Miatas have a lot of wheel gap

"fourvalleys" (fourvalleys) 01/03/2017 at 10:09 • Filed to: wurst case racing, miata, paco motorsports, ice racing, rallycross, rallyx, racecar, fourvalleys

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Now mine has more.

Also, new vinyl!

Here’s a “before” photo, in case you wanted to compare it to summer mode:

Bring on the snow and ice! Thanks to Paco Motorsports for making such a weird, wonderful lift kit.

Milky > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:11

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Thats amazing. How much is the kit?

Stapleface > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:12

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It’s definitely weird, but I dig it. And you have a functional purpose for it, too. How does the lift change the handling characteristics over your summer ride height?

Tekamul > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:13

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That’s awesome.

Was it really just $194 like their site says?

fourvalleys > Milky 01/03/2017 at 10:15

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Under $200 shipped! It’s the silliest project I’ve ever done.

fourvalleys > Tekamul 01/03/2017 at 10:16

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Yep! It’s a really simple set of parts, but that’s all it cost me. I didn’t upgrade anything else at the same time (well, other than those MINI wheels and Blizzaks) so that was the total cost. Oh, plus beer and pizza for my helpers.

fourvalleys > Stapleface 01/03/2017 at 10:18

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I’ve only put about 10 miles on it so far, and they’ve been gentle ones. It’s definitely weird because the only change is the center of gravity. Same suspension, same bushings, just taller. And no sway bars.

I won’t really have a great report on the handling until it’s snowy or cold enough for the lake to freeze through. Hopefully it’ll be cold enough this week so I can get it out on the lake this weekend. We’ll see!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:20

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That damn lift kit is so cheap it’s almost “fuck it” money and it’s so very hard not to make bad choices right now.

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:20

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This is one of the most delightful miatas I have ever seen. You need some big nobbly tires for extra lulz.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:20

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Hmm, I wonder how this one compares to the FM kit that is out there. This one looks like a much more significant lift.

fourvalleys > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 01/03/2017 at 10:25

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There’s the “Offroadster” kit which starts at $2200 but is realistically $4000+ once you factor in shocks, and there’s the 3" lift kit (this one) which is about $194 shipped. Both are made by Paco Motorsports and sold through FM.

Mercedes Streeter > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:26

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Damn man, I really really want to do that with Tucker. Lifted small car is small car!

fourvalleys > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/03/2017 at 10:26

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You sound a lot like me. Though if I’d known what it would take to install it I might have thought twice about it. There’s a few little issues, but nothing major. I couldn’t imagine trying to install this on stock suspension... it was hard enough with short Bilsteins.

cbell04 > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:26

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This is good oppo! Looks awesome.“And the miata fearing for its life swells itself up to appear as large as possible to deter the attack.”

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:26

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Hahah that is an awesome name, Offroadster. That would make a great bumpersticker to go along with the kit. I am guessing that the 3" lift is just like a block that goes in there to extend the spring height.

fourvalleys > CalzoneGolem 01/03/2017 at 10:26

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I wish they’d fit! Anything bigger than what I’ve got would require cutting the sheet metal. Hard pass.

Tekamul > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:27

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Hmmmm......now I’m looking around.......

http://www.subtle-solutions.com/product_info.php?products_id=284

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:28

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Shoulda gone full Offroadster. Always go full Offroadster.

fourvalleys > Tekamul 01/03/2017 at 10:28

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Paging Chris_K_F!

(He helped me install this, and was talking about lifting his FR-S after we finished... This needs to happen!)

fourvalleys > CalzoneGolem 01/03/2017 at 10:31

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The cost of that kit plus a good set of knobby tires easily eclipses what I paid for this car. I bought it as a track car, so this lift will be coming back off in spring.

In any case, I’m more into the track than I am into off-road. It’s fun for sure, but just less my style. The cost of this kit was just low enough for me to say screw it.

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:32

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How does it handle now? Body roll for days?

fourvalleys > CalzoneGolem 01/03/2017 at 10:36

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No sway bars and a higher center of gravity. It’s definitely an interesting feeling.

We’ll see how the body roll goes once I get a little more comfortable beating on it. I predict it will be silly.

Tekamul > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:37

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How bad of a job was it?

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:40

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Does it squat if you accelerate quickly?

