Tanabe

Tanabe GF210 Lowering Springs

[10/26/2010] Reviewed by: Lasty Kaikhoune - kaikhoune@gmail.com

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter

Almost new Tanabe GF210 lowering springs mated with Autozone shocks that were also almost new. Bought them used, previous owner put around 150 miles on them before selling them to me.

Pretty straight forward install, even with basic tools. I'm a backyard weekend-warrior mechanic, so yea, I worked with basic tools and install didn't take me too long. After install, it gave me the height that I wanted, and the performance I was expecting. Handling was better than stock by a tad. If they were to be mated with better shocks, I'm sure they'd do better overall.

I bought the whole set (Springs + Shocks) for $80 bucks, so it was a bargain for me. Height clearance from front bumper to the ground was 7", measured 12.5" all around fender to ground. I rarely bottom out on any speed bumps, never have to slow down traffic or anything to get over a dip or bump. They're great for the price.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely

Tanabe Sustec Pro-Street Coilovers

[5/31/2001] Reviewed by: Charlie - cmjang@earthlink.net

Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter

Tanabe coilover system. Threaded shock body for height adjustment. Non adjustable for damping. Purchased with Tanabe aluminum upper pillowball mounts. Shocks are painted peach color and have shortened shock bodies.

The car seems to be slightly understeering more than stock but feels much better at the limit. Have yet to take it to the track but am eagerly awaiting the chance to. Car currently has stock swaybars.

Good quality product. Install was nothing out of the ordinary. I used Bill Cardell's instruction on the Flyin Miata website. I found that I didn't have enough room to swing the hammer so I ended up removing the rotor/caliper assembly and that gave me enough room to really take a whack at the knuckle. The shocks came with 6kg/mm front and 4kg/mm rear springs. Valving on the shocks matches well with the spring rates. The ride is nice considering how low it is. Car currently sits at 12.5" from center of hub to fender. Overall, I like the suspension. Well crafted and quality. However, retail price on my setup is a bit pricey (around 1500 or so with pillowballs). Most retailers will sell the shocks for around 20% off list. If you can get them for cheap, they are great street shocks.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely