Another suspension query - MesterR CRD

Technical Area Steering & Suspension
2

Evening all

Need some advice before I waste more money!  My 2009 2,0 Sport Tech Roadster has BBR’s stage 2 turbo and had their Koni lowered suspension.  However I kept catching the underside of the car on things - not helped by living down a poorly maintained, heavily cambered private lane.  Ride height was 335mm front and 325mm rear (I think the rear springs had sagged in the 2.5 years since I fitted them).  So I swapped the BBR springs for a set of Eibachs, but this has made it even worse - my ride height is now 330mm both front and rear.

I believe standard ride height is 350mm, so I guess I’m looking for an uprated setup which will cope with the power but with a ride height around 345mm to 350mm.  Read lots of good reviews of the MeisterR CRD setup, but what is the maximum ride height these can be set to?  Also I don’t want to ruin the ride - I’m the wrong side of 50!

Thanks

Dave

3

You should read this post from the start:

https://www.mx5oc.co.uk/forum/yaf_postst99460_Got-a-question-with-suspension--MeisterR-or-Not---let-me-know.aspx 

Then if you have any enquiries, you can message Jerrick by PM. He’s a top bloke.

4

I have the CRD on mine. 2007 zsport

On standard Bilstein Springs and dampers i had a height of

F 381

R 370

Fitted Eibach -30mm springs

F 340

R 335 

Drop of 35mm all round, i assume the extra 5mm drop was due to alignment at same time, so was may be a little higher than standard before due to suspension settings.

I found it a little too low for me with speed bumps in every direction from home.

Now on Meisters,

F 352 

R 351

Could go a bit higher, 5 -10mm at rear, loads at front if needed or a lot lot lower.

My height is only a small difference to the Eibach’s, but it is enough to stop any issues for me.

I think the firmer springs also help, the Eibach’s were progressive so initial movement was more over bumps.

There is no doubt it is firmer, i have the dampers set only a couple of clicks from full soft but its still firm, did set them middle and although firmer i didn’t feel there was a huge difference.

I would say it is a maybe a little fidgety at lower speeds, up to 30 I think this is due to either the firmer top mount rubbers or the linear springs or probably a combination of both.

Not vastly different to my standard daily 2016 Golf GTI, so i’m used to a more sporty ride. 

I think it is superb once the speed picks up a little, i think it looks how it should from the factory, not lowered, but not the 4 x 4 look it had when i bought it.

As per other threads on suspension, would be worth trying to get a ride out in a car with the setup up you are looking at.

 

Stewart

 

 

5

That’s interesting Stewart as i have same car but lowered 40mm on H&R springs and i find the look and ride great, wife even commented that it’s more comfortable than a standard set up Rx8 we had once. Avoid speed humps but ones i have to go over occasionally have been fine. Only thing i get with the set up is it feels a bit ‘floaty’ at speed on uneven roads and was considering Meisters  but if it makes it firmer than what i have now will have a rethink.

6

Thanks Stewart - that’s really helpful.

Dave

7

My 2006 2.0 SE had a standard ride height of 390mm and I believe that the standard for the early cars at least was between 380 and 400mm. With the 30mm eibachs my ride height was 355mm with a 1/4 tank of fuel. Hope that helps you to understand where you are with your ride heights.

8

I run the MeisterR ClubRace on the 2010 2.0 Sport Tech. Measured from wheel centre to top of arch gives F- 325mm, R-335mm with no one in the car. I like to think that the rear settles a bit when I get in  I also have 25mm spacers all round with no arch rubbing or other issue. Jerrick himself, admits that the outer damper settings (full soft or full hard) are not really effective so I run somewhere in the middle section. ClubRace are slightly firmer than CRD apparently but IMO provide a good balance between comfort and handling, for me at least. I also don’t have problems with the majority of speed bumps, I say majority but haven’t encountered one that I couldn’t get over, yet. Had -30mm Eibach springs on the previous NC1, not quite as big a drop, again no issue for me and a significantly cheaper option 

Barrie

9

 

" Jerrick himself, admits that the outer damper settings (full soft or full hard) are not really effective so I run somewhere in the middle section. "

Interesting, will need have a play with damper settings again when back on the road in spring.

Do you know what he means by not really effective? 

 

Stewart

10

Yes Stewart, it’s more for if you entered a pi#@ing contest and wanted to win? Car park bragging rights etc  32 point adjustment but not really any effect at both bottom and high end parameters. Can’t for the life of me recollect where I read this, posted by Jerrick himself, but was duly noted by me, it might have even been on miata.net.  So you have 32 clicks in total which sounds impressive indeed but possibly only middle 50% is properly effective, or something like that. Having said all that, it’s my third set of MeisterR suspension over four cars and I’m very happy with them. I notice on their website that there are many replacement parts available now, or at least listed, for the suspension too  

Barrie

11

 

With 32 clicks, probably a fair number of cars out there where the owner has miscounted clicks…

 

Phil Dixon pointed this out many years ago about how some suppliers add useless adjustments.

 

The useful range is really determined by the spring fitted.

12

Barrie, 

I get the 32 clicks, bit like an AMP that goes to 11, just numbers for number sake.

I consider them to have 7 or 8 settings and only adjust in blocks of 4 or 5, a doubt anyone is going to tell the difference in 1 or 2 clicks.

I recall something to this effect on the long miata.net forum thread.

What i hadn’t picked up was extremes are ineffective, or less effective.

I guess what it means is a block of 20 in the middle to play with and ignore above -5 click and or below -26.

I’m currently at -24 so probably within the working range if it is an issue. (a little more than the couple of click’s in my original comment) 

Bottom line for me with the Meisters is they allow the height adjustment i wanted, i’ve no idea how you manage at 325mm/335mm, i would struggle.

The ride is slightly firmer than stock but perfectly acceptable to me and inline with other firmly sprung sportier cars and what i was expecting.  

Roll on spring.

Stewart.

13

The core of the shock absorber is not specific to the MX5, its a generic part, otherwise it would cost a lot more, given the low volume operation of Meister-R. The specific part is the spring (and relatively low tech). The specs of the spring dictate rebound/compression rates that are suitable.