mx5cartalk.com

Im trying at the moment to rejuvenate my se, she's just hit 200k kms so im trying to make her feel a little newer.

Suspension is next on my list. I keep reading about people who are complaining about there suspension even though there only at around the 130k mark. This made me bump it up to the top my list. Im currently looking at bc's range of coilovers, these in particular.
http://www.bc-racing.com.au/bc-racing-c ... 04-rs.html

http://www.bc-racing.com.au/bc-racing-c ... 04-ra.html

Im having a hard time trying to tell the diference between the rs and the ra series. Does any ine have any experience with bc range of coilovers?

The ra uses rubber top mounts.

What are you looking to achieve with the rejuvenation?

Have you looked at MCA blues as an option?


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Just because other people are doing it does not mean you should. More than likely if it is OEM it could be tired, however how have you tested them.

MCA have a great reputation and feedback from members on the forum who are using them is all positive, so worth considering.

I've been curious about the differences too.

sailaholic wrote:The ra uses rubber top mounts.

What are you looking to achieve with the rejuvenation?

Have you looked at MCA blues as an option?


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What is the practical difference between having and not having rubber top mounts?

MCAs are on my short list as well as the BCs, I've heard much more about the BCs though. The bits and peices of heard about MCAs have been a bit mixed, I've heard various reports of rattling, and most reviews I've heard have only been initial impressions after install. Can any one running them provide a follow up review on how they've been travelling?

The difference is spherical bearing mounts vs rubber bush.

Thanks Magpie, I don't understand what that means though :S What difference is made to ride? Presumably rubber is softer, absorbs better... ?

Essentially yes the rubber bush gives a smoother ride and supposedly less noise.

Pillow balls give more feedback and are stiffer

Think engine mounts, stiffer race type engine mounts transmit more noise/vibration but hold the motor more still and get all the power to the ground. Softer mounts are for the benefit of the driver.

Ah, I get it now. Thanks very much for that!

Have been looking at bc's because there in my price range and alot of people seem happy with them. I am open to suggestions.

My mx is getting retired from daily duties end of the year/begining of next. I love going up through the hills so im trying to make it drive and handle better. I dont get up to any thing too crazy how ever I am looking at joining the mx club of wa next year and want to try get out to a few events here and there.

I met a bloke recently who really knows his mx5's and said he would setup the alignment and make it handle better for me. Apparently coilovers will give more adjustability so an p the reason im looking to upgrade.

Pillow balls are more important on strut type cars as the flex in rubber allows wheel alignment to change under load.

Mx5s don't have that type of suspension so it's benefit is greatly reduced.


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P.s
I've had my MCAs (reds) in for a while now. They are brilliant, no noise, very comfortable and I dropped a couple of seconds at the track.


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[/quote] Can any one running them provide a follow up review on how they've been travelling?[/quote]

Hi there mate, Im running MCA Blues and have been running them for about 5-6 months now. They do handle well, but I wouldnt call them a high performance shock. I find the damping control is not quite adequate enough to control the bouncing effect you can get from hitting bumps in the road at speed, even at nearly full damping adjustment i still get this and it annoys me, but i have high expectations. With this said they do provide a very comfortable yet sporty ride but it just depends on what you want to get out of them. You might also be ok with the MCA reds as they do have more of a track orientated valving setup which would offer better damping control which is what the blues need. In saying that my car does perform very well for how its setup but i do have to have the adjusters on almost full hard just to get the shocks to dampen the spring action enough to what i would consider an acceptable level.

Personally if I had another crack at getting my suspension again I'd be looking into well known brands like Koni or Tein, bilstien or ohlins. I haven't heard bad feedback on the HSD's and the MCA Reds could be decent as well

Sorry to hear that about the blues rocket.

I've back to backed the reds against ohlins and found them on par as did the owner of the ohlins. The reds are significantly cheaper and had a better range of travel.

They were also far better then the koni and eibach setup I had before them.

Having said all this, reds aren't at the same price bracket as the BCs mentioned. I went the extra purely (despite people suggesting the "track" version was overkill) just because I too am picky and have experienced a few disappointing rides.


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sailaholic wrote:
Having said all this, reds aren't at the same price bracket as the BCs mentioned. I went the extra purely (despite people suggesting the "track" version was overkill) just because I too am picky and have experienced a few disappointing rides.

This is really the best advise right here. If you have the option of waiting and saving a little longer you could put your car into a far better category by spending that little extra and save the disappointment you may get with cheaper sets. It really does come down to what you know and what you expect out of the car.

There is nothing really wrong with the BC's, Pedders have their shocks built in the same factory. Both BC and Pedders are made generically to suit most uses and are more biased towards driver comfort. The MCA can be customised to your specific needs. However you can request custom valving from the BC's but you are not guaranteed that the shock curves match where with the MCA's you are.

What is your intended use?