Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
I believe I got one of the last batches of the old style spring before the re-design. They've been installed a few years.
Initially I was pleased with the increase in spring rate, but after a couple of years these springs have sagged to the point that the car is barely driveable at it's current height. I'll be replacing these springs as soon as budget allows.
I like several of RB's products, and would recommend several of them, but never again would I buy a set of these springs. I simply expect more for my money than this company seams capable of delivering.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 + 1.8 liter
Front and rear springs, powder coated red, excellent detailed finish.
I am writing this review after 2-3 years of owning this product. Initially after installing the springs I was extremely happy. Handling greatly improved compared to the stock equipment and the new stance looked aggressive. Ride was not harsh at all; just slightly firm. I also autocrossed with these springs for two seasons and I was very pleased with their performance. But after a couple of years of service these springs failed. I first noticed that the vehicle had a lower stance (started to sag) and eventually the rear end bottomed out on every bump… I was quite disappointed that I only got 2-3 years of service out of these springs. I am a big fan of Racing Beat products, but I’ll past on their springs… I replaced them with Flying Miata springs; a much much better spring in my opinion…
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Racing Beat Street (soft) lowering and stiffening springs
My experience on my 93' Black and Tan has been the opposite of many. When I installed the RB Streets with new Konis I got a pronounced backward rake with all the springs set to the middle of the three Koni perch mount positions. Moving the back springs to the Koni's top perch mount helped, but to get the more aerodynamic forward rake back I also had to drop the front springs to the lowest of the Koni's perches. This loses me an inch of shock travel so the front is considerably stiffer than the back and the ride harsher than I would like. I must say that the combination handles like a snake in the corners and is very stable directionally on the highway. Much better than the stock Bilstiens and springs I replaced. Now if my neck can only take it on the long hauls... In short, I love the back springs but not the fronts.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat Street Springs
This was my first time working with struts, it was confusing at points, but well worth the effort. I followed the two guides in the garage section and found it to be straight forward.
The ride height is nice and low in the front, the back was not as low as I was hoping, but later I realized once you get two people and a tank of gas it levels out nicely. It also took a couple weeks for the springs to settle in. Handleing is much tighter but definately more harsh, but I don't mind at all. I still have the stock shocks on with 72,000 miles and they are holding up with the new springs quite well.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97
Supposedly the newly redesigned Street Springs by Racing Beat. After many complaints here on the net about the rears sitting to high, Racing Beat to it upon it self to fix the problem with the rear being to high. These new improved springs were supposed to keep both front and rear looking even.
After having these installed along with KYB AGX 8 ways, I can say that the rear sits way to low. If you happen to be parked on a not so flat surface or on an incline that makes the rear suspension tuck in, you'll note that the tires practicaly go into the tire wells. Even with no gas in the tank, they drop the Miata to much, so you can imagine what it's like when you have a full or even a half tank of gas, passenger and all. The rear springs are practically the same height as the fronts, but the rears are much softer. They are TOO LOW! They let the suspension bottom out real easily.
I don't recommend Racing Beat street springs.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat Lowering Springs
These were on the car when I bought it, on Bilstein HO shocks. I hated this setup. The springs were nice on smooth roads, but would bottom out easily. When the installation was done, the bumpstops weren't cut, so this would result in the whole car bouncing into the air.
I don't know what RB had in mind when they designed these springs. They're too soft for autocross and too short for street driving. I took them and the Bilstein's off and replaced them with Koni's and Eibach Race Springs on Ground Control perches, and the ride is vastly improved. It goes around corners like it's on rails and soaks up bumps nicely.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat Street Springs installed on a 1996 model
I'm writing this for those interested in if this will work with 17" wheels and 205X40 series tires. Yes it will and straight forward to install like any other shock and spring installation. Ordered from Go Miata and as always with great service.
