raceland coils instalation instructions?/ coil sleeves/jackets

[marcodude04]

alright guys so i decided to pull the trigger on race land ultimos for my genpu hatch... i know racelands are frowned upon but honestly im lucky if i manage to put on 6k on the odometer a year although i'm going to be commuting to college next year but anyways ..i have had the car for a year and a half and have only managed to put on approximately 5.5k at most soo far. If you're just going to bash me that i wasted my money, etc, etc then i don't want to hear it , im 17 and on a school budget.. and just want it for the lows ( the thing isn't even driven that much or driven hard). so who here has them and could give me a mini diy on how to install them?

also i have read on the forum awhile ago that someone had purchased coil sleeves/ jackets to keep the coils safe from dust and road debree can someone let me know wheres the website to purchase them?

thanks in advance for the help :)

[Hyperion]

Any coil diy will do the trick. But you also need to find a diy for a spring swap and take what information you need from there to remove the stock strut caps.

[marcodude04]

Any coil diy will do the trick. But you also need to find a diy for a spring swap and take what information you need from there to remove the stock strut caps.

thanks ! ive contacted them so i have an idea what has to be transferred ! also would i have to runs spacers to go extremley low? im thinking of an inch wheelgap maybe less depending on how the wheel fits... my specs are 18x8 225.40.18 +42... i know i should be fine without rubbing but how about hitting clearing the struts/coils?

[Hyperion]

No issues

[marcodude04]

dopeeee:hawt

[silverstarmazda]

i got the raceland ultimos and love them so far

[marcodude04]

i got the raceland ultimos and love them so far

How long have you had them ? How's the ride I'm assuming stiff but I won't mind it ,

[Shinglez]

i got the raceland ultimos and love them so far

Told you you'd love em. WHY WON'T ANYONE EVER LISTEN TO ME

[marcodude04]

Told you you'd love em. WHY WON'T ANYONE EVER LISTEN TO ME

so will i love them too? :D

[silverstarmazda]

Told you you'd love em. WHY WON'T ANYONE EVER LISTEN TO ME

CUZ (your avatar) !!!!!!!!!! lol

[marcodude04]

does anyone know where i can rent/ get a spring compressor?

[dentinger]

Canadian Tire or part source may have them in their loan a tool program.

[ryan2.3]

i have the regulars (ultimos came out like 2 weeks after i bought mine :( )

I've put about 3000km on them so far and they've been great.

I used these for the install. Aside from my rust and seized related issues, these were helpful.

http://www.mnmazda.com/forum/showthread.php?6517-How-To-H-amp-R-Coilover-install-on-Mazdaspeed-3

http://www.mazda3forums.com/showthread.php?t=395288

Also not sure if the ultimos are different, but with the regulars, on the rear, given the lettering on the springs it looks like the collar should be on the bottom, but the collar will be on the top so it'll look "upside down"

[Lmmorden]

Interesting.... Ultimos eh? silverstarmazda how many clicks u have on them?

Powder coated is good... 2 year warranty is also good for the price

[marcodude04]

Yeah ultimos .... http://www.racelandus.com/coilovers/mazda-coilover-kits/mazda-3-ultimo-coilovers-10.html

[silverstarmazda]

dont know exactly how much km i put on them...around 2 oil changes which puts them around 10,000km approximately. i put anti seize on the threads days before the install because i was bored :chuckle.

the springs do feel stiffer than what i had before (sportlines). but this also translates to the ride being a tad more bouncy at times as there is no shock adjustments (koni). so say good bye to a smooth ride LOL. seems like theres less "body roll" too but that might just be from the lack of speed from being lower. it handles the weight of 4 people in the car and the car still drives great for how low it is. its hard to give an actual review on them since everyone has theyre own preference as to whats good, but i like mine

no horror stories yet but it seems like raceland has become more reliable over the last couple years than it use to. even if something were to happen, i heard (on almost every occasion) that raceland has one of the best customer services and will quickly deal with any problems. having two blown out konis.... my budget limited me to going back to oem height with some random shocks which probably would of costed more than raceland coilovers. so the decision was clear :)

http://i.imgur.com/isgbAxdl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TGIi8xr.jpg?1

[marcodude04]

dont know exactly how much km i put on them...around 2 oil changes which puts them around 10,000km approximately. i put anti seize on the threads days before the install because i was bored :chuckle.

