How To Install MX5/Miata Coilovers - The Complete Guide
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- Опубликовано: 14 авг 2017
- No 15 minute challenges, no bikinis (sorry) and no skipping over the details. In this video I show you how to install a set of coilovers in to an NB MX5. The process is almost identical for NA, and a lot of the same principles apply to just about every car. The video also covers the features and benefits of MCA Suspension coilovers, and why I chose them for Project MX5.
As someone who had never done anything like this before, the whole process took me around 4-5 hours on my own, and would definately be faster the next time having learned a few lessons in the process which are all covered in the video. I'd say allowing an hour per corner is reasonable. Faster still if you have a helper.
The only difficult part was getting the top nuts on the rear struts whilst holding them in place. I managed on one side but ended up getting helper on the other side to speed things up a bit and reduce the risk of dropping my shiny new MCA X-R coilovers.
Equipment & Tools Required:
Jack (or Hoist)
4 x Jack Stands (or Hoist)
A flat and even surface to work on
Wheel nut adaptor to suit your wheel nuts
Gloves (Optional but your hands will get VERY dirty without them!)
Torque Wrench (up to 95NM)
Breaker Bar (or 17mm wheel brace)
Deep Socket Set - (12mm - 20mm)
Ratchet
Extension Bar to suit Ratched/Sockets
17mm Spanner
Hex keys or Hex Head set for Ratchet
Penetrating lubricant to assist with bolt removal (I used WD-40)
Spring Compressors (Optional but recommended if you're doing this on your own)
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Thank you so much for actually explaining and showing how to take the front struts out. Me and my buddies struggled for HOURS trying to get the fronts out and watched multiple videos but could not get it. And all you had to say was take out that huge as upper control arm bolt. Comes out so easy. THANK YOU SO MUCH
You’re welcome. Glad it helped. Unfortunately there’s a lot of rubbish videos out there for MX5. :(
I had the same issue. Seems to be a common thing people forget
@@boostedmedia I was able to get the upper bolt out no problem on the Driver side of my NA, but the passenger side the sway bar mounts were in the way. That side took forever to do. Your video was a great help though. I powered through the rear fast. Crow bars are my friend. Fun fact: I was removing coilovers to install stock suspension for Autocross. (Gives me a better PAX).
Lmaooooo me too
@@boostedmediahey mate I got an fg falcon just wondering how do I go about getting the right tightness on all the bolts should I get someone else to do them lol
Every time someone jacks a miata up on the sills I'm just sitting there with my 10 hours of welding PTSD
Thanks for including the torque Specs mate, its amazing how many other install videos skip them!
A tid bit for those who were wondering.... you don't need spring compressors at all. Just need to get a bit clever:
1) disconnect the swaybars at all 4 lower control arms
2) For the front, just mark the 17mm camber adjuster bolts, and then loosen and remove them, this will let the lower control arms drop free and the shock can easily drop out.
3) For the rear just undo the rear upper outer control arm 14mm bolt to give you the drop you need there.
yep. I didn't end up using them for the front. I could tell I only needed a few centimeters extra to pop them out, so decided against undoing more stuff than I needed to.
Tried today, worked very well and actually I found a small improvement to make it even easier: on the rear there is no need to disconnect the endlink of the swaybar from the lower control arm (stock ones are kinda a pain in the arse to deal), just disconnecting the whole swaybar (just 4 14mm bolts) from the frame gives enough movement
This is hands DOWN the BEST vid on RUclips when it comes to installing new struts or coil overs on a Miata. Thank you so much for including the torque values!! This info is priceless my friend. Sure made my job easier!! 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks mate. A lot of effort went into this one :)
@@boostedmedia Hey does it matter if the car is on the ground or not when all final tightening of the fasteners is performed?
Always love these types of vids. It inspires me to do something which then goes completely wrong.
Just pulled rear shocks waiting on fedex for new. Had to thank you again for the best video !!
Best video yet on suspension install, thanks!
Great video. Thank you for being thorough and thanking the time.
Nice. This is the next thing I need to tackle on my MSM. Keep it up!
Great guide, very helpfull. Length wise it was perfect, maybe apart from the "6 minute MCA sale talk" which I skipped through.
Thanks so much for this vid mate. Was my Bible when fitting coils myself. Really appreciated you giving the torque settings, just made the vid a one stop shop for the install.
