Dropped my minivan on Megan Racing Coilovers

[Tuanies]

So my Mazda 5 is a project car for Tom's Hardware, where I am the automotive editor. For those that haven't seen anything about my car, here are recaps of stories about it at Tom's -

Part 1 - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mazda5-technology-project,3795.html
Part 2 - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/mazda5-technology-upgrade,3966.html

Part 3 is still a work in progress with more updates on the stereo, engine tuning (Mat / OVtuned is handling that), and the suspension parts, but I figured I should post up about the suspension separately.

Although my project is primarily focused on tech upgrades, I'm an enthusiast that loves driving. The stock Mazda 5 suspension is adequate but I always want better handling and a little drop for looks.

Megan Racing does not have an official application for the 2011+ Mazda 5. This is a prototype Street series setup they supplied me with for measurements and testing. I worked with Drift Office in Auburn, WA to procure the sponsorship and get it installed. If you have a GT86, Subaru, AE86, Skyline, pretty much anything cool and JDM, Bob "De janitor" Roberts and the crew at Drift Office are solid guys. Bob was also a former tech geek as well (PC Arena, CNET Asia, Flight sim communities, etc...). The coilovers were provided to me at no charge, as long as I take lots of detailed pictures, measurements and provide feedback.

This is also my first set of coilovers, oddly I never did any suspension upgrades to my previous cars (BMW 528i Touring / Sport package, Miata, HHR SS 5MT). However, I've also driven a large variety of cars from hot hatches to uber luxury land yachts.

So lets get started with the beauty shots of the coilovers.

P1120172 by tuanies, on Flickr

They're so pretty
P1120170 by tuanies, on Flickr

P1120166 by tuanies, on Flickr

Yes it comes with camber plates, but I have no plans to stance it so its left at the default settings.
P1120162 by tuanies, on Flickr

Some shots of the rear struts and springs
P1120167 by tuanies, on Flickr

P1120169 by tuanies, on Flickr

P1120176 by tuanies, on Flickr

A before shot of the car
P1120154 by tuanies, on Flickr

Let's start with the front. Check out how much travel there is with the stock setup.
P1120179 by tuanies, on Flickr

Wheels are off
P1120184 by tuanies, on Flickr

 

[Tuanies]

Close up of the stock strut
P1120187 by tuanies, on Flickr

This is only applicable to manual Mazda 5's. The clutch fluid reservoir has to be removed to get access to the strut tower. I'm not sure if automatic models have anything there or not.
P1120189 by tuanies, on Flickr

It's out! If you want access to the camber plates after installation, you'll have to enlarge the center hole of the strut tower. I opted not to do this since I have no plans of adjusting camber at all.
P1120194 by tuanies, on Flickr

Stock strut versus the new coilover.
P1120192 by tuanies, on Flickr

P1120193 by tuanies, on Flickr

Let's get the coilover in place.
P1120197 by tuanies, on Flickr

The factory brake line and ABS sensor brackets attach perfectly like stock.
P1120200 by tuanies, on Flickr

For some reason I forgot to take a shot of the coilover installed without the wheel, but here's a shot with the wheel on. The new setup doesn't have as much travel up front.
P1120219 by tuanies, on Flickr

The damper adjustment knob is easily accessible on the passenger side. The driver side is slightly annoying due to the clutch fluid reservoir but its not that big of a deal.
P1120198 by tuanies, on Flickr

Now let's move to the back! Here's the stock setup.
P1120205 by tuanies, on Flickr

 

[Tuanies]

Mazda makes things very easy in the back. There's just two bolts holding the strut in place up top. No need to take apart interior trim or anything.
P1120188 by tuanies, on Flickr

Stock spring versus new one.
P1120207 by tuanies, on Flickr

Rear struts
P1120211 by tuanies, on Flickr

Stock versus coilover
P1120210 by tuanies, on Flickr
Strut installed
P1120218 by tuanies, on Flickr

New perch in place. We left the default settings but will have to go back and adjust it to get the rear a little lower.
P1120214 by tuanies, on Flickr

Spring in place.
P1120217 by tuanies, on Flickr

The nice thing about the 5 is there are cup holders where the rear struts mount up to. All I need to do to adjust stiffness is to pop the third row cup holder off and turn the knob.
DSC01481 by tuanies, on Flickr

Much less travel now.
P1120220 by tuanies, on Flickr

We bottomed out the front and rear struts on the car to get the car at that ride height. The front is perfect where it is for me. We need to adjust the rear spring perch to get the back end just a little lower to reduce the wheel gap.
Comparison shots.
Side-comparison by tuanies, on Flickr

 

[Tuanies]

suspension-travel-comparison by tuanies, on Flickr

fender-gap-comparison by tuanies, on Flickr

My impressions of the Megan Racing Street series coilovers for the 2nd gen Mazda 5 are good. At the softest settings, I'd say the ride is a little more comfortable than stock. I'm still playing with the stiffness adjustments and currently have them set to 16 clicks up front and 8 clicks in the back. There's 32 clicks of adjustment The handling improvements are very noticeable when you try to push the car. it doesn't feel as top heavy anymore and feels pretty close to the current third gen Mazda 3, in terms of handling. Combined with my GenPu MS3 wheels wrapped in Yokohoma Advan Sport A/S rubber, I'm very happy with the driving dynamics and ride quality. The 16 clicks is a little bit stiff so I'll probably turn that down a bit, but otherwise I'm happy. I still need to get it in for an alignment next week though.