the springs do feel stiffer than what i had before (sportlines). but this also translates to the ride being a tad more bouncy at times as there is no shock adjustments (koni). so say good bye to a smooth ride LOL. seems like theres less "body roll" too but that might just be from the lack of speed from being lower. it handles the weight of 4 people in the car and the car still drives great for how low it is. its hard to give an actual review on them since everyone has theyre own preference as to whats good, but i like mine

no horror stories yet but it seems like raceland has become more reliable over the last couple years than it use to. even if something were to happen, i heard (on almost every occasion) that raceland has one of the best customer services and will quickly deal with any problems. having two blown out konis.... my budget limited me to going back to oem height with some random shocks which probably would of costed more than raceland coilovers. so the decision was clear :)

http://i.imgur.com/isgbAxdl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TGIi8xr.jpg?1


May I ask where you for yours installed and how much it costed you ? Also did you get an alignment and how big was your drop :)

[silverstarmazda]

May I ask where you for yours installed and how much it costed you ? Also did you get an alignment and how big was your drop :)

installed them myself with help from 07carbon3 and another buddy, so install was basically free. havnt gotten an alignment yet (these springs do settle after install!!) so i gotta do that soon. not sure what the drop is from oem, but its a bit lower than the sportlines i had before. (top of fender arch is about 23 inches off the ground)

[Hyperion]

May I ask where you for yours installed and how much it costed you ? Also did you get an alignment and how big was your drop :)
I install them.
Pm me for pricing

[marcodude04]

So do you think an inch wheel gap is possible with these without camber plates and arms ? And thank you Hyperion but me and my dad are gonna tackle this ! :)

[silverstarmazda]

So do you think an inch wheel gap is possible with these without camber plates and arms ? And thank you Hyperion but me and my dad are gonna tackle this ! :)

an inch wheel gap is very possible with these. an inch is about prokits height.

[marcodude04]

Sweet :)

[Lmmorden]

Sweet :)

Dude 😏

[silverstarmazda]

maaan

[Fack_Dude]

faccccckkkkkk

[marcodude04]

so ive come across a new idea... instead of using my oem top hats should i just buy oem tophats? if i do so i would need to buy bearings as well correct? what else will i need and can someone suggest bearings?

[Lmmorden]

Aren't bearings included? Maybe not?

[silverstarmazda]

new bearings are included by raceland.

the old bearings in the oem top hats come off.

now your left with the top hat plate (the triangular piece that bolts to the car)

put the raceland bearing onto the top hat plate.

assemble the coilover and bolt it into the car with the 3 original bolts.

[silverstarmazda]

1) OEM TOP HAT/BEARING:
http://i.imgur.com/HUAiVio.jpg

2) REMOVE THIS (OLD BEARING):
http://i.imgur.com/J1bEbvd.jpg

3) WHAT YOUR LEFT WITH:
http://i.imgur.com/Pw1RdM4.jpg

4) RACELAND BEARING:
http://i.imgur.com/WvpiWxd.jpg

5) ASSEMBLE NEW TOP HAT:
http://i.imgur.com/G5xos3q.jpg

hope this clears up any confusion :) so all in all, you dont need to buy anything new.

[ryan2.3]

Don't forget to reuse the bumpstop

[marcodude04]

Oh I thought that was the bump stop :facepalm. , do I do have to re use the old bump stop?

[marcodude04]

anyone help? i managed to get my hands on an aftermarket top hat plate but it didnt come with a bumpstop so im debating if i should return it and just dissassmbelle the oem assembly or get a bumpstop, if you re use the stock one do you have to cut it ? ( trying to keep my stock ones in one piece so if i need to put them back in its just a straight swap)

[ryan2.3]

I used my stock one. Just pulled it out when you separate the bearing from top hat

[marcodude04]

oh, well im not pulling apart my stock one ! i already have the top hat plate so im trying to figure out if a bump stop is really needed , unless theres a high chance of bottoming out

[marcodude04]

So called raceland , they said in only need to re use the tophat plate like silverstsar said .. Kinda sounds bizarre ?

[Hyperion]

Yea reuse the oem top hat and add their shit. What's so confusing? You have every step handed to you by silverstar

[marcodude04]

its not confusing , just want to doublechecking since im gonna order the pieces rather than pulling my stock one apart.

[ryan2.3]

What is there to pull apart. If you're reusing the top hat, you would have pulled off the bumpstop to put the Raceland bearing on it. With no top hat on the stock ones there's nothing holding the bumpstop on it

[silverstarmazda]

What is there to pull apart. If you're reusing the top hat, you would have pulled off the bumpstop to put the Raceland bearing on it. With no top hat on the stock ones there's nothing holding the bumpstop on it

your only reusing the top hat plate and not the bearing because the spring of the coilover wont seat properly. since the oem bumpstop is held stationary by the oem bearing, it is not used with the raceland bearing because it wont hold it. (itll slide up and down)

racelands dont use the old front oem bumpstops because they are too long for the "lowness" they achieve. the rubber boot covers has "somewhat" of a bumpstop built in. the top of the boot is basically a rubber puck. this rubber puck is about an inch thick, this shortness allows the coilover to ride low without riding on a long oem bumpstop. (hence why it isnt used)

you however do reuse the old rear one. (at least i did)

REMEMBER: not all coilovers are installed the same/reuse the same parts. so although the basic steps are similar between brands, some steps might be skipped or added depending on the brand your installing.

