New Shocks Needed

I just purchased KYB AGX adjustable shocks from Flyin' Miata

for my '92 (107,500 miles). I reallyappreciate having the adjustability. I can adjust the stiffness so the shocksadequately control the springs while not giving too rough a ride. Also purchase the Flyin' Miata springs that lowered the car about an inch and a half.

Bought them as a package, so I don't remember exactly how much the shocks cost by themselves. (80-90 dollars each?)

Did the install myself, so I can't answer this.

G. Lee

does anyone know of any instructions with pictures? I'd hardly describe the instructions in that article 'novice friendly' - I've been wanting to do the replacements myself but reading that document has scared me into thinking about pep boys/mitas again...

thomas

thomas wrote

Gary has some good pix.

Ken Lyons '97 Brilliant Black/'90 Classic Red Inside the Beltway [Remove the first two digits to reply]

...although it's hard to measure the cost in barked knuckles and neighborhood parents annoyed at the words you'd be using while you're doing it. ;^) I put new shocks in my '91 several years ago, and it was a bit of work. I replaced it with Gabriels I bought at the Pep Boys, and when I got them home and out of the box, I found they were the exact same shocks that were on the car when I bought it. I could even see and read the manufacturers sticker, that Gabriel had painted over. They ran me $150 for a set of 4, if I recall correctly. They were fine. I'm no performance nut, but I do like the nice tight handling of the Miata, and those shocks did a decent job. It's not clear to me that, unless you do a lot of hard driving or autocross, you really need to spend $450 just for parts on new shocks. You also need a spring compressor, which you can rent for a weekend for $10 or so, or buy for $50.

Eric Lucas

Depends on how long you intend to keep the car. Cheap shocks will need to be replaced every 30k miles or so, while the expensive adjustables apparently last forever in street use, and can be stiffened a bit to compensate as they wear. Unless you do the work yourself and your time and blood are worth nothing, the cumulative installation savings shorten the payout period a fair bit.

Not to mention, Konis just work better, even at full soft in everyday driving. Anyone will notice the difference in control.

thanks - every bit helps...

thomas

FYI, when I bought my '93 (new), I'd never done any thing more than change the oil in my cars. I first changed my shocks in '97 at

40-something thousand miles. It took me two days, but that was due to reading and re-reading the instructions before each step. I've done the shocks twice since, in '98 to put the OEM springs back in and last year to install adjustable shocks.

Go for it. Just make sure you have a way to the auto parts/hardware store when you discover you need a tool (such as a socket large enough to fit on the spring compressor).

That answers my question, I was unaware that good shocks would last that much longer than the stock shocks. Thanks for educating me.

Eric Lucas