Install & Drive! FM Stage 2.5 Koni Suspension Upgrade - NA Miata - Part 2: Rear

Автокөліктер мен көлік құралдары

This is the second part of my 1991 NA6 Miata suspension upgrade! If you missed Part 1, check it out here: • Miata Street Suspensio...
In this video, I finish up by replacing the rear shocks, springs, upper mounts and sway bar using the Flyin' Miata Stage 2.5 handling package. Then I go for my first drive with the new setup, and give my impressions for what it feels like. I even have some before and after driving clips to compare how the suspension reacts to dips and bumps.
In a nutshell: I like it a lot! It's surprisingly comfortable (for a Miata) and the Koni yellow sport shocks soak up larger bumps and dips really well compared to the worn stock suspension. At the same time, the handling is much improved, and the car feels much flatter and controlled in corners. I'm impressed! I have to imagine that racing coilovers would be much harsher, and I'm glad I picked this setup for my driving style on the street.
I have a couple more upgrades to come for the Miata, so stay tuned.
PARTS MENTIONED:
FM Koni Stage 2.5 suspension kit:
flyinmiata.com/products/na-st...
Racing Beat sway bar mount reinforcements:
www.racingbeat.com/Miata-1990...
Cobalt chassis braces:
mossmiata.com/1990-1997-mx-5-...
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Cleaning
1:16 - Removing rear sway bar
3:06 - Removing original rear springs & shocks
5:29 - Preparing FM upper shock mounts, compressing new springs
6:39 - Installing new coilovers on the car
7:36 - Installing new FM rear sway bar
8:27 - Compressing suspension & torquing components
8:57 - Installing adjustable end links & finishing up
10:06 - Test drive!
14:02 - Ride height change?
14:32 - Conclusion

Пікірлер: 50

  • @donrush5690
    @donrush56909 ай бұрын

    I knew this guy before he was famous...

  • @PapaVrooom

    @PapaVrooom

    9 ай бұрын

    The voice is unforgettable. Got me through my roof skin replacement.

  • @anonsoc4421
    @anonsoc4421Ай бұрын

    Thanks for these videos man. I just did a massive overhaul touching everything except the differential and engine(that's coming soon) and your vids helped me pregame the job. Regarding the shock shafts I had the same problem. Tried grabbing the shaft with vice grips, tried doing it with the weight of the car. Ended up just blasting it with the impact and praying the nylock does its job.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    Ай бұрын

    Yep that's pretty much what I did. No problems so far! I plan on replacing all the bushings at some point, so that'll be a video (or multiple videos) eventually. Thanks for the comment!

  • @anonsoc4421

    @anonsoc4421

    Ай бұрын

    @@AndrewDoesCarStuff Doing the bushings kinda sucked. 3-jaw puller with two people and a propane torch was do-able but next time I'll try a 2-jaw. If you go with SuperPro bushings the allthread method is a must. Any other way is just miserable.

  • @donrush5690
    @donrush56909 ай бұрын

    Great teaser at the end, I don't even own a Miata and am looking forward to the next episode and seeing the wheels he chose. I was especially impressed with the sound quality when he was driving with the top down. Not even on network television do you get that kind of clarity with a soft spoken person driving at high speeds.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks Don! Speak softly and drive a fun car, that's what I say.

  • @dil6969
    @dil69696 ай бұрын

    This is exactly the kind of review I was looking for. You're very methodical, did a fantastic job documenting every step of the job and I really appreciate the addition of the suspension view cameras and showing the before and after. I'm still on stock shocks and springs at 99K, and at 10:34, you can see on the stock suspension setup the tire wanted to leave the pavement. This is the same instability I feel in my car over bumps and dips at speed. The Koni suspension barely broke a sweat and clearly kept the tire in full contact with the pavement. I already have the FM sway bars and adjustable end-links as mine were destroyed, and that significantly reduced the stomach-turning levels of roll it had in corners, but I can tell it isn't well-matched with the rest of the suspension. I think you've sold me, as comfort and street driving is still really important to me, but I want it to feel more confident on the track. FM stage 1.5, here I come.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    6 ай бұрын

    Thanks for that! Glad it was helpful and informed your decision. I think you'll be very happy with the Konis. I'm still surprised constantly at how well they handle bigger dips and bumps in the road, yet super confidence-inspiring in the corners (probably thanks to the pairing with the sway bars and chassis bracing).

