1990 needs new shocks...

Koni Sport, if you're planning to keep the car for a few more years and never want to do shocks again.

Probably anything but OEM would sum it up. Unless you don't mind replacing shocks every 40k or so then, go for it. If you're not into high performance / adjustability, I think KYB makes a pretty inexpensive set. Their AGX's are adjustable and have a very good reputation as being almost as good as the adjustable Koni's and substantially cheaper. There's other stuff out there of course. It's hard to go wrong with Bilstiens.

Let us know what you go with and how you like it, Chris

99BBB

I'm taking a hard look at the Flyin' Miata Stage 2.5 kit.

For $1,064, you get FM springs, Tokico Illumina shocks, FM antiroll bars, shock mounts (to increase suspension travel at the rear) and better bumpstops for the front.

Anyone done the whole kit? Or used the FM springs, or the Tokico shocks?

Well I have to disagree or at least add a note here as to the ease of this job (a snap?). I would be willing to bet that Gary 'assisted' or watched while somebody else did this operation. I'm not trying to be an ass Gary, maybe you're just a 'natural' but changing shocks on the Miata and that means using a spring compressor. That tool by itself makes this job very difficult to refer to as a snap! There are many potential issues / difficulties any time you've got to use one of these. I've done tons of work on my Miata's including changing shocks twice and personally, I'd rate shocks / springs as 'not for the faint of heart' and probably best done with an experienced assistant at least the first time. I just don't want the OP to assume it's as easy as unbolting the old shocks and bolting the new ones in (it is almost that easy on some vehicles).

Chris

99BBB

I have the KYB AGX eight way adjustable with the FM springs. The shocks are very nice and easy to adjust. Installation was snap. (Never had done the job before.)

IIRC, the Koni?s require modification to the mount.

Gary

Maybe now I see why you (Gary) referred to changing the shocks as a snap. You replaced springs and shocks and I'm assuming that they came mounted. In that case it could make sense but keep in mind the OP was talking about replacing shocks. By themselves they're actually a much bigger job.

Thanks, Chris

99BBB

Just went to the FM website and noticed the Stage 1 now comes with the Tokico Illumina shocks. It?s been a few years?..

Gary

Could you elaborate a little, or maybe provide a link?

-- Pinot

Miata.net garage has multiple links, see here:

Chris

99BBB

Thanks. I should have known.

-- Pinot

The first time I changed my shocks (and springs), I had never done anything more complicated on a car than replacing the plug wires. I used the write ups on miata.net and advice from Flyin' Miata. It took me most of the weekend but I was able to do it by myself. The hardest thing was figuring out exactly what to hit with the hammer to open the ball joint. I only had to run out for one thing, a socket big enough to fit the spring compressor I was using.

Jim

[...]

I replaced shocks in an NA using the split-the-ball-joint method documented on a couple different web sites. I've done a bit of auto stuff (I'd replaced shocks before and even torn down, rebuilt, and swapped an engine). It took me pretty much an entire weekend to do 4 shocks. I'd say it could be done by anybody who can use hand-tools and follow directions, but I woldn't call it a "snap". It's 10-20 hours of hard work, and there are a couple times when a second pair of hands is awfully helpful.

It's also not without opportunity for injury: having a car up on ramps and messing about with spring compressors both need to be done with care.

Next time I think I'm paying somebody else to do it. :)

The hardest part for me was not owning a big enough hammer. Working alone with only hand tools, it took four hours to do all four, half of which was spent cranking the stupid spring compressor. And that included drilling out four top mounts for Konis, multiple "hydration" breaks in

95? heat, and cleaning up a very messy undertray while it was off.

Fortunately, I didn't have to deal with any frozen fasteners, which can add days to the process.

Before you start, make sure you have a 14mm deepwell socket for the upper mount nuts, and spare cotter pins if you use the Bigger Hammer method. Note that you don't actually separate the balljoint, merely detach the balljoint assembly from the upright. And a 5-pound hammer will bust it loose in one or two strokes, while a carpenter hammer won't do squat. Tape the white upper mount gaskets to the fenders as you remove them, so they dangle into your way, or you'll almost certainly forget at least one of them later!