Loved it
Glad it helped mate. This is still to this day one of the most tedious videos I’ve ever made but every other install guide I could find at the time was just clickbait trash.
Fantastic video...thanks!! Just finished installing Ohlins on my 2002 SP and your video was a great help. Everything was reasonably straighforward. Only differences for me were the need to remove some bolts to pull away the underbody shields and unbolt and re-attach the ABS wheel speed sensor from the front struts (fortunately, Ohlins come with a bracket for easy re-attachment). Also, the long bolt for the front upper arm slid out without running into anything, which was good.
All in all, great stuff and thanks again for the upload.
You bought ohlins suspension for your MX5 wow
I am about to do this to my NA, thank you so much for the step by step!! subscribed for more.
I appreciate this video. Another tutorial didnt remove the control arm and I absolutely had to.
Outstanding! Perfect level and detail and narrative, along with good camera work and clear instructions. I'm planning on changing my stock setup soon, so this has given me the confidence to do so. Thank you for taking the time!
great tutorial, love the 5 10s!
One thing you should consider doing is raising the suspension from the bottom of the hub (until the car slightly lifts off the jack stands) using the jack before you tighten the end links. Or leave them loose until you torque it on the ground.
Same goes for the long bolt on the front suspension, I wouldn't torque that one down again until the suspension is sitting under its own weight, or you run the risk of twisting the control arm bushes
Very very good thank you so much great video and explaining
Awesome video man, wasnt sure if i'd be able to to this on my own on my NB, but that made me confident and i'll give it a try, thanks a lot :)
Let us know how it goes!
How did it?!
Great vid. Thats how i want to get my nb8b sitting. That tyre and rim combo looks awesome. Cheers.
Did you get it?
Yes. RPF1 15 X 8 + 28 WITH 225 45 15 TYRE 👌
Hello! Thanks for uploading with so much detail. Where do you check what is the torque specs for the different bolts? Thanks!!
Is there a Gudelia for which nm to use for the rear range for torquing? Thanks!!
What’s the torque spec for the upper control arm (long) bolt?
By the way nice commitment to safety and pointing out the sway bar bolts blocking the pulling out the long bolt!
Thanks Mark. I tried to be as thorough as possible with the video.
I installed BC Racing BR Series in my 2004 model today. I did everything the way you did except in the front instead of taking out the upper control arm bolt I decided to take an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel and slice the OEM springs about midway. There was a slight pop and it took the pressure off and the unit came right out. Safety glasses, gloves, and sleeves required. I got the BCs installed and so far they are awesome. I can't wait to get the alignment done. Also on the rears I removed the 14mm Rear Upper Outer Control arm bolt like Beavis said because I had seen that in another RUclips Video.
Great video .. I'm interested in doing this with an NC. Is there a scenario where rolling the fenders would not have to be done?
Hey man, I haven't actually finished the video yet, just wanted to let you know the quality is great. Really in depth instructions that can be adapted to the installation on other cars. I have been considering coilovers for a while but I don't know if they will be worth the price. Maybe after you've had the chance to drive the car a little hard and also experience what they're like to drive from day to day then make an update video so we can see just how much improvement is made and what the pros/cons are of running them and if they're worth the ~$1,000. Thanks heaps for the entertaining and informative video!
+IllusiveGiraffe thanks mate. Absolutely will be doing a full review of them once they're settled and set up. Including track time.
If you go back to my earlier videos, I did same reviews of the MCA Reds I had in my BRZ.
Will be studying this video once again! Just purchased some BC Racing BR Coilovers for my Subaru :) Cheers for giving us the confidence to do work on our own cars by providing all the necessary details. Will let you know how I go :)
+IllusiveGiraffe thanks a lot. Good luck with the install.
Do you remember the bolt size for the strut tops in the rear?
So if you get coilovers with top hats you don’t need to spring compress cause you don’t need anything from the stock ones?
Excellent job thank you
Do you have a video on how to remove front upper swing arm, how do I remove ball joint so I can pull swing arm off. I have already taken shock off and loosened the long bolt holding swing arm in.
I like that you left in video of jacking and unscrewing, but sped it up. It was oddly satisfying
Haha! It’s something that’s left out of a lot of guides but important. No need to waste 5 my name of people’s time with it though.
Proper! Thanks mate
Whats your wheel size and offset? THX
from SIM racing and now watching because I got a NA8 track car and SM Billies to install today!!
