Norman Garrett, one of the engineers on the original MX5 design team, considered that the original shocks would be pretty much done by 60k miles, when he would recommend changing them, to preserve the optimal handling. Krupps Bilstein told me, as long as there wasn’t external damage, you would get 200k kms out of their shocks. However, the bumpstop boots are usually shredded quickly, allowing ingress of dirt and shock failure.
Very strange that Mazda fitted a different type of damper while advertising “Bilstein”. I could sort of understand it if the early NBFL Sports had Bilstein and the factory changed later, but the brochures go the other way i.e, no name in the advertising until 2004. The May 2003 brochure doesn’t mention dampers, just “sports suspension”, while the Autocar roadtest of the Sport in November 2001 says it has Eibach dampers. Just to confuse things further, the January 2004 UK Brochure specifically mentions Bilstein suspension.
So now I don’t know whether my car has Eibach or Bilstein dampers. Next time I’m working on the suspension I’ll see if there is a makers name anywhere. The main thing is that it rides quite well, better than a Jaguar E-Pace I had a few years ago which was quite uncomfortable on the country roads near me. In defence of the Jag, it didn’t have the scuttle shudder I sometimes experience when I am cornering and hit a one-wheel bump.
Finally, MX-5 parts are advertising Bilstein dampers for a lot less that you have been quoted.
I think that is was from VIN serial number 300001 onwards that Bilstien suspension was fitted to the 1.8 Sport models.
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My '51 reg Mk2.5 Sport had black dampers. I was under the impression the Yellow Bilstein damper was fitted to the revised UK 2003+ Sports along with the Super-LSD change.
What I thought, run out models. Wouldn’t be surprised if these were the same spec as the Bilsteins fitted to the limited edition MSM.
In Mazda nomenclature, there is NB1, NB2, NB3 and NB4 denoted by the VIN start.
In Japan and US, the driver door sticker was marked Sport-S or Hard-S. Sport-S is just standard. Hard-S is Bilstein,
Just to add to that, I have a book by by Keith Tanner, one of the US Miata tuning gurus, and he details all the specs by model year and in the US he states that, from 200MY ( so on 15 inch wheels) the “Suspension Package” includes “Bilstein shocks” aka dampers, and from 2001 MY the “Suspension Package” is “Strut tower brace, reworked suspension with Bilstein shocks, 16 inch alloy wheels Torsen diff, bigger brakes and underbody bracing”
So where Eibach came from in the Autocar road test is a mystery ,as is why any UK MX-5 Sport was fitted with anything other than Bilstein dampers. What I have learned from working in the motor industry is that if there are shortages of a particular component, the engineers and production planners will quickly find an alternative component if at all possible in order to avoid a line stop, so my guess is a shortage of Bilstein dampers led to a temporary production run with Showa or Eibach equivalents.
Keith Tanner was the website designer for Flyin Miata. He’s not an engineer. He was quoting the US market. The US market is different from the Japanese market different from the UK market. So don’t read too much into specs over there. However, miataforum has numerous threads on “Sport-S” suspension.
For instance, in the NA, Bilsteins came on the Japan S-Spec always with PAS. Bilsteins came on the US on the R-Package, never with PAS. The UK never got Bilsteins. But the UK was offered a KYB upgrade, never available in US or Japan The runout sparkley green MX5s were only sold in the UK or Japan. In the UK, they were basically dolled up 1.8i models called the Berkley. In Japan, they were basically a dolled up S-Special.
I met my wife well over 10 years ago. It has been a great relationship and I have no complaints at all, even the mother-in-law is OK. I do wonder what her mate would have been like though!
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A good analogy but I can think of a better one.
It’s more like raising a child with your wife and then on its 21st birthday you find out you are not actually the biological father.
You feel hurt and betrayed but…the child loves you, will always call you “dad” and shares your morals and values.
Only if you have been intimate with the exhaust pipe.
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The original Bilsteins fitted to Sport models are nothing special, the aftermarket B6 Bilstein is a far superior product but expensive. The Showa product will probably feel little different to the OE shocks, in my opinion.
I fitted B6s to my NC3.5 and the handling is excellent but the ride is on the firm side.
I concur. I fitted the B6s (with std.springs) to my 3.75 and love it. Proper ‘B’ road blaster with no clearance issues.
Demon Tweeks have them for a sensible price usually.