Replacement dampers (preferably stock)

samoht

Active member
Location
Cambridge
At my last MoT it was mentioned that there seemed to be a slight leak from the nearside rear damper. However, Stu wasn't readily able to order replacement stock dampers for me. My car's a 96 Type RS, so has the 'Hard' factory dampers like the majority of FDs.

I'd ideally like to replace all four dampers with a set of new standard parts, either Hard, Bilstein or adjustable as was on some of the later cars.

I'm open to "upgraded" parts, but if anything I'd be looking for better ride and body control over bumpy roads, so probably not 'coilovers' with substantially higher spring rates. Anything high quality that works with my standard springs would be attractive.

I've looked around online, but struggling to find any options short of coilovers.
 
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If i was you I'd buy new Meister R's or HSD mono pros (or similar) coilovers around the £700 mark.

Finding a set of four, new, standard for less than double that price... I'd be surprised. unless they're really cheap knock offs.

or another option is to get lucky second hand
 
You can pick up a set of Bilstein B6s at around £110 per corner so around £450 total. Pretty sure you will have to sort your own dust boot covers, bump stops and top mounts if you want it to behave OEM so factor a few hundred on top. Tokicos also are the closest to OEM standard as far as aftermarket is concerned but only seem to be available new from the US.

As mentioned, second hand shocks can be brought but be careful when it comes to condition and mere pictures from auction websites can still be difficult to decipher whether it would work as well as described.
 
Decent coilover will ride nicer than stock on softest dampening. You can specific spring rates aswell when ordering from a decent manufacturer. Some hsd monopro with 10/8kg sprigs would be perfect.
 
From the best motoring videos showing the standard fd cornering i can't imagine any coilovers giving that much pitch and roll tbh. Having never had oem suspension i can't say how soft it felt but it sure looks very soft.
Meister, hsd or BC are all well priced but the standard 10-8 certainly doesn't roll like that. If you want to customise a soft spring 8-6 etc then meisters deal with all that in house and warranty everything. ( a real warranty!! I've used it )

Sounds like amamiya or japanese auction site could be an option for some used oem
 
Many thanks for all your ideas, I'm not really clear on my best way forwards so appreciate the thoughts.


My past experiences have somewhat put me off coilovers, and HSD coilovers in particular. (Sorry, long rambling post follows.)

When I was living in Japan I bought an S13 Silvia, which looked great lowered on 16" SSRs by some bright-orange coilovers. But the ride was appallingly bouncy, really useless on anything other than a dead smooth road, banging-head-on-roof bad. I chucked them for some low-mileage stock suspension. The car looked worse but drove much better, especially as the garage set the geometry up really nicely.

Having been parted with my lovely Silvia abruptly on returning to the UK, I imported a 180SX, bone stock. I bought Driftworks HSD coilovers, with softer 6/4 springs, plus new adjustable arms, and took it to Wheels in Motion to set up & align. The car just never settled on the road, it was always fidgeting and lost traction really easily. I then got some KYB AGX (?) dampers with lowering springs and it was a lot better, a reasonable compromise but not great.

Ultimately over five different S13 suspension setups, I felt I'd not really found anything that made the car flow over a good B-road as well as, say, a Peugeot 306. In fact part of the reason for buying an FD was this, I was disillusioned with trying to make an S13 handle & ride properly by buying and then discarding expensive aftermarket parts, I thought I'd buy a car with good handling out of the box.

So, that's a longwinded way of saying that I'm not that keen on buying HSD or similar £700 coilovers; albeit I know that it's a way of getting a matched set of brand new springs and dampers all round.


If these two threads are to be believed, stock FD springs are 4.8 kg/mm front and 3.6 kg/mm rear, approx 25% stiffer front springs give an equal wheel rate front to rear, as the motion ratio differs.

So 8/6 is quite a step up in spring rate, although many people say that great damping takes the sting out of heavier-rate springs.

For sure the stock FD rolls noticeably in corners, my understanding is that with the low cg and double-wishbone camber gain, the roll shouldn't affect cornering speeds that much, and that Mazda deliberately design the suspension this way, similar to the MX-5s.


Does anyone have first-hand experience of Bilstein B6, KYB Excel-G or the Tokicos ? These are looking like my best bets to stay with the stock springs, I think.

I've even considered splashing out on something expensive like Ohlins - but expensive options seem to come with even stiffer springs (11 kg/mm both ends), so seem unlikely to deliver a smooth, flowing ride on uneven B-roads.
 
I have the KYB shocks with slightly harder springs than standard on the rear. Its bouncy, tractions not great and I only bought them as a temporary solution. Remember koni also do a decent set up which is what im going for when I can raise the funds.
 
Just to close the loop on this, Mazda Japan do still have standard shocks, and Stu was able to get me a set for a bit over £700. I'm very happy with how they have restored my car's ride - the supple, but never floaty way it goes down a tricky road.
 
That's just the four dampers, my springs are fine I think.

If I was going to aftermarket suspension I'd want a matched set of springs and stocks, but for OEM like for like replacement it's fine, and I don't think springs really wear out normally AFAIK.

If you needed replacement springs I would imagine they'd not be that hard to get nor that expensive, although I've not tried.
 
How have your oem shocks and original springs fared after a few years? I'm toying with hsd v meister R v bilstein
That's just the four dampers, my springs are fine I think.

If I was going to aftermarket suspension I'd want a matched set of springs and stocks, but for OEM like for like replacement it's fine, and I don't think springs really wear out normally AFAIK.

If you needed replacement springs I would imagine they'd not be that hard to get nor that expensive, although I've not tried.
 
That's just the four dampers, my springs are fine I think.

If I was going to aftermarket suspension I'd want a matched set of springs and stocks, but for OEM like for like replacement it's fine, and I don't think springs really wear out normally AFAIK.

If you needed replacement springs I would imagine they'd not be that hard to get nor that expensive, although I've not tried.
I was considering the same, i have a 99RS with OEN Bilstiens which i 'cleaned up' and had to add some universal boots to. I also managed to get some old stock mazdaspeed lowering springs. I was going to look at the Ohlins as Bilstien can't refurbish or and don't stock now. So just to confirm was it the Bilstien's you got from Stu?
 
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