Have fun! I hope the video helps :)
Hi man, I am about to install my new suspension this weekend, and im wondering if i have to replace any of those screws? Do you know a site that says which ones i should buy tho? I dont really know which I have to buy but the Miata is my daily so I dont want to let him stand 2 weeks in my garage tho. Would be highly aprecciated if you could help me with maybe a little list :)
Hi, Ive got a mazda mx5 nb and Im interested in these Coilovers, anyone have a link to the website so I can buy it somewhere? Thanksm
Are you not supposed to lower the car and torque everything at ride height?
An outstanding video, I've been watching this a few times before I started the works. Many thanks!
I am 3/4 through removing the old suspension. Loosening nuts and bolts that are baked together by 18years of dirt and rust is time consuming... Lots of swearing...and I wish I had a breaker bar or metal tube as an extension for spanners etc. Nevertheless, WD40 did the trick. Needed to call a friend to get the rear coilovers out (don't have a spring compressor) and my 13yo son wasn't heavy enough to create enough downward pressure.
Just two comments at this stage:
- The upper shock mount nuts are pretty soft metal and it's easy to round them off if you're not careful. In particular the left hand sided ones behind the petrol hose are difficult to reach and it would be almost impossible to get to them with an angle grinder to cut the bolts off.
- My 2002 NB (facelift, MK2.5 NB8B) has brake line brackets attached to the OEM front shock absorbers which have to be removed. My Voston suspension came with new brackets.
Wish me luck for tomorrow. Front right has to come out and then the new coilovers go in...
19:10 Upper Control arm pivot bolt goes back in but I don't think you mention the torque requirement for it. I understand it's 118-137Nm (87-101 ftLb) according to www.mellens.net/mazda/mazda_miata_extra_manual/1997_2000_front_suspension.pdf I couldn't find specs for the Mk2.5 but it would be in the same range I guess...
EDIT: www.mellens.net/mazda/mazda_miata_extra_manual/2002_2003_front_suspension.pdf Same torque specs as for the NBNA
If you ever have to do it again use the handle for your jack as a lever of sorts to pry the suspension downward using a frame rail, that's how I did mine
Very nice guide. May i ask how do you secure the front ABS line? Just zip tie? mca front shocks dont have mount for the ABS line like the stock shocks
Not sure. My car didn’t have Abs
What size wheels and tires do you run?
Is that a decent jacking point on these cars?
You didn't Torque the upper control arm what is it?
What is Your tire/wheel setup?
damn, this thing looks great
Haha. Looks a bit better since this video.
what type of wheels are those?
Hey mate. What offset are your wheels? From your uploads I understand that they are 7" and you are running 205/50 R15s tires. I'm curious as I want some 8" but would like them to fill the guard like your 7" do on my NB SE. I'm not sure if that's a +36 or +25 in the 8". Yes I understand that the offset between 7" and 8" needs to be different to get the same fitment. Many thanks! :)
Hi Michael, Sorry for the delay. Somehow I missed this comment. The wheels are +20 offset. To get similar from an 8 inch you'll want +36 offset.
I'm planning to install a set of coilovers on my 99 NB.
I don't want it slammed to the ground, probably half an in higher than yours, but my question is, will i need a camber adjusting kit?
Shouldn’t need to mate. I didn’t at this height.
Thanks!
Thank you! 👍
You’re welcome :)
Hey dude I'm only 13 but want a miata when I'm older I already had a rough idea of how to do this because I've helped my dad change the shocks on his Alteza hatchback but now I know exactly how to do this
Better get one soon the prices on an NA /NB are rising and by the time ur 18 these cars are gonna be more rare
Do I need a torque wrench and also do I realllly need a spring compressor?
Yes you’ll need to torque the bolts properly. If you have a friend who can help you should be able to get by without a spring compressor but it certainly helps.
Hey mate, really nice work on the video. Thanks for making it. Can I ask how you found it after installing? I've got an NB and want to get the purples just not sure if its worth it or if I should just go for the greens. How did you like them? Thanks
It depends entirely on what you intend to use the car for. These were a track setup so they were a little harsh on the street.
