Mazda Miata Coilovers are an essential part of the suspension system that compresses and retracts in order to reduce the shock from impact. Depending on the car and the driver, there are many ways to set up your ride with different types of coilovers. However, when it comes down to benefits, two major aspects, your car benefit the most from upgrading your suspension to coilovers.
- Lower ride height.
- Stiffer springs.
Mazda Miata coilovers – Give your roadster that sportier look
The first thing we notice when a car gets lower is that it looks and feels sportier. However, the real magic lies in the fact that lower height means lower center of gravity, which has a positive influence on the stability.
The first point would be balanced weight transfer. With the center of gravity low, the weight would not travel to one side of the car and pull it back but it would disperse equally between the four wheels of the car. Consequentially, the car would be more stable and faster around the corner.
The second point would be increased power due to lower center of gravity. This is extremely important for cars with front-wheel drive, which is not the case here for our MX-5’s, but it’s worth mentioning. When the car starts to move, most of the weight goes back because the front of the car goes a little bit up. With low gravity center, the weight stays in the front and allows the car a better start. The same goes with the brakes, with weight evenly distributed on all tires, the friction is better and the car stops faster.
What’s good about coilovers is that you can adjust the height of your car with a simple adjustment tool, or even better, with a simple twist of a knob, as it is with the V-MAXX XXtreme Coilovers. This way you can change your car from track to city mode, depending on your desire.
Hold your horses with stiffer springs
The main point of wanting to have stiffer springs is that you significantly reduce body roll. When you are driving along a curve, the wheels can move up and down and this causes the body to roll from side to side. With stiffer springs, the wheels are flat on the ground and you have more stability and a better control.
Another good side of stiffer springs is the reduced wheel travel. As we all know, there is a significant gap between the tire and the wheel arch in stock Miatas. The reason for this gap is to keep the tire from touching the wheel arch. With lower suspension, the gap becomes smaller and we need to be sure that the tire won’t get in contact with the arch at any point. Stiffer springs reduce the amount of movement of the wheel and disables the contact between the tire and the wheel arch.
It’s important to understand that coilovers serve not only to make your car go faster around the curve, but also to preserve your safety. They reduce the amount of stress the car takes, giving your Miata a longer period of use.
Photo ©: Anthony Dela Merced’s Miata – Dropped Object Productions / Morocco’s Miata, Kee May & Mike Sugg – StanceNation
