Stock hatch 3 springs VS. MazdaSpeed3 springs

[fastNugly]

As the title says....

Is there a difference in either of the springs? What I really want to know is if the MS3 springs lower the car more than stock 3 springs (hatch, if that makes a difference)

Would MS3 springs fit and 04 hatch as well?

The stock MS3 wheels fit much better on the MS3 vs. the stock 3.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[sp3GT]

You should be able to find your answer in this thread, http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19549
Go down to post #20

[fini]

I think many if not all of the answers to your questions can be found in the following thread:

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19549

just gotta poke around all the posts to find the ones pertinent to you.

Edit: ^^^Beat me to the punch!!

[fastNugly]

thanks guys.... so based on what the linked stated, the stock MS3 springs drop the the car 0.5" compared to the stock 3?

is this why the 18" rims look much better the the MS3 vs the GS and GT hatch model? given the fact that there are other body mods that make it look better. I am talking about the gap room in the fenders to the wheel.

:)

[fini]

Also your stock mazdapseed3 spring information is wrong. Everyone THOUGHT that they would provide a half inch drop all around based on the specs. But no one took into account that the mazdapseed3 weighs almost 400 pounds more then the stock mazda3 sedan, about 250 more then the hatch. I suspect the hatch would of gotten close to a half inch drop all around but the sedan definitly didnt. Infact its a little funny. When i first put the stock speed3 springs on my sedan the front RAISED, but once settling id say it sits nearly the same as stock springs, maybe a little lower. The back droped tho, at least a inch. Maybe a bit more. Now that its all settling tho it actully doesnt look weird. Ill post a picture later tonight. Anyway, regardless im not that happy as I think the stock speed3 springs would be much better for someone with a hatchback and will be reselling them and picking up prokits .. not the biggest drop but i dont think i can justify m// coilovers ethier :P

Quoting from the linked thread^^^^

[fastNugly]

Quoting from the linked thread^^^^


thanks for the link....it is a little confusing.

I have a hatch, and based on what he said, it would benefit more a hatch owner than a sedan? So it might actually be lower than a stock 3 hatch setup? Or did he mean that it would benefit a hatch owner simply for resale purposes to get something else?

Thanks for all you help.

[fini]

I wouldn't want to speak for Magitronic, but what I suspect is that the logic behind the Speed3 springs on a non-speed3 hatch would be this:

- Speed 3 is heavier than a regular sport model. (according to Magitronic, approx 250lbs)

- because regular sport model is lighter, it won't sit at the same height as a speed3. The end result is most likely close to the same ride height as the stock springs, or slightly lower and stiffer. Since we dont' know the spring rates, we can't know for sure.

Someone on here has to have the springs installed on their hatch!! They would be best to give input in that respect.

[fastNugly]

I wouldn't want to speak for Magitronic, but what I suspect is that the logic behind the Speed3 springs on a non-speed3 hatch would be this:

- Speed 3 is heavier than a regular sport model. (according to Magitronic, approx 250lbs)

- because regular sport model is lighter, it won't sit at the same height as a speed3. The end result is most likely close to the same ride height as the stock springs, or slightly lower and stiffer. Since we dont' know the spring rates, we can't know for sure.

Someone on here has to have the springs installed on their hatch!! They would be best to give input in that respect.

Thanks and I agree....

Any stock hatch owners have MS3 springs on their car? Has it lowered you car? I am not expecting huge drop but atleast .5" - 1" max.

[Wild Weasel]

Note as well that the MS3 comes with the wrong sized tires for the regular 3.

[azn_outlaw]

i know someone on this board had bought stock Mazda3Speed OEM springs

the owner said he was goign to post pics once it was installed but nothing has been done yet...

Well here is the link:

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19348

[fastNugly]

Note as well that the MS3 comes with the wrong sized tires for the regular 3.

I am aware of that....but what on the MS3 makes it fit better?

[Wild Weasel]

I am aware of that....but what on the MS3 makes it fit better?

That depends on what you mean by "better". If you're talking about pure aesthetics, then the bigger tires will better fill the wheel wells meaning that even without being any lower, there will be less wheel gap.

This isn't an option for the regular 3 though. You should always run the proper tire size for a number of reasons.

[RedRaptor]

Weasel,

What are you talking about?

Stock Tire Size For A Standard 3: 205/50/17
Stock Tire Size For A MS3: 215/45/18

YES it is not a perfect match but it is close enough. Stop scaring off newbies about the whole standard 3 vs MS3 tire size thing. The way you make it sound, the MS3 rims and tires are gonna destroy the fenders and pop off on a standard 3. :S

The speedo will be a BIT off (if you can even say its off), so when you are going 102km/h, it will read 102 km/h.

As for fitment, I am going to say this again. YES the MS3 stock rim will FIT fine. They are 18x7 with a 50mm offset...compare that to a RX8 rim 18x8 with a 50mm offset as well. Has anyone complained about the RX8 rims rubbing or getting destroyed by a fender? No.

So enough of the urban myths on the MS3 rim not fitting on a standard 3. The way I see it is, who wants the stock MS3 rim anyways? They are heavy, ugly and only 7" wide. Compare that to RX8 rims which look better, lighter and 8" wide. Too bad, Mazda didn't put Racing Hearts on the MS3 like they did for the previous gen Mazdaspeed protege.

But to each, his own.

[Wild Weasel]

YES it is not a perfect match but it is close enough. Stop scaring off newbies about the whole standard 3 vs MS3 tire size thing. The way you make it sound, the MS3 rims and tires are gonna destroy the fenders and pop off on a standard 3. :S


No it isn't. It's not close enough. Close enough is a 225/40/18 or a 215/40/18.

Sure, you can get away with it if you end up with them, but you'd never buy this size if you were out shopping for tires for a set of 18's on a regular 3.

There's actually another thread here somewhere where I say they should be fine. I'm not scaring anyone. I'm just giving the facts.

I'm assuming that was a typo... you should have said that when you're going 100, the speedo reads 102.

Of course, this might help people avoid speeding tickets.... :chuckle