I'll only swap the rear sway bar out for the Mazdaspeed 3 one I have in the garage and be done with the suspension, after I lower the rear a bit more. But for now, the car is ready for the NW Toy Run on Sunday . Next up is to get it on an autocross course, and possibly a track day.

 

[theeedude]

Stick shift with coilovers, should be a fun little van.

 

[JCH13]

What spring rates are you using in the front and back?

 

[Tuanies]

Right now I have it 16 in the front and 8 in the back (from softest setting). I'm going to dial it down a bit, might bring the back down to the softest setting and have the front at about 8 clicks. It's too stiff for me at the current setting.

 

[JCH13]

Right now I have it 16 in the front and 8 in the back (from softest setting). I'm going to dial it down a bit, might bring the back down to the softest setting and have the front at about 8 clicks. It's too stiff for me at the current setting.

I didn't ask what your damper settings were, I asked what spring rates you were using. Unless you have some magical springs that you can change with a dial.

:awe:

 

[Tuanies]

I didn't ask what your damper settings were, I asked what spring rates you were using. Unless you have some magical springs that you can change with a dial.

:awe:

I have no idea tbh. They were prototypes that were just shipped in a box. I'll check though.

 

[thomsbrain]

Right now I have it 16 in the front and 8 in the back (from softest setting). I'm going to dial it down a bit, might bring the back down to the softest setting and have the front at about 8 clicks. It's too stiff for me at the current setting.

Spring rates, not shock knob settings. Did they tell you what spring rates they chose to pair the shocks for? Ride frequency? Did you get shock dynos?

In what way are these different than a setup designed for the Mazda 3 of the same generation? I'm pretty sure they use the same suspension design, so I'm guessing spring rates and shock valving are the only differences between the stock 3 and 5 setups. If that's the case, I'd definitely be looking at one of the proven shocks like KW V3 or Bilstein PSS.

Nothing against Megan Racing but so far their coilover systems have not been competitive for anything other than hardparking.

 

[Tuanies]

Spring rates, not shock knob settings. Did they tell you what spring rates they chose to pair the shocks for? Ride frequency? Did you get shock dynos?

In what way are these different than a setup designed for the Mazda 3 of the same generation? I'm pretty sure they use the same suspension design, so I'm guessing spring rates and shock valving are the only differences between the stock 3 and 5 setups. If that's the case, I'd definitely be looking at one of the proven shocks like KW V3 or Bilstein PSS.

Nothing against Megan Racing but so far their coilover systems have not been competitive for anything other than hardparking.

The front suspension rates should be pretty similar to the 3. The difference would be in the rear to make up for the extra 400lbs. I'm working on getting the spring rates.

 

[JCH13]

Spring rates, not shock knob settings. Did they tell you what spring rates they chose to pair the shocks for? Ride frequency? Did you get shock dynos?

In what way are these different than a setup designed for the Mazda 3 of the same generation? I'm pretty sure they use the same suspension design, so I'm guessing spring rates and shock valving are the only differences between the stock 3 and 5 setups. If that's the case, I'd definitely be looking at one of the proven shocks like KW V3 or Bilstein PSS.

Nothing against Megan Racing but so far their coilover systems have not been competitive for anything other than hardparking.

^This.

The front suspension rates should be pretty similar to the 3. The difference would be in the rear to make up for the extra 400lbs. I'm working on getting the spring rates.

Megan's MZ3 springs are 7kg/mm front and 5kg/mm rear, so your damper settings should be closer to a 7:5 ratio front:back; i.e. you should be at 16f/11r 'clicks from soft' instead of 16/8. Given the extra rear mass, and thus likely higher rear rates, I think you should try 16/12. Damper values need to be set for the spring rate, not for a perceived level of comfort. In fact, sometimes having MORE damping, not less, leads to a better ride. But so much of it depends on the shocks' characteristics that it's hard to say for sure without knowing more details.

Do you know if the shocks adjust rebound and compression simultaneously? If not you might be falling victim to some serious jacking issues.

I know it might seem that we're coming down hard on you, but that it is only out of love for suspension performance. I speak for myself (but others likely agree) that we've seen many cars ruined by their owners not understanding vehicle and suspension dynamics. If you're willing to listen, I am willing to help.