  • @peterheagney7766
    @peterheagney77666 ай бұрын

    Just stumbled across this in preparation for installing shocks on my Miata. I'm kind of anal about preparing for projects, and I thought your videos were the easiest and most enjoyable to watch and ingest. I don't know if you'll get them, but you deserve lots of views.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    6 ай бұрын

    I appreciate that! Lots of redundant Miata content out there, but I figured it was worth doing this anyway in my own style.

  • @kennethh5792
    @kennethh57922 ай бұрын

    Great video! I really like the shots under the car showing the suspension working. Subscribed for more content.

  • @user-uw1sx3xt1e
    @user-uw1sx3xt1e3 ай бұрын

    Ace vid! I have Meister coilovers about to go on my NB MX5 here in London as soon as spring ( the season ) arrives, and yours is the most informative video I have seen out of many. Thanks for making this.

  • @mariospantouvanos4645
    @mariospantouvanos46459 ай бұрын

    I really enjoy this more laid back style of video. Keep 'em coming!

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks! I don't know another way to do it, so will do :D

  • @Caelum77
    @Caelum779 ай бұрын

    Thanks a lot, your videos are so soothing to watch. I'm thinking about putting this kit on my miata, I think I'll pull the trigger.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks! For a normal driver (non race car) Miata I think it's great. And it's a bit more idiot-proof than adjustable coilovers.

  • @FlyinMiataVideo
    @FlyinMiataVideo5 ай бұрын

    Great video Andrew!

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    5 ай бұрын

    Thanks very much FM!

  • @zaintahir9038
    @zaintahir90385 ай бұрын

    Excellent videos - both parts! Thanks for the well made content

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @HelloImMaxxHennard
    @HelloImMaxxHennard9 ай бұрын

    Fantastic Video. Though I prefer Ryobi tools, Milwaukee seems to get the job done sufficiently.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    Haha! Yeah, not as good as Ryobi, but it works. 🤪 Thanks man!

  • @gordonriley5277
    @gordonriley52777 ай бұрын

    thank you look forward to your next video

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks! More stuff coming eventually.

  • @toomars1301
    @toomars13017 ай бұрын

    Excellent! Thanks for posting! Love the OEM luggage rack!

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    7 ай бұрын

    Thanks! I didn't like the rack at first, but now I do, I think it adds a touch of class to the car. And I've actually used it a couple times, to strap a duffel bag to for a road trip.

  • @toomars1301

    @toomars1301

    7 ай бұрын

    The original racks are hard to find.

  • @jpramirz376
    @jpramirz3769 ай бұрын

    Soo glad you put that you had the same issue while torqueing the top hat. Im having some weird sounds like rattle coming out of mine and i thought it was because of that top hat bolt. I guess its not. Back to the drawing board. Like and subscribed because i really like how you did this video.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    Than you! There's a chance that could be your rattle, but probably not if the nut is snug. I didn't put this in the video, but I even tried grabbing hold of the shock shaft with vice grips, using a chunk of rubber hose to grip & cushion it (it' very important to not scratch the shock shaft, so I didn't even want to recommend trying this) and still couldn't get it. Haven't gotten my alignment done yet but will definitely consult the pro.

  • @jpramirz376

    @jpramirz376

    9 ай бұрын

    @@AndrewDoesCarStuff will have to do the same. Thank you for the reply!

