Posts Tagged ‘coilovers’
How to Adjust Rear Suspension Dampening on 2010 MS3
As stated in my article about the BC Racing Coilovers, in order to adjust the rear dampening you must remove all the paneling in the rear trunk compartment. This DIY will show you just how to do it in about 20 minutes. Remember, with the BC Racing Coilovers for the Mazdaspeed 3 you have a total of 32 points of adjustment. Position 1 being the softest and position 32 being the hardest.
Where is it:
To access the dampening controls for the BC Racing Coilovers you must remove the paneling inside your trunk. You can see in the second image that the controls are just behind the seatbelt spool.
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Tools Needed:
- Socket wrench
- 10mm sockets
- fillips head screw driver
- Flathead or punch to pop anchors
- Needle-nose pliers
- Gloves
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What to do:
Start by removing the (1) spare tire cover and (2)foam from around the spare tire. (3) This will expose all the necessary push-pins that we need to remove to pull out the rear kick plate. (4) Using a flat head or punch, pop out the push-pins and completely remove them from the hole. (5) Once you have removed the 2 push-pins on the left and right, with 2 hands, at shoulders length apart, grab under the panel and carefully pull up to remove the panel.
+ click images to enlarge
Now that we have exposed more push-pins for the side panels we can start removing all anchors. (1) First we remove the anchors as pictured by exposing the bolt to loosen the anchor. (2) Using a 10mm socket wrench completely loosen the bolt to pop out anchor. (3) Once that is removed, removed the other anchor to completely free up the back of the panels. (4) while we are in the back of the car we should expose the screw holding on the seatbelt cover panel. using a fillips head screw driver, remove the screw. (5) Next remove the anchor that is behind the seat backs as pictured below.
Be sure to do this for both sides of the trunk.
+ click images to enlarge
Now lets move to the front of the trunk by going through the rear doors. Here you will see a few push-pins we need to remove. (1) Remove the push-pins from the seat belt cover panel. (2) Then, down by the back seat hinge we need to remove another push-pins. (3) carefully pry the panel loose. You do not need to completely remove this panel. (4) Once the panel is loose you will see the hidden push-pin that you must remove in order to remove the seat belt cover panel. (5) Once again, gently pry off the seat belt cover panel. (6) This will expose the trunk side panel for removal.
Be sure to repeat on both sides.
+ click images to enlarge
Now we are all set to remove the trunk side panels to expose the BC Racing Coilover dampening controls. (1) Starting from the rear, begin to pry off the panel carefully. (2) To make things easier for you I would suggest pulling it out entirely to give you a comfortable amount of room to access the dampening controls. (3) You can see the BC Racing Coilover dampening controls now. (4) To adjust them you access them from the top, in. (5) This image show the left side exposed as well.
Be sure to adjust both sides!
+ click images to enlarge
If you are an avid racer and plan on doing a lot of adjustments I would leave the panels off until you have the proper settings. (1) This is how I go to the track. Even though this DIY should take you about 20 minutes, it can add up after a while as you tweak for that perfect setting. Once, I am done tracking the car or if I have the setting I know I will be happy with, only then would I suggest putting the panels back on.
Also, Don’t forget about the front suspension. (2) Just pop the hood and twist away to the best setting for your racing environment.
+ click images to enlarge
Review for the Mazdaspeed 3 BC Racing Coilover Suspension
Overview
I have been running my BC Racing coilover suspension for my Mazdaspeed 3 for well over 2,000 miles now. I have run the suspension dampening at 16 and 32 with a ride height set at 1 inch during my testing. The BC Racing coilover suspension for the mazdaspeed 3 allows you to easily adjust the ride height and dampening of the struts with over 32 points of adjustment with position 1 being the softest setting and position 32 being the firmest setting. For my installation I did not completely slam it due to the fact that I contend with speed bumps, potholes, and iffy winters where I live. I also did not want to roll the rear fenders, which you will have to do if you lower the suspension all the way.
Installation
The installation for this suspension system is not for the faint of heart. It will take a pro about 2 hours and a DIY-er such as myself, about 4 hours. The front suspension is the hardest to install, however, the rear is easy and quick. You can see the DIY for installing the BC Racing suspension here.
Tuning
The BC Racing coilover suspension turns out to be a very well made and functional system and it is not just for show, although it shows nicely! It is built for the track, whether you are auto crossing or hitting the drag strip the easy access dampening controls can get you fine tuned for either, quickly. However, at no fault to BC Racing, the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 makes it difficult to access the rear dampening controls. You must remove the side panels within the trunk to access them. I have heard it is much easier to access on earlier models though.
Handling and Ride
So how does all this translate to handling and ride? It translates very nicely, indeed. Stability and stickiness to the road or track are increased ten-fold. Depending on your settings, body roll is nearly eliminated around S-turns keeping all 4 wheels firmly planted on the road. The stock suspension of the 2010 Mazdaspeed 3 can handle 0.96g’s in the skid pad. I have a very strong feeling that this suspension system will crush that number and go side by side with a Porsche Carrera in handling. But that is just my personal opinion and is not tested to my knowledge.
The ride is a lot stiffer as to be expected. You feel every bump, hump, groove and crack in the road. More so the harder you set the dampening. 32 is bone jarring, however, I found that at 16, about half way, it is a very comfortable ride even though it is more aggressive than the stock suspension.
Rating:
5 of 5
As you can see you really can’t go wrong with the BC Racing coilover suspension and just when you think it can’t get any better… yet another plus to the BC Racing coilover suspension is the price. A completely new suspension system can be purchased for as low as $999.00. I would personally be willing to pay $1,500 for this system! The amount of control, custom tuning and increase to handling and stability all packaged for perfect fitment makes this product one of the biggest bangs for the buck I have yet to see for the Mazdaspeed 3.