I was apprehensive at first as if this was going to work. I wanted a lower look and better street performance and this does it. I already had Koni shocks and JR swaybars installed so this was an added benefit for height adjustment. The front shock perch is set to stock height which gave a 1-1/4" drop in the front and the rear perch is set to the "R" for a 1-1/4" drop in the rear. The car sits pretty close to level just a tad bit higher in the back and looks great. There's still plenty of room for suspension travel and low enough to fill the wheel gap nicely. Ride is very nice almost stock feeling (no wife complaints) under normal driving. But when you push hard against the springs like when cornering aggressively the car's attitude is flat. There is a turn in response time that one needs to get use to quicker than stock springs but no where close to track springs, a nice compromise for street use. I'd do this again this really makes for a nice handlin! g car.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 +
99+ RB Street Springs. Lowering about 1". Front rate: 207 ft/lbs, Rear rate: 145 ft/lbs.
Great product. I noticed their 01+ rear springs give a 1" drop compared to the 3/4" drop they use for the 99-00 rear so I bought the 99+ fronts and the 01+ rears for my 99. It gave me a level car with me in the car. Car is approx 13" from center of hub to fender all around. Very good compromise for good handling and not too harsh of a ride. I dont have problems bottoming out except on the mountainous of speed bumps.
Very good product, RB does their homework. I would highly recommend these unless you need an adjustable ride height and/or corner weighting.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '99 +
Racing Beat street springs and adjustable KYB shocks.Installed on 99 Miata.
I think this is a great impovement to the Miata suspension.The car now handles like a go-cart. Ride quality has decreased slightly, but not unbareable, just more sporty. I noticed the difference right away.The appearence is pleasing. The lower stance and 15" rims fit the wheel well perfect. The large gap is gone and the car sits about 3/4" lower all around.
This set-up is a must have for sporty drivers who also use their Miatas as daily drivers.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 '99 + 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Racing Beat Street Springs powder coated a nice bright red. Front stock springs are as tall as the Racing beat rear springs, i thought that was pretty cool =)
Nothing new here, the install was just like any other spring install except for one thing. My car wasn't even lowered!!! Well it didn't look lowered, the springs lowered my car about 1/2" and coupled with my 16" rims, the car was not to appealing. The springs in general are great springs, beautiful craftsmanship, but i just don't like the fact that they don't lower the car. Well about 2 days after installing the springs, i got very irritated at the way my car sat. Rear high in the sky, front still with a big gap in the wheel well. So to fix this problem i cut 1 coil off the front springs and 2 coils off the back. The car sits with about a 1" gap in front, and a 1 1/2" gap in the rear. Keep in mind the springs are exactly 4 days old so there is still room for settling. I'm very happy with the springs, even with the modification the ride is still very nice on my stock shocks.
I love the springs, the color is cool, they are nice and stiff, and the ride is nice. If you decide to buy these springs, i say just cut them! It will relieve the car of the high sitting rear, and lower it a little bit more.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Racing Beat Street springs, lowers car one inch (sort of).
I bought my 90 Miata in November 2000 with the original shocks and springs in it. They were waaay overdue for replacement. I bought Koni shocks and my mechanic recommended replacing the springs while I was at it. I drive my Miata all the time and didn't want to drop my car into the weeds. I decided to go with the RB street springs. Great choice! It seems the original springs had sagged a bit so the new springs and shocks didn't lower the car a bit. The rear end actually sits about a half inch higher now. This is exactly what I was hoping for. The ride is nearly identical to before but the body motions are much more controlled and predictable.
About $200 for the set of 4 springs. Koni shocks and Racing Beat springs make a great combination for the daily driver Miata. I've got the shocks on their softest setting and the ride is great. I'd do this mod again in a heartbeat.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Front and rear Street springs and solid front and rear anti-sway bars. 7/8" dia. front (stock is 19mm) and 5/8" in back (stock, I believe, is 12mm).