[silverstarmazda]

in this picture you can barely see the rubber puck right above the boots. (next to the tag on the left, and between the 3rd/4th coil on the right)
http://i.imgur.com/TGIi8xr.jpg?1
ironically, the racelands shown above is also how they are assembled minus the top hat plate.

[ryan2.3]

I have to check the box full of the OEM, but I'm pretty sure I used the rear and front bumps tops. I was able to get the Raceland bearings to work with them and the top plate

[marcodude04]

thanks for the help guys! i got the part(s) i needed and install should be this weekend ! ill post a before and after picture , mucho thanks for the help and patience!

[marcodude04]

thanks for the help guys! i got the part(s) i needed and install should be this weekend ! ill post a before and after picture , mucho thanks for the help and patience! :)

[silverstarmazda]

I have to check the box full of the OEM, but I'm pretty sure I used the rear and front bumps tops. I was able to get the Raceland bearings to work with them and the top plate

all of my bumpstops were basically destroyed. all that came out was foam bits and pieces lol. im not surprised if they would work, it all really depends how low you want the car to be. you dont want to be riding the bumpstops all the time or itll be extremely bouncy

[marcodude04]

Yeah that's true ! I've got my tophats and rear strut mounts from Monroe , all ready to go finally :)

[marcodude04]

So I did the install this past Sunday (the 27th) everything went smooth and easy probably took about 6 hours with lunch break and what not ... So here's a before and after and some pictures (will be going lower once springs settle and driveways is redone)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/2AC5C2F8-CFAA-4897-8B68-189DA90C7D27_zps2q4mwhgc.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/2AC5C2F8-CFAA-4897-8B68-189DA90C7D27_zps2q4mwhgc.jpg.html)


http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/B15C86CA-9D0A-4E63-B6BE-C10E03D991E7_zpstl03z25j.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/B15C86CA-9D0A-4E63-B6BE-C10E03D991E7_zpstl03z25j.jpg.html)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/5BC45474-6BD5-4380-9314-94C5B5D41CA0_zpscxkel0z7.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/5BC45474-6BD5-4380-9314-94C5B5D41CA0_zpscxkel0z7.jpg.html)

[marcodude04]

To adjust the rears do I have to pull everything out ? Or is there a way I can turn the purch without taking it out along with the spring

[silverstarmazda]

To adjust the rears do I have to pull everything out ? Or is there a way I can turn the purch without taking it out along with the spring

probably easiest to just take it out

[ryan2.3]

With the wheel off you should be able to adjust the perch. You put the perch on top right? I called Raceland to confirm this because I got confused. The printing on the spring leads you to put it on bottom but it's inaccessible unless it's up top

[silverstarmazda]

its nearly impossible to actually access the adjusting ring once its in the car since it sits in a cup like housing.

[marcodude04]

My perch is on top ? so I'm kinda lost on what you're saying and I know ts hard to adjust but I can still see the perch and lock where the spanner wrench goes .. I think I only moved it down half inch of threading so I can still adjust it's, JSIT the tension the spring has on it and positioning is kinda a b*tch to turn it . Maybe I'll take them out or just wait till next season when I drop the car back down for the summer

[mcatahan]

So I did the install this past Sunday (the 27th) everything went smooth and easy probably took about 6 hours with lunch break and what not ... So here's a before and after and some pictures (will be going lower once springs settle and driveways is redone)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/2AC5C2F8-CFAA-4897-8B68-189DA90C7D27_zps2q4mwhgc.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/2AC5C2F8-CFAA-4897-8B68-189DA90C7D27_zps2q4mwhgc.jpg.html)


http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/B15C86CA-9D0A-4E63-B6BE-C10E03D991E7_zpstl03z25j.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/B15C86CA-9D0A-4E63-B6BE-C10E03D991E7_zpstl03z25j.jpg.html)

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b593/sk8rboi_marco/5BC45474-6BD5-4380-9314-94C5B5D41CA0_zpscxkel0z7.jpg (http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/sk8rboi_marco/media/5BC45474-6BD5-4380-9314-94C5B5D41CA0_zpscxkel0z7.jpg.html)
I have the same coils and im just curious, are they maxed out in the pics?