GB: GROUND CONTROL + KONI SPORT Coilovers for Mazdaspeed 3!

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by yourname2221 Those who have installed theirs; anything to note with the installation. Anything unusual or recommendations for set up?

Nope, nothing entirely special. When doing the rears, make sure you lower the car slowly so you can line the springs up.

You'll see what I mean. That's why I kinda wanna measure for limiting straps today.

[Dimenus]

Any updates from GC this week?

[RPM]

Nothing shipped so far this week, but orders are supposed to start going out again today.

[RPM]

They just told me that there was a delay on an Eibach springs order due to the holiday, but they should have another 3-4 kits out within the next couple of days.

[Helrich]

I might get mine by Christmas!

[Chimmike]

They're totally worth the wait, fellas.

Keep in mind I ordered a PERM plate a week before this GB started and my PERM plate hasn't even arrived to the vendor yet, so patience is a virtue, lol.

[Dumbguy]

Originally Posted by Chimmike Nope, nothing entirely special. When doing the rears, make sure you lower the car slowly so you can line the springs up. You'll see what I mean. That's why I kinda wanna measure for limiting straps today.

Any news or additional info for these limiting straps? Thats something that I really want to include on my setup as well.

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by Dumbguy Any news or additional info for these limiting straps? Thats something that I really want to include on my setup as well.

Haven't had a chance to measure yet, will do tomorrow, but this kind of thing will likely require welding a couple brackets on the car.

[phate]

If you're into that racing thing, limiting straps will put you into a nasty class in the scca. I believe it puts you into "Prepared" (not street prepared, but prepared).

[Dumbguy]

Right now I just want what's safe for the car. I'd like to autox one of these days and if putting straps on it limits me in that aspect then so be it. Are there not some kind of spring retainers or something that we can use in lieu of limiting straps? Just don't want the spring unseating out in the middle of nowhere, you know?

[Mattyhawk1]

^ I was thinking the same thing.

I remember back in the 90's, I had a 92 ford ranger, the upper front springs would unseat any time I jumped the truck (did this quite a bit back then). I looked at the '93 redesigned Ranger and Ford had fitted a steel loop to the upper spring and bolted the lip to the spring hat. This kept the spring locked in. I did this to mine and fixed the issue with no change in suspension droop.

Might be an option?


EDIT: Here is what I mean:

[Chimmike]

no, definitely not an option, lol.

I'll measure and take some pics for limiting straps. Based on my daily commute road, I can tell you the spring isn't going to unseat itself unless you do something absolutely stupid.............but I like being on the safe side.

[Dumbguy]

The daily commute doesn't bring a wheel off the ground, but going into some shopping centers and driveways will bring a wheel up for a sec. Will something like that unseat the spring?

[phate]

If you're only bring up one wheel, the spring won't unseat - the sway bar will hold the wheel up. They might make a little bit of noise, but they aren't going to unseat.

[461_SS]

Too many people worry on this forum.

[speeddeamon]

Originally Posted by 461_SS Too many people worry on this forum.

I was just thinking that... lol

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by Dumbguy The daily commute doesn't bring a wheel off the ground, but going into some shopping centers and driveways will bring a wheel up for a sec. Will something like that unseat the spring?

yeah I've already had one wheel come up a few times on steep driveways with no issues like Clint said.

[thepatient77]

I know it's west coast based but any word from G.C. if anymore have shipped??

[nybe0010]

Got my AC Delco arms of Amazon for $133 shipped in 2-days w/ prime. SPC logo on both sides of arms and on the rubber bushing part...

image.jpg
@RPM; how many orders have shipped already? I'm prob the very last considering I ordered at the last minute literally. Just wanted to know how long i shall be expecting to wait

[Crarrs]

Originally Posted by mustang5point0 These are pretty good from what I hear. How do you like so far?

They look like they're working fantastically just sitting on the carpet.

[RPM]

Originally Posted by thepatient77 I know it's west coast based but any word from G.C. if anymore have shipped??

They're waiting for springs to come in from Eibach, which are supposed to come in today. They have 3 kits sitting there waiting for springs, so as soon as they show up, they'll be out the door. They are for E.M., B.C., and R.S.

[RPM]

Originally Posted by nybe0010 @RPM; how many orders have shipped already? I'm prob the very last considering I ordered at the last minute literally. Just wanted to know how long i shall be expecting to wait

After the 3 ship today, there will be 15 left.

[[R]usty]

I hope I get these before my trip to Yosemite this summer. I really want to carve some corners.

[gmoney542]

Look at what showed up yesterday! I'm super excited to install these this week. The spring rates I got are 600 front and 700 rear if anyone cares to know.

[Ewind]

Can anyone confirm if the shocks are in fact pre set when the kit arrived?

[daafisch]

Originally Posted by gmoney542 Look at what showed up yesterday! I'm super excited to install these this week. The spring rates I got are 600 front and 700 rear if anyone cares to know.

Same rates I got. I just haven't had time to install them. Weather or plans keep getting in the way

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[461_SS]

So how is it looking for them to push the rest of the kits out this week?

