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Spacer springs?

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#1
BlueJay73

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I just installed the Spec Miata suspension kit from MazdaSpeed with the FatCat bushings.

A very experienced racer friend of mine noted that when my car is up in the air on the lift, wheels unloaded, there is a large space (about 5 inches) between the top of the coil spring and the shock hat. He said normally people install a spacer spring to occupy that gap. The spacer spring provides no spring pressure of its own (like a helper spring would), it just occupies the space between the top of the coil and the hat, so that when the car is being tracked and you catch some air bouncing off a curb, the main coil spring cannot get loose and jam up in the hat or spring isolater under the hat. Anybody understand what I've tried to explain, and do you guys run spacer springs?

Thanks,

Jim

 

Sorry, I stated the gap wrong. It's more like a 2 inch gap, maybe as much as 3, but not 5 inches. My bad.



#2
Alberto

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I understand.  I haven't seen anyone run a helper spring.  Theoretically interesting but it's not in the rules.  

 

If you catch that much air that you unseat the spring, I suspect you may have other problems to worry about...

 

Also, did you tighten and torque the control arms with the car's weight on the suspension?  If you did, I'd be surprised that the suspension would droop enough that you'd see that much space between the spring and upper shock mount.


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#3
RazerX

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As Albert said, we don't run any spacers or helpers.  And in most normal cases your suspension travels is very little. 


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#4
BlueJay73

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Thanks for the info. Appreciate it. I had never seen, or read, or heard anything like that, but he was pretty sure. He races 944's and such, and said that they use them.

 

Jim



#5
James York

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Thanks for the info. Appreciate it. I had never seen, or read, or heard anything like that, but he was pretty sure. He races 944's and such, and said that they use them.

 

Jim

It is possible they use them in spec 944, but they are not legal to use in SM.


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