I purchased a kit which included springs and bars for $305. Nice parts, thick read paint, excellent bushings, silicone grease to prevent squeaks and some instructions I didn't look at. Everything was a snap to install, no problems. The rear bar has a tendency to walk left or right - I cured this with stainless hose clamps rather than the plastic clamps included, this worked well. The springs are of the same wire size as stock and are simply a little shorter. I already had Koni shocks, which can be adjusted for ride height - this is essential for using lowering strings. I originally installed the Koni's with the stock springs and adjusted them to the lowest setting. With the RB springs I set the rear shocks to the HIGHEST setting and the front shocks to the MIDDLE setting. The ride height is OK although the front end is minimal. The springs are only slightly stiffer but together with the bars they dramatically reduce body roll.
There is little sway left in the car - like a big go-cart - driving it for the first time really overloaded the tires (D60A2's) I will try something a little more aggressive. The car feels very competent, very nimble and quick and more controlled. The car is more like what I had hoped it would be before I bought it. I'm very pleased with the product and the performance, just don't try this with stock shocks and careful parking...
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.8 liter
Racing Beat's Street Springs.
The springs have the same number of coils as stock, just shorter and MUCH stiffer. Nice red paint but no instructions. Highway ride is not bad at all! Had 4 new Yoko AVS Intermediates (also recommended for low price and excellent performance) put on at the same time. A very cost effective performance upgrade that also makes the Miata look better!
I wanted a relatively inexpensive upgrade this spring (pun intended). When I heard $350 for the dealer to install I flipped and decided to spend the weekend reacquainting myself with driveway mechanics. You will need jackstands. I bought a $60 spring compressor at Napa and pulled out the Haynes manual (their procedure is wrong). The key thing is to remove the lower pivot bolts on the fronts and the upper outer pivot bolt on the back and limp the car to your dealer for a 4 wheel alignment after the job is done. I spent 4 hours on the front left and a half an hour on each of the others...compressing the long stock springs was the most time consuming part. The RB front springs almost need no compressing and the rears hardly need any. Performance? YOU BET! I also have Konis and a RB rear sway and HJlinks. At first I was disappointed because half the fun of a Miata is sliding the tail, but now I am used to it. It is like getting your skis sharpened.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Racing Beat Street Springs for 90-93 Miata
First off, I neglected to but the boots/bumpstops back on when I did the front springs, as I didnot have new factory parts and mine were shot. Please don't make this mistake, as you will scrub the fender everytime you hit a bump. Thanks to Bill Cardel for informing me that the bumpstops "are the boots"
The springrate was perfect for street driving, combined with KYB AGX shocks you have the option of stiffining up for the weekends. Unfortunatley the springs dropped the front toomuch. the tires would rub every time I turned the wheel, even at parkinglot speeds. I had to shim the fronts up 3/8" just to be able to drive the car. With shims in place the wheelcenter to fender lip distance was 12.0". Replaced them with Eibachs and tossed them in the trash.
Save yourself the time and effort by skipping the racingbeat springs. They drop the front too much for daily driving. The Eibach's fit exactly right, wheelcenter to fenderlip distance is about 12.25" - 12.5". They also drop the rear and eliminate the racked look. I just wish the spring rate was about 5% lower.
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter
Racing Beat Racing springs Red in color. Koni Adjustable Sport shocks, yellow in color.
Mazda South installed the Shocks and Springs.
Overall the ride quality in my opinion is better that that of the stock shocks and springs, The car lowered about an inch, could have gone lower but I went with the middle perch on the Konis, the wheel gap and distance between rocker panel and ground were both decreased by about an inch. The shocks, are a brand new feel, smooth and confident in there tracking. The springs glue the car to the ground with such quickness and perscision I can't beleive the combination isn't a factory option. I didn't experience the complications Rami described above. The car is completely level, and actually it seems the back is actually sitting better than before. I also need to say I use the car as a daily driver. Havn't had a back ache yet. Look for an update.
Applicable to '99 + 1.8 liter
I was hesitant about lowering and stiffening my '00 Miata after reading some of the complaints about ride harshness in these very pages, but the review of the Racing Beat Miata in Car and Driver Magazine convinced me to proceed with the modification. This is my first suspension modification to any car I have owned, and the result is outstanding. Dive and squat are substantially reduced and there remains only about half the roll in the corners using the softest setting on the Konis. I can exactly verify Racing Beat's claim that their springs lower the front 1" and the rear 3/4". Bumps and freeway expansion joints are more noticible, but not annoyingly so. More intimidating are driveways--watch that chin spoiler! No problems with bottoming or rubbing.