@@boostedmedia thanks mate
@@boostedmedia Hey mate, I recently purchased a second hand set of MCA X-R's that came with 11kg front/7kg rears which I'm about to install. I imagine these rates are too stiff for a car that will only see the road and not the track. With that said, my car is used only as a weekender for spirited hill runs and so my main priority is performance over comfort (65:35). MCA recommends 4 clicks from the hardest for the fronts and 7 for the rears. Just wondering from your experience what settings I should opt for? I'm thinking 7 clicks from the hardest and 9 for the rears for optimum performance in the hills and bearable comfort? Thanks!
It’s personal preference really. I’ve always been happy with MCAs recommended settings. Most important thing is to match the front and rear so you don’t get bucking.
can u adjust the coilovers and make the car lower ?
Yes
those are 15x7 +20 correct? do they clear all 4 brake calipers well? Im considering the same ones. Great video, Keep it up!
Correct and yes they were well clear of the stock brakes.
@@boostedmedia do they fit nicely on stock suspension?
what's the size of your tyres please ?
ruclips.net/video/GiddeffJAD4/видео.html
soooo have you reviewed them ?
Unfortunately not. I had to sell the car before I got an opportunity to. :(
Been watching Boosted Media for years for sim stuff. Bought an MX5 recently. Search RUclips for how to install coil overs MX5 and….. it’s Will again… is there anything he doesn’t do? 😂
It’s easier to just undo the lower control arms, trust me! You don’t have to undo the sway bar bolts to get the upper control arm to clear if you just undo the bottom control arm instead. Don’t even have to undo the sway bar link either, just undoing the lower control arm bolts lets it come right out.
Hey bud after doing my front struts today, I noticed that you forgot to tell us what the torque values are on the long upper control arm bolt. 😉
Did some research, for a 95 NA (assuming the values are close enough) the torque should be ~135Nm or ~100lbft
What do you torque your lug nuts to? Also, I'm jealous your coilovers came pre-assembled. I had to assemble mine and re-use parts of the old suspension. Feel free to watch my video too, if you're interested. It's in my "Project Bumblebee" playlist. Won't link it, because spam :P
HAHA I mentioned to you the other day on another video that your video helped me a lot with this! The front part anyway.
I torqued the wheel nuts to 90NM.
Boosted Autos really? I completely missed/forgot that. XD Which video did you mention that on?
Edit: Nevermind, found it! I had totally missed you replied to that one. Whoops!
Haha all good mate! I watched your video about 8 times. lol!
This might be a dumb question, but aren't you supposed to put the car back on the ground (somehow) before tightening everything up? I thought that was a thing, and it's the main reason I had a shop install my coilovers. If I'm wrong on this, I probably should have just done it myself :P
First I’ve heard of that for anything other than wheels. Not suggesting you’re wrong. Just never heard that. A lot of the bolts aren’t accessible once the wheels are on and car is on the ground.
@@boostedmedia Harder to access, for sure. Shops might use the alignment lift. I think some folks use ramps or hub stands... Flyin' Miata pretty assertively says you need to do it in their VMAXX instructions (which is why I decided not to take it on myself). Bilstein also has a “common mistakes” page where it’s the first item they list: www.bilstein.com/uk/en/blog/watch-avoid-installation-mistakes/
How much a difference it makes, I have no idea ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Well this car has been on the road now for 2 years and hasn't had a problem.
@@boostedmedia if it ain't broke, don't fix it 🙂
15:24 unless you have recently serviced your miata the bushings will not cooperate this easily. A spring compressor on the front is a must if the shocks have seen 50k miles in any winter weather.
This car had not been recently serviced in 2 years and had over 200,000kms on the shocks. But the Australian climate is different to elsewhere.
It would have to be more hospitable because salt in the US makes this job much more difficult
May I suggest never putting fingers or thumbs in between coilover spring turns when installing or removing them
See tecna coilovers are awesome to
I have the exact same alloys 😂
these bolts are so tight and i have no impact tools
Boosted Media you've got the same car as me and a lot same Sim racing Gear that's weird
FYI the torque value for the upper control arm long bolt is 118-137 Nm
I just put mine in. If yo are tossing your old junk. Take a zip wheel and cut the spring in 3 places. I changed both my fronts in 45 minutes. And I’m a 66 year old Granny. The rears are a piece of cheese cake. I put in Tein Flex.
I really wouldn’t recommend cutting the springs whilst they’re still under compression
00:25 so let's get cracking
Good video, but get some quality tools, get rid of the shifter and lube nuts and bolts on reassembly. Mechanic of 45 years.