FCM topmount kits for NAs

[sss1987]

Strange request...anyone using these with Stock NA Bilsteins and Stock Springs with FCMs own bumpstops?

Just wanted to know on your thoughts if you were running these.

thanks

[The Driver]

I'm using them with stock springs and Tokico Illuminas. The rears I love, the front... Not so much which is one of the reasons I will be installing adjustable coil overs sometime this summer.


The ideal height ride front to back should be between .25 and .5 for optimum handling. Mine is .75 and noone can figure out why! + it looks kinda "not right", and worst not enough suspension travel up front. Otherwise the bushings are good and so are the NB shock mounts.

[sss1987]

Hi bud, am i right in thinkig your complaining more about the springs and dampers?

Got any pics of your ride height?

Any othrr info you can share about the fcm mounts? Am i right in thinking the kit incorporates oem mk2 mounts (and they arent using their own?...daft qs..just wanted to be sure!)

[jux]

I've been considering converting my Bilstein setup (w/ stock R-pkg springs, so a little lower in back than typical) to NB hats and FCM bumps. Should give me another 1/2" or so of drop from the new stop hats, and some added travel from the considerably shorter bump stops. If it ends up not being ideal, can always pop in a set of FM springs, which is a proven good ride.

[The Driver]

Hi bud, am i right in thinkig your complaining more about the springs and dampers?

Got any pics of your ride height?

Any othrr info you can share about the fcm mounts? Am i right in thinking the kit incorporates oem mk2 mounts (and they arent using their own?...daft qs..just wanted to be sure!)

That's a possibility, but since I don't know how to unbolt the suspension; meaning every time I deal with this I have to open up the wallet, I will get rid of the "guessing" part.

FCM stuff is superb, no question.

[sss1987]

I've been considering converting my Bilstein setup (w/ stock R-pkg springs, so a little lower in back than typical) to NB hats and FCM bumps. Should give me another 1/2" or so of drop from the new stop hats, and some added travel from the considerably shorter bump stops. If it ends up not being ideal, can always pop in a set of FM springs, which is a proven good ride.

This is exactly what i want to do with my 1992 S Spec (Jdm import) package (same billies as the r spec).
Im hoping someone can tell us what adding the FCM mounts and bumpstops will do on the oem bilstein package. lol!

[stormin'norman]

FCM mounts are just NB hats + shaiks hardware and FCM bumps of your choice. As far as I can tell. ~.5" lowering vs a standard NA hat and the option to chose bumpstop length. No magic here.

[sss1987]

Hi stormin, i know theres "no magic here". I was just interested in how the additional damper travel and much smoother bump stops translate on the road..if that makes sense? ie where would the benefit be felt, eg bumps/hard cornering etc. Its a noob qs i know :S Its just everyone bangs on about additional damper travel etc, but i havent seen many elaborate on how this translate to the "drive" after.

Sorry for all noob qs..:S

[stormin'norman]

Hi stormin, i know theres "no magic here". I was just interested in how the additional damper travel and much smoother bump stops translate on the road..if that makes sense? ie where would the benefit be felt, eg bumps/hard cornering etc. Its a noob qs i know :S Its just everyone bangs on about additional damper travel etc, but i havent seen many elaborate on how this translate to the "drive" after.

Sorry for all noob qs..:S

Without adjustable perches I don't see how these can give more travel. The NB style hats, by design, just allow the whole assemble to move close to the actual shock tower causing the very slight lowering. I think you could, however, gain a very slight amount of travel in this manner yet would sacrifice the lowering benefits of the NB hat:

Say you had a spring/shock combo or coilover with adjustable spring perches but still using the bulky/thick NA top hats. You then replaced those top hats for NB units BUT intended to keep the same ride height as previous set with the NA's. To compensate for the natural lowering the NB hat would allow you raised your spring perches every so slightly negating the NB hat lowering effect but exposing a small amount of additional shock range of motion before bumpstop contact. This would keep you at your previous ride height but free up just a bit more shock travel.

Now, hitting the bumpstops is not necessarily a bad thing. The stock Miata was intended, oddly, enough to just about rest on them under hard cornering, dive, squat etc. It's when the bumpstops are not carefully chosen that funky things can happen such as your theoretical spring rate shooting through the roof when contacting a very stiff bumpstop.

Shaikh offers many different bumpstop lengths and even different compounds iirc some that might even vary depending on how much the bump as compressed. Such as softer initial impact meant to help slow the shock down from too much further traveling without any terribly unnecessary harshness and then if needed a much firmer stage more as a protection barrier to save shock life or stuffing your tire into the wheel well.

He would probably be the guy to seek further recommendations. It's mostly well above my head. I think the obvious point is shock travel before any bumpstop is ideal but in some cases impossible to avoid based on shock shaft length, ride height, spring rate choice, and the shock's performance. In those cases additional fine tuning by using Shaikh's selection of stops or others and his knowledge would come into play.

On the cheap you can also trim your current bumpstops. For the Tein kits the bottom one or two stop rings can be removed. Probably not as ideal as an FCM stop but it works to some extent to gain some more travel however once you make contact it is harsher.


Feel free to correct me anyone. This is my understanding from reading (probably false internet information) and speaking with my boss/racer at work every now and then. :p

[sss1987]

What you said makes sense norman, i think the shorter bumpstops over stock are what probably provide the "extra travel".

Think i might shoot shaikh an email.

Cheers for the info stormin!