  • @bradnelson9911

    @bradnelson9911

    7 ай бұрын

    Did you figure out the source of the rattle coming from the top hat? I have a rattle in mine. I called FM and they pointed to a bad bearing in the top hat. So I'm going to rebuild the shock assembly with a new bearing in the top hat and see if that fixes it. I'll post my results...

  • @bradnelson9911

    @bradnelson9911

    7 ай бұрын

    Replacing the bearing in the top hat fixed my rattling issue FYI.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    7 ай бұрын

    @@bradnelson9911 Glad you found a solution! No rattle for me yet, but I'll know what to look at if it develops.

  • @RandySilton
    @RandySilton8 ай бұрын

    Great videos on the suspension upgrade, Andrew. Production quality was top notch as well. Did you ever find out how to torque the center shaft nut? I did the exact same upgrade on my 92 Black & Tan this weekend, and could not torque 3 of the 4 center shaft nuts. I'd be interested to hear if you found a solution.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    8 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I never was able to get the rear ones torqued, and I even tried placing a rubber hose around the shock shaft, grabbing it with vice grips and trying to hold it in place while tightneing, with the car on the ground. The shaft still wanted to spin. On the fronts, what helped me on those was to give them each a quick hit with an impact gun, just enough to start getting them snug, then I managed to get them to 37 lb-ft. I still plan on asking a pro when I go in to get the alignment done.

  • @stevenwong4261

    @stevenwong4261

    2 ай бұрын

    Hi​@@AndrewDoesCarStuff. Were you able to figure this out? I'm having the same nut issues right now and can't really find a way to tighten them. Would using an impact gun over torque the nuts? I have never used one before. Your videos are great btw. It helped me a lot.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    2 ай бұрын

    @@stevenwong4261 Hi, no update still, I've been putting off the alignment because I plan on doing all the bushings first. If you use an impact, it can help to get these upper nuts snug, you just want to use it sparingly so you don't go too tight. So do a couple short bursts, then check it by hand, etc. Even though I didn't get to the specified torque, they seem to be snug enough that there is no play in the shocks. It would rattle if they were loose.

  • @jonathanbeaver4678
    @jonathanbeaver46788 ай бұрын

    I’m surprised that the ride height didn’t change. My 97 looks quite a lot higher than yours. I’m actually hoping for a little less height when I do this upgrade.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    8 ай бұрын

    My old shocks were completely blown, so maybe it was a little saggy to start with. If yours looks higher, then it will probably end up like looking like mine when you're done. I think the height is perfect for a street car.

  • @jonathanbeaver4678

    @jonathanbeaver4678

    8 ай бұрын

    @@AndrewDoesCarStuff I agree. Not too low to be a hassle. Your car looks great.

  • @connorhaney3226
    @connorhaney32263 ай бұрын

    Did you ever get the top nut tightened to spec? I’m having the same problems on my car even when its on the ground

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    3 ай бұрын

    Nope, never did. I must have gotten it snug enough not to have any play or rattle, I guess that's the main goal.

  • @n0ah1897
    @n0ah18972 ай бұрын

    Did you ever get the rear top shaft nuts to 37 ft-lbs? I’m having the same issue and have tried all the methods FM has suggested to no luck.

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    2 ай бұрын

    Still haven't. I seem to have gotten them snug enough though, as I haven't had any issues or rattling.

  • @DaveSimkus

    @DaveSimkus

    9 күн бұрын

    How does FM suggest doing that? Vice grips?

  • @n0ah1897

    @n0ah1897

    9 күн бұрын

    @@DaveSimkus yeah they suggest wrapping the shaft with a rubber hose and using vice grips. The most I was able to do with that method was 22 ft lbs but haven’t had any issues so far

  • @darrellniemeyer9931
    @darrellniemeyer99319 ай бұрын

    Did you find my 10mm socket in the trunk?

  • @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    @AndrewDoesCarStuff

    9 ай бұрын

    I wondered where that came from...

  • @DaveSimkus

    @DaveSimkus

    9 күн бұрын

    The elusive 10mm socket. It's never to be found when you need it.

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