This is precisely the set-up that I had on my '93 but I had it well before they started packaging it as a kit. I also had a few of the Flyin Miata chassis braces and added the rear cross-bar that was standard on the '94+ models (mostly to hold in a JL Stealth Box)

The Illumina's are great with 1 being a little softer than stock, 2 being about stock, then dial it down to 'pool table with the wheels bolted on' if that is your pleasure. A little fiddling with the sway bars and alignments and it was dialed in right were I wanted it; mostly neutral but a slight drop of throttle would let the tail start to rotate and it was easily held with the throttle. I used this set-up for around 10 years including a few thousand miles of hard track use at Sebring Raceway.

Swapping the swaybars takes less time to do than simply pulling out the tools to do it. It's a breeze! I can't think of how many sets I have done. I did have a shop put the shocks/springs in as they had the tools for it that I didn't.

For my '96 I did nearly the same thing (no rear perches) and went with the KYB-AGX series instead of the Illumina's. I regretted it from the moment I drove away. The wet-sponge sounds while the shocks were cold drove me nuts and no matter th setting they never quite seemed to have a balanced rebound/compression setting. It seemed like they were set up for a heavier car with stiffer springs (softer compression but too much rebound).

Be aware of one factor if you choose to do this swap: If you do not plan to upgrade the brakes and power along the same time-lines you might find the car looses some of the 'fun factor' that it has with the stock suspension. Why? It turns and sticks so bloody well that you will forever be thinking that you are down on power. The attitude turns serious and the playful nature is gone. Tossing the tail out on an onramp is no longer a random act but something you have to think about as it will take a high speed or dramatic flick of the wheel to get it to do it. Even then it hooks right back up. It is a great set-up for autocross and track days, even for hard running on the winding back roads, but the car almost becomes too serious compared to why I bought it. For the record, I never changed away from the stock wheels that came on my '93 B-pkg, and stayed with either the stock 185 or a +1 to 195 tires depending on the season. I alway stayed same front to rear.

(You may not want to read this) Lastly, if you choose to dial that same suspension in and find yourself smiling as you rail at absolutely rediculous speeds through situations you just don't think should be possible, you may think you have reached the top of the handling food chain.. I knew it was up there, right up until I bought a Lotus Elise with the Lotus Sport Suspension package. After that, my beloved, braced, sorted suspension best friend that I had for 14 years felt, for all the world, like driving an Expedition with 4 flat tires... ;)

You had to go and do it, didn't you ;-) You smug bas_ _ rd you! I'm SO jealous!

Chris

99BBB

There might not be an easy way to say it, but if I had a clean sheet of paper (and a better hand at drawing) the Elise is about 90% of what I would have designed myself. I might have opted to something with a little more torque and a little different in the windshield to hoop relationship (for wind reasons) but short of a 2.4 liter V6 (ala Dino

246 GTS) it's about perfect.

For mid-$30's (don't buy it new, for heaven's sake, don't buy it new!) you get a car with insurance that is $20 per month more than what I was paying on my '93 Miata, low 30's for gas mileage, and a trunk that is pretty close in size to the Miata's. The fun factor for the Miata was great, in the 14 years I had my 2nd (of 3) I never had a day that I walked out and wasn't happy to own it. With the Elise, I see the same relationship over the next 14-15 years. Besides, the Lotus has a LOT more leg room and is actually significantly more comfortable, especially on long trips (TN to Fla happens often in this car). What's not to like? :)

The pic is atop Norris Dam just north of Knoxville (about 12 minutes from my house). :)

For heavens sake, tell the guys to take the Lincoln Town Car when you/they are going to whack someone! That's EXACTLY what that huge trunk is there for*!

*It'll hold two bodies easily or one mobility scooter w/o having to remove the seat.....