 

[Tuanies]

I'll play with it some more later when my wife gets home and can watch the kids. I don't take it as coming down on me. These are my first coilovers so I'm figuring out what to do for adjustments, so I'm open to learning.

I'm just trying to make it more fun to drive and possibly hit up a couple autox events in the spring.

 

[Tuanies]

Also the knob adjusts compression and rebound simultaneously.

 

[JCH13]

Also the knob adjusts compression and rebound simultaneously.

:awe:

Hooray! That is REALLY important to good shock performance.

 

[cabri]

Will lowering the frame then increase the chance of scraping bumps and curbs?

Is the potential for damage worth the warm fuzzy?

 

[Tuanies]

Will lowering the frame then increase the chance of scraping bumps and curbs?

Is the potential for damage worth the warm fuzzy?

It's not that low. I can still clear speed bumps without going sideways. The only thing that scrapes is a piece of plastic that hangs down from the lower plastic cover.

 

[Tuanies]

Alright found out the spring rates. Front is 8KG and back is 7KG.

Hopefully will find some time to play with it some more but had to wrap up photos of this Mercedes S550 today and getting in a Chevy Colorado press car this week.

 

[thomsbrain]

I know it might seem that we're coming down hard on you, but that it is only out of love for suspension performance. I speak for myself (but others likely agree) that we've seen many cars ruined by their owners not understanding vehicle and suspension dynamics. If you're willing to listen, I am willing to help.

Thanks for adding that. I should have said something similar in my post.

I've often wondered about swapping in MS3 or other suspension onto a 5 for a fun family hauler. Glad Tuanies is paving the way! I believe Car and Driver did a full MS3 drivetrain swap into a 5 a few years back, too.

 

[crashtech]

It's not often I see "Minivan" and "Racing" in the same sentence. Are minivans finally losing their stigma?

 

[manimal]

It's not often I see "Minivan" and "Racing" in the same sentence. Are minivans finally losing their stigma?

You have never been to japan.



I saw a mini pickup that looked like a 70s chevy truck that was so damn cool I wanted one. They really know how to take shit over the top in japan.



How is the hwy ride?

 

[Tuanies]

Thanks for adding that. I should have said something similar in my post.

I've often wondered about swapping in MS3 or other suspension onto a 5 for a fun family hauler. Glad Tuanies is paving the way! I believe Car and Driver did a full MS3 drivetrain swap into a 5 a few years back, too.

C&D never got the engine running right with the third party EMS. I spoke to the lead of the project and he mentioned you have to swap every thing from the dashboard forward. The 2.5 cab take moderate boost to make about 250-270hp with ease. I might go that route but I have no complaints about power. Might just do bolt ons and tune to hopefully get 180whp and I'll be happy. I have more fun on windy roads though.

It's not often I see "Minivan" and "Racing" in the same sentence. Are minivans finally losing their stigma?

Stigma will always be there. I'm just 28, married, have 2 kids with a succesful career so no fucks given about what others consider cool. I'm building this car for me. I also purchased an HHR SS 5MT new when I graduated college to...I'm just weird like that.

You have never been to japan.



I saw a mini pickup that looked like a 70s chevy truck that was so damn cool I wanted one. They really know how to take shit over the top in japan.



How is the hwy ride

No complaints. Rides well, but the stock setup wasn't that great though.

 

[Zargon]

nice looking setup dude!

 

[crashtech]

Stigma will always be there. I'm just 28, married, have 2 kids with a succesful career so no fucks given about what others consider cool. I'm building this car for me. I also purchased an HHR SS 5MT new when I graduated college to...I'm just weird like that.

Yeah, I get it. I drove a minivan for years when our contemporaries were sporting Yukons. Frankly they could take a flying leap, because we burned hundreds less gallons of fuel over the years while doing nearly identical duties.

 

[Tuanies]

Yeah, I get it. I drove a minivan for years when our contemporaries were sporting Yukons. Frankly they could take a flying leap, because we burned hundreds less gallons of fuel over the years while doing nearly identical duties.

I grew up in a minivan household. We had an '84, '93 and '98 Caravan. My dad bought the '98 Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.8 brand new and still has it. When we had our first kid, I went straight to a VW Routan because it was a better Caravan. My wife and I never thought twice about it. You get more space, better fuel economy and convenient sliding doors for cheaper than a CUV.

But since I always wanted a 5, I bought myself one because I take both kids and hate dealing with regular doors in parking lots. We were a two minivan household until we traded the Routan in for a Leaf. My wife still misses her sliding doors but the fuel cost savings are worth it.

The thing is, we both grew up with minivan families. I don't understand the stigma. I have lots of fond memories growing up with a minivan that I cherish. But I guess in America, it's popular to find things your parents did/have uncool. But who cares, I'd rather do what's best for my family than get something not as practical so random folks will think I'm the cool parent.