Final suspension upgrades

1391 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by TalonTsi90, 8 mo ago

ThatOneGuy93

Discussion Starter · May 20, 2022

Hello,

I am about ready to take on the final part replacements on my suspension for my 2016 Mazda 6. The last of the OEM parts that I planned on upgrading are the rear lateral arms, rear upper control arms, and rear lower control arms (considering going OEM with the lower control arms in the rear as I don't see much benefit to aftermarket there). I am still uncertain on doing anything with the front sway bar or brackets/bushings.

I am leaning towards the Megan Racing lateral arms in the rear for the adjustable toe, and either their upper control arms or the CorkSports. Any feedback or experience with either?

Current suspension:

Bilstein B6s front and back
KYB front strut mounts
Tanabe lowering springs
OEM rubber seats replaced when springs were installed
Progress Rear Sway Bar (set to least stiff option)
Moog rear sway bar links
Mevotech lower control arms in the front
Mevotech sway bar links in the front

It handles much better than it did new, is frequently driven on very windy backroads at 2-3x the speed limit, and will be introducing me to autocross next month if my other repairs go smoothly. Hoping for a good blend of durability and performance as it's my daily as well, with 90% of that being on the highway.

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ThatOneGuy93

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 21, 2022

TalonTsi90 said:
Just get Godspeed, they are the cheapest of that "one company made them, but 6 resell them rebranded" line up.
Youll need B8s for the shorter body to take advantage of the springs, otherwise itll be mushy and uncontrollable.

Merio said:
B6 are designed to be used with OEM springs. B8's are for aftermarket lowering springs. I got B8s with H&Rs rides pretty smooth not that much stiffer compared to OEM setup. Best of all no sagging ride height as some have stated with H&Rs.

I ended up ordering the Megan Racing lateral arms last night for $115 for the pair which was too good of a deal to pass up. I'll look at the Godspeed upper control arms for the rear for the adjustable camber.

So far the B6s with the Tanabe springs have been fantastic. Night and day difference on how much more planted the car feels, and cornering is much tighter than it was before. There has been a few others who went with B6s and didn't have any sag/slop either. I will need to search for the thread, but one member on here had contacted Bilstein about it and was told it would not be an issue too. Although, seeing the price of the B8's on RockAuto for only $5 more than the B6's for the rears makes me wish I hadn't bought mine months ago.

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ThatOneGuy93

Discussion Starter · #8 · 8 mo ago

mvch6 said:
So glad i found this thread! I’m looking to further upgrade my suspension to B6s as well & considering Tanabes in the future. I also have the Progress RSB & Moog end links which was one of the best decisions I’ve made for my car.

I was contemplating on B8s (since they’re 25mm shorter & I’m going for the flush look) with the OE springs, but I’m afraid it’ll negatively affect the ride. Just trying to maintain comfort while improving the handling & appearance. Also, would you recommend getting KYB strut mounts too or will i be ok with the OE mounts for daily & spirited driving?

I like my B6's but am looking at swapping to B8's actually as I want to maximize the benefits of my Tanabe springs. This is partially due to the driving I do and intend on doing in the future. The B6's have been phenomenal so far and it's a nice upgrade without sacrificing too much comfort. I went with KYB mounts up front and am swapping back to OEM to compare, but don't have an issue with the KYB's currently. My thinking is the OEM mounts will be higher quality than the KYB's though, as I've never been impressed with KYB.

I also added Megan Racing adjustable lateral arms in the rear, have new OEM lower control arms and trailing links for the rear in transit, and have Megan Racing adjustable rear upper control arms on the shelf ready to install with it all. My 6 spent 5 winters on salty roads up north and the rust is rampant so I figured I'd replace everything now that I'm in TN.

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ThatOneGuy93

Discussion Starter · #10 · 8 mo ago

mvch6 said:
Yea i agree; you’ll get more of the Tanabes with B8s for sure. Good to know that it’s possible to have lowerings springs with B6s but B8s would do you more good it seems. Looking forward to hearing your review!

I’ll probably just stick with the OE mounts after i get B6s & I’m pretty sure i have the “Type A” rear mounts. I also thought about whether or not i need to upgrade my control or lateral arms especially in the rear. I noticed a day or so after installing the Progress RSB i was hearing zirks coming from the rear when going over speed bumps & uneven surfaces. I think it just needed to be broken in but when i went back to the shop they said the noise was coming from the lateral arms i think. This was back in the end of the spring so the weather might’ve contributed to that as well & I haven’t heard the zirks in a while. I’m in IL so mine’s gotten a bit rusty too but the stealership always says my suspension is “in good shape” during routine maintenance lol.

It sounds like I'll have a set of B6's for sale (along with a ton of other parts I've been too lazy to sell) if you're looking for a cheap set! 😀 But with how prices on RockAuto are, it's worth buying new B6's in my opinion. I'll have to check which Type mounting is which, but all I know is I couldn't get them off after 2 days of trying and had a shop bust em loose and it took them 7hrs lol.

When you do the lowering springs, replace all the spring seats. You can get them cheap on MazdaSwag and it will help prevent the squeaks. I am replacing as much rubber on my car at this point since I was in MN for 2 winters and IL for 2 before moving to TN so I've seen how badly it deteriorates!

The rear toe arms from Megan Racing can be had for $115 for the set so if you replace them, it's not an expensive upgrade, easy to install, and gives you better ability to adjust your stance for the springs. You won't be wanting "dealer recommended" alignment after lowering your car unless you want to wear your tires all wonky and decrease your handling a tad.

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