If you're undecided about lowering your M2 or unsure about manufacturers' claims, get this setup. You'll be glad you did.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Racing Beat's Street springs over Koni Adjustable Shocks - The nice red color of the springs clashes quite nicely with the yellow Konis. (Not unlike a McDonald's commercial under the fenders)
I just installed these springs with Koni adjustable shocks this morning and I can't say how impressed I am with the improvements. True, I did a bunch of things at once - new Racing Beat anti-sway bars, front and rear braces, Street springs, Koni shocks, and Dunlop SP8000 tires - but this car is now INCREDIBLE! I am just in awe of how well it handles and how amazingly smooth the ride is now. I expected a rough ride, but the ride is a little more firm but not harsh in any way. The shocks control rebound incredibly well. My car used to wander and follow grooves and ruts in the road....gone. I used to get a nice kick in the kidneys every time I went over a big bump....gone. I used to have to dodge all the bumps in the road or get bounced around...now it just tracks straight through the bumps.
I was surprised that the bottom mounting bracket on the Koni shock is not painted at all. It is just a shiny little metal plate. All the other pieces look to be of good fit and finish.
My brother and I installed all these components in 3 and a half hours of work. While we are both very mechanically inclined and my brother was a mechanic for a few years, anyone that is at all mechanically inclined should be able to do this in a reasonable amount of time.
Don't worry about drilling the bracket out. It is not like you are drilling a hole in anything permanent in your car. It is just a bracket that can be replaced at any time. I worried about this before I got looking at what I really had to do. No big deal.
All in all, I would do this all again in a heart beat. Even if it took me 16 hours to do, I would still do it myself and save money for other mods. It is not difficult at all and gives you some time to bond with your car. Another person is invaluable, but not necessary. I can't say how much this has improved the ride and handling. 6 out of 5 stars.
You can read a longer version at http://www.xmisison.com/~parkers/miata-shocks.html
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Racing Beat Lowering STREET springs
I bought the springs and shocks (HP Tokico) at the same time and also had them installed at the same time. I went for the street version since the guys at racing beat told me the race version was too harsh.
After installation, I actually asked the shop if they installed the rears. The front is tucked in the fenders very nicely. However, the back sits up high (about 13.5 inches from fender to mid-rim). I called back racing beat and they very nicely sent me a set of REAR race springs to try (very impressed with their service because of this). However, when I took them to the shop to install, the guys told me they were the same height as the street springs. Hmm. Another call to racing beat found that in all actuality, the street and race are real close in height (around .09 of an inch) according to one sales rep and the same thing according to another rep. So, now I ordered a set (of 4 unfortunately) INTRAX 1.5" lowering springs and I will try those only on the back to see what that does. For a lowrider look, Racing Beat REARS are not acceptable - just gives a rakish stance that looks good, but low is better for me.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Linear front and back springs. Lowers car about an inch.
Had the local shop install them with new Tokico HP shocks. My Miata has stock alloy rims and tires. I should have watched the install but stuffing myself with food was a more pressing concern at the time.
Performance: WOW x2!! Performance handlingwise there are but a few automobiles that pose even the slightest threat. Handling characteristics have absolutely changed. I can take corners faster and more confidently. Body roll has decreased significantly. The RB springs will lower the car about an inch. Just right in my opinion without the tires sitting in the wheel well. My Miata outright looks faster.
Now for the trade off. Racing Beat also offers a race version of its springs. Basically, they are stiffer and will lower your car a bit more. Ride quality with these streetable springs has degraded somewhat. The car is basically glued to the road with all its imperfections. Great for young healthy backs longing for F1 style daily drives. Others be warned. You will literally feel the road.
Tradeoff is definitely worth it.Tradeoff is definitely worth it.
| Back to Product Reviews | 8 June, 2008 |
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