[yourname2221]

Originally Posted by 461_SS So how is it looking for them to push the rest of the kits out this week?

in b4 they're waiting on more springs

[JDMJOSH]

Originally Posted by yourname2221 in b4 they're waiting on more springs

First they were waiting on more Koni shocks for the rest of the orders to ship out and now its springs from Eibach. 1 month after the GB has ended and barely half of the orders have shipped out. I know its out of RPM's hands but GC has just bungled this while thing from the start and we're still getting dicked around. I hope RPM rips them a new one because this is easily one of the poorly handled GB's I've ever been a part of.

[yourname2221]

Originally Posted by JDMJOSH First they were waiting on more Koni shocks for the rest of the orders to ship out and now its springs from Eibach. 1 month after the GB has ended and barely half of the orders have shipped out. I know its out of RPM's hands but GC has just bungled this while thing from the start and we're still getting dicked around. I hope RPM rips them a new one because this is easily one of the poorly handled GB's I've ever been a part of.

Agreed, being one of the guys in no rush to take delivery I have no reason to be upset personally. But its very clear that if I was one of the ones who had plans for these I wouldn't be happy with the timeline its taken on their end.

[RPM]

Sorry for the delayed update. The 3 kits did go out today.

I have been giving them a very hard time about all of this and have continued to push, but there's only so much I can do. When this whole thing started, I had no idea or even expectation that it would take this long. I understand that it takes an hour or so to modify each set of KONIs and that they have other customers to take care of, too, but I just wish they had been clear up front that they'd only average 2 kits per day. Regardless, I promise I will continue to stay on them until every last kit is shipped.

[Adog35]

Installed my kit on Friday.
The fronts were a PITA to do.
I needed Thors hammer to remove the front struts
from the knucke.

Also, I have 450F/500R and on Los Angeles
roads the set up feels bouncy.
I am assuming the Konis need to be adjusted?

Any input?

[jack_hammer]

Originally Posted by Adog35 Installed my kit on Friday. The fronts were a PITA to do. I needed Thors hammer to remove the front struts from the knucke. Also, I have 450F/500R and on Los Angeles roads the set up feels bouncy. I am assuming the Konis need to be adjusted? Any input?

Next time use the scissor jack to pry them apart

Sent from my LG-MS770 using Tapatalk

[daafisch]

Originally Posted by Adog35 Installed my kit on Friday. The fronts were a PITA to do. I needed Thors hammer to remove the front struts from the knucke. Also, I have 450F/500R and on Los Angeles roads the set up feels bouncy. I am assuming the Konis need to be adjusted? Any input?

Originally Posted by jack_hammer Next time use the scissor jack to pry them apart Sent from my LG-MS770 using Tapatalk

This or you can also take a 1/4" drive ratchet and spread the knuckle. It fits perfectly into the slot. I've also heard of people putting the bolt in backwards with something like a quarter to block the hole so it's spreads the knuckle. I've never done it this way so idk exactly how it works.

[Chimmike]

Originally Posted by Adog35 Installed my kit on Friday. The fronts were a PITA to do. I needed Thors hammer to remove the front struts from the knucke. Also, I have 450F/500R and on Los Angeles roads the set up feels bouncy. I am assuming the Konis need to be adjusted? Any input?

I'm finding on poor concrete surfaces it's not really bouncy, though it feels so. It's just stiff suspension reacting to poor surfaces. It still soaks up most minor imperfections very well, but I'm experiencing what you are on my commute thru St. Petersburg on terrible I-275. Poor concrete with uneven undulations of various heights and spacing.

[jack_hammer]

Originally Posted by daafisch This or you can also take a 1/4" drive ratchet and spread the knuckle. It fits perfectly into the slot. I've also heard of people putting the bolt in backwards with something like a quarter to block the hole so it's spreads the knuckle. I've never done it this way so idk exactly how it works.

i use the quarter trick for seating the new struts, actually. you bolt the thread in from the threaded side and put something in the space to stop it. that forces the knuckle to spread open a bit. just be cautious how far you spread it. if you spread it too much, you'll have a hard time getting the bolt in there the right way when you want to button up your installation.

[Adog35]

Originally Posted by Chimmike I'm finding on poor concrete surfaces it's not really bouncy, though it feels so. It's just stiff suspension reacting to poor surfaces. It still soaks up most minor imperfections very well, but I'm experiencing what you are on my commute thru St. Petersburg on terrible I-275. Poor concrete with uneven undulations of various heights and spacing.

What set up options did you order?
To me 450F/500R seems rather high for a daily driving/ Touring set up.

Did you reuse the OEM dust cover in the rear? The directions from Koni show them reusing them
however, the GC bump stops don't fit with them.

[RPM]

Originally Posted by Adog35 What set up options did you order? To me 450F/500R seems rather high for a daily driving/ Touring set up.

The effective spring rate with these springs is more like 270/300 when the motion ratio is taken into account.

[phate]

Originally Posted by RPM The effective spring rate with these springs is more like 270/300 when the motion ratio is taken into account.

How do you figure? The motio ratio up front is ~.97, and the rear motion ratio is ~.72.

[RPM]

Originally Posted by phate How do you figure? The motio ratio up front is ~.97, and the rear motion ratio is ~.72.

Just going by what GC told me. They told me it was around 0.6. I don't know how they obtained their numbers.

EDIT: I'm not a mechanical engineer by any means, but looking at the suspension, 0.97 seems high for the front considering the mount points for the shocks. 0.72 is probably about right for the rear, though.