All right, hope it works out for you.
2014 Mazda3 Shocks: Coilovers?
- Thread starter MRC01
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Tein makes the Flex Z coilovers for your 2014 Mazda3. They are adjustable for both height and damping 
But the Koni's for your car is only adjustable in rebound only.
Sure. That was also true of the aftermarket shocks in the cars I used to autocross. Those were true performance cars I drove competitively, unlike this Mazda 3. It wasn't a problem back then, so I doubt it will be a problem now when my goal is just to make a underpowered FWD economy car more fun to drive. These Koni Yellows are much stiffer than OEM and I'm pretty sure it's going to put a big smile on my face at any setting. I'll probably just set them on the soft side at 25% or 50%, then forget about it and have fun.
I have BC BRs on the Z and they're fantastic. Real bang for the buck. You can also try fortune coil overs. Extra: Just read you don't want to lower, most coilover kits as you know come with a height drop, hit up the Mazda forums maybe they have good insight. BoL!
Exactly ... that [Mazda autocross forums] is where the idea for Koni yellows + Racing Beat springs came from.
Job Complete. The L rear shock that was leaking was actually blown out, definitely glad I replaced it. The Koni yellows are stiffer than stock, but not much, and aren't too stiff at all. The racing beat springs have OEM +20% rates, which is not super stiff, very streetable. Overall the car handles much better: less body roll, less squat & dive, more planted, more precise steering. But it is still very street-able, not as stiff as the cars I used to race in SCCA. The car is a little lower but not much, about 3/4" in front, 1/2" rear. The work doesn't seem to have affected the alignment, it tracks straight hands-off even when braking & accelerating, feels right. But I'll get the alignment checked soon just to ensure it's not off a bit causing uneven tire wear.
Advice: Koni Yellows are the firmest, but they aren't as firm as I thought. I was expecting "race firm" but it is really only "sporty firm". I definitely would not want anything softer, like the oranges, TRD or other models.
This is all just about exactly what I wanted to achieve. Replace the bad shock and make it more fun to drive at the same time.
No special tools needed, other than the spring compressors for the front shocks.
Before, back & front:
After, back & front:
Here are the old rear shocks, you can see one is blown, not fully extending on its own (and covered in a thin layer of its own internal oil):
Advice: Koni Yellows are the firmest, but they aren't as firm as I thought. I was expecting "race firm" but it is really only "sporty firm". I definitely would not want anything softer, like the oranges, TRD or other models.
This is all just about exactly what I wanted to achieve. Replace the bad shock and make it more fun to drive at the same time.
No special tools needed, other than the spring compressors for the front shocks.
Before, back & front:
After, back & front:
Here are the old rear shocks, you can see one is blown, not fully extending on its own (and covered in a thin layer of its own internal oil):
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AutoMechanic
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Great. Usually it messes up the alignment a little bit but glad it didn’t on this one.
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