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:45

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RallyMiata? RallyMiata!

fourvalleys > Tekamul 01/03/2017 at 10:47

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Two really tough parts: One was installing the spacer itself. It goes into the bottom of the shock, so you have to compress it and sneak the spacer in below it. This wasn’t easy, especially in the back.

The other part was far worse, and that was adjusting the height. That’s more of an issue with my coilovers specifically, but it’s worth mentioning. There was some creativity involving clamps, allen wrenches, and towels. I have some patient friends who did this for me (I owe them... yowza).

The only significant issue with the kit (so far) is that my brake line attaches to a bracket on the shock body (in the front). This is dangerously close to the upper control arm, to the point where I’d worry about it getting pinched. I bent the bracket a bit to get it out of the way, but that’s not a great permanent solution. We’ll see how it ends up.

Fortunately it’s only a track/ice racing car, so I’m not as worried about it on the street. It’s still fun, though.

fourvalleys > CalzoneGolem 01/03/2017 at 10:48

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TBD! Probably not much, it’s still got the same suspension on it, which is fairly stiff.

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:55

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Same suspension? How does this kit even work?

fourvalleys > CalzoneGolem 01/03/2017 at 10:57

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Haha, it’s just a shock spacer, that’s all.

CalzoneGolem > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 10:58

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That’s great stuff.

shop-teacher > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 11:12

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This is all kinds of awesome! Time to get my happy ass in the garage to put the tow bar on the RallyMetro.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 11:30

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Rallycross time?

fourvalleys > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 01/03/2017 at 11:58

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Close! Winter autocross and ice racing time, hopefully! Back to track-day height sometime in March, probably.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 12:10

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Spring compressors! The kit is basically blocks that install like wheel spacers on top of the struts, right?

fourvalleys > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/03/2017 at 12:26

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It’s not the spring that’s the problem - it’s the length of the shock itself. I had backed the spring all the way down so it didn’t even factor in anymore. You can then compress the shock... if you can get the correct angle. Prepare for some awful pains in your arms though, and prepare to get very close to your helper.

These bolt onto the bottom of the shock. I’m fairly confident that spacers that bolted to the top might be easier to install, but I could also fathom a situation where that would be more difficult. This wasn’t THAT bad, but it wasn’t painless either.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 12:36

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The bottom? Got any pictures of it installed? I once swapped stock springs for aftermarket lowering springs on my NA without a spring compressor. T’was great fun. Hell of a lot easier than my Civic was. Got it done in three hours or so the first time.

fourvalleys > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/03/2017 at 12:41

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Here are a couple of photos with the front spacer in. I had to leave the swaybar disconnected since the end links don’t reach. The rears use a slightly different bracket, but it’s the same concept... just way harder to get into place.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 14:08

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oh please review the Paco kit. ive been thinking about it for my NB

fourvalleys > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time 01/03/2017 at 14:23

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Will do! Gotta put it through its paces, first. :)

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 14:32

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Well that’s certainly interesting. I’ve been wanting to lift my girlfriend’s ‘93 Civic for a while and that looks like a really easy to fab way of going about it.

fourvalleys > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 01/03/2017 at 14:42

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Yeah! There was some concern in an earlier version of these with a clearance issue of some sort, but it seems fine now! I’m sure it’s possible to fab up, just be very careful with additional stresses on axles and bushings.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 14:49

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I’m impressed the camber isn’t thrown all to hell.

fourvalleys > shop-teacher 01/03/2017 at 16:07

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Let me know if you need a hand! :-D

Frank Grimes > fourvalleys 01/03/2017 at 19:47

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I want mini wheels for winter.

fourvalleys > Frank Grimes 01/04/2017 at 09:12

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I’m fairly shocked at how well they actually work with this look. I didn’t expect it at all.

Frank Grimes > fourvalleys 01/05/2017 at 00:08

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I think they look really nice. Like an old campagnolo wheel one might see on an alfa or something.

I just need to find a set of my own that isnt priced as high as like a really lightweight new wheel.

fourvalleys > Frank Grimes 01/05/2017 at 08:22

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What do these normally go for? I feel like I stole them - they’re clean and I paid $375 with almost-new Blizzaks on them.

Frank Grimes > fourvalleys 01/05/2017 at 18:46

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the last time I looked I think they were like one hundred and change on ebay but they might have been those overpriced refubished ones.