front suspension will take care of the front.

[Sleeper6]

Never heard of it

But if you are sooo concerned about handling then get coilovers lol, but your ride goes to s--- unless you are ready to spend alot on some custom or hard to find ones. Sounds to me like you want what you THINK is good handling (maybe based on what others say or what you build up in your mind) but you are not sure how well a MX3 handles even in stock form. If you want the best handling FWD mx then you are gonna need more then just ZX2 SR's and a lowering spring. If you want a good, stable mx for the street.. then for 200 bucks a whiteline sway bar will help alot with keeping the rear end of the car flat (which I think is what causes most of the body roll). Your GS rear swaybar is no different then the RS rear sway, you are thinking of tie bars which do nothing. Tires will also help, running a sticky tire like a Falken Azenis will help handling too.

Bodyroll isnt all bad, TO much is not good but some body roll is ok and is optimal for the best handling.

By the way, the gs has a true sway bar unlike the four cylinder models... See the lower rear sway bar, under the tie bar... But Ill still go for the beefier whiteline one if its actually thicker

[fowljesse]

I love my setup. It's H&R springs with Gabriel struts, Whiteline rear swaybar with Wytbishop's solid endlinks, and SRD reproduction front crossmember/ rear tiebar. Not to mention the strutbars, and Polyeurethane bushings. There is almost no body roll, and is comfortable as a daily driver. Also, with Nylatron A arm bushings, there is no wheelhop.
I believe this is the best street/ track setup without getting expensive coilovers.

[solo_ryder]

The whiteline is 22mm, same as the oem bar thickness. However, apparently the oem bar is hollow whereas the whiteline is solid.

I am pretty sure the 4cyl has a rear seay bar, its still a EC chassis. 4cyl has no tie bar and a drum brake setup

[MapaX5]

i second the polyurethaine bushings. it doesn't help to have the best of the suspension setup, if all your bushings (where the suspension actually connects to the chasis) are worn out. that alone could be part of your body roll.
i own a miata and then i ride him, then jump into the mx, i feel like go-kart vs. truck. lol
i got kyb shocks and replaced most of the bushings. it made a total difference in the handling. feels tighter and more nimble. wants to turn when i tell it to.
i also have to deal with unpaved roads, as i live in redneck territorry, so i have to keep her stock height.

[onlytrueromeo]

Depending the rear, the rear sway bar is either 19" or 22" i belive, and you are correct in that the whiteline is solid vs hollow. It is considerable heavier/stiffer, and made a noticeable change in my car.

I had zx2's/GC's at 300#F and 200#R and I can attest to how stiff the ride is. I did not mind it during the summer, but in the winter things feel worse, maybe it was just the presence of more pot holes, but I think the struts actually became stiffer. I switched to B&G's and they sat too low in the back, and I did not like it. I have H&R's now, and they are stiff, but not quite as stiff as the GC's (tho honestly it feels rather close).

H&R's ride better though since you can use your stock bumpstop and don't need to modify anything, plus they are cheaper than ground controls.

Do not upgrade the front swaybar.

New bushings are also a must if you are serious about the ride quality/handling of the car.