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Top recommended performance accessories for the Mazda MX-5 Miata?

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I honestly cant stand how much this car leans every time I take a turn even slightly fast. Like I love my ND Miata but the body roll is actually making me regret the purchase a little bit which sounds crazy I know but it is just so distracting. So I was thinking about just doing sway bars first because they are relatively cheap but then my logic was if I am already under the car I might as well do the whole suspension setup right? But then I look at coilovers and there are like fifty different brands and half of them look like absolute junk or cost five grand.

I am out here in SoCal so I have access to some great canyon roads but right now it feels like I am driving a boat instead of a sports car. My budget is around 1500 to 2000 bucks for now and I want to get this sorted by next month before a big mountain run with some friends. Also the throttle response feels kinda laggy? Is that just me? I was looking at those pedal commander things but some people say they are a waste of money so I am totally stuck. I just want it to feel snappy and planted. What are you guys actually running that makes a noticeable difference because I am tired of the stock feel...


4 Answers
12

Honestly, ive seen so many guys ruin their NDs by throwing cheap coilovers on them just to fix the roll. In my experience, youre much better off with a methodical approach that prioritizes reliability. Start with the Flyin' Miata ND Sway Bar Kit because they provide much-needed lateral stability without sacrificing the suspension travel you need for those rough canyon roads. Its a safer bet than budget-bin coilovers that might fail when you are pushing it. Regarding that throttle lag, those pedal boxes dont actually add power, they just trick the sensor into thinking you are pinning it. Over the years, ive found that staying with a high-quality dry flow filter like the AEM 28-50044 DryFlow Air Filter keeps things clean and snappy. If you want to spend the rest of that two grand wisely, look into Koni Sport Yellow Shocks instead of full coilovers. They are basically bulletproof and let you tune the rebound so the car feels planted and secure.


11

Grab the Progress Technology Anti-Roll Sway Bar Kit for that roll and a VersaTune Flash Tune Kit for the lag! Seriously, you wont believe how much better it feels!


5

Spent some time thinking about your boat feeling. Honestly, I went through the same thing with my ND1. I tried the cheap fix route first with just springs and it actually made the car feel sketchier at the limit because the factory shocks couldnt handle the higher rates. If youre hitting those SoCal canyons, you want predictability, not just stiffness.

  • Supermiata Tecna Coilovers are the sweet spot for your budget. Theyre designed for street comfort but totally kill that body roll without making the car bounce over mid-corner bumps like the cheap stuff does.
  • Karcepts ND Sway Bar Kit for the front. In my experience, doing a high-quality front bar first helps the car stay flat while keeping the rear tires planted on the pavement.
  • Paco Motorsports ND Eccentric Lockout Kit is a low-key safety must. It keeps your alignment from shifting when you load up the suspension in a hard corner. Those pedal boxes are basically a psychological trick. They dont change the engine mapping, they just tell the ECU youre at 50% throttle when youre only at 20%. I found that once I fixed the suspension, the lag bothered me less because I could carry more speed through the apex anyway. Spend that money on a high-quality alignment instead. I usually run about 1.8 degrees of negative camber up front and it makes the car feel way snappier on turn-in. It feels much more like a precision tool than a toy once the geometry is locked in.


4

TL;DR: Bilstein for value, Ohlins for track. Im satisfied with Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit Suspension Kit as it is affordable, while Ohlins Road and Track Coilovers are more precise. I finished cleaning my calipers. Anyway.


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