Hot Bits addition helps RX-8 rise to the occasion

Brian Early

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

On the Targa Newfoundland, held two weeks ago, the 2,200 km of routes offer such vast variety of surfaces and challenges that a race vehicle must be prepared for just about anything.

And Newfoundland's unpredictable late-summer weather adds yet another dynamic.

So it was with some surprise, a measure of flattery and not a small amount of trepidation that I answered "yes" to a request from Jeff McKague to do some pre-event work on the L.A. Detail team's Mazda RX-8.

The team wanted to replace the existing Mazdaspeed Sport springs and struts with a set of adjustable "coilovers."

McKague's concern was that the Mazdaspeed suspension had a built-in 20 mm ride-height reduction.

That would leave the low-to-begin-with sports car vulnerable to damage from the rigours of high-speed driving over roads that could only charitably be described as "rough."

Extra ground clearance and additional suspension travel would be real assets, as fully compressed or fully extended suspension offers little or no control.

The team had found what they believed to be the solution in a set of Hot Bits coilover struts, manufactured by Indonesian performance parts supplier Speedworks and sourced through a Brampton supplier.

Adjustable for both height and damping – damping being how firmly the strut resists motion in either direction – the Hot Bits pieces were designed to survive competition use, and as such, are already in use by several North American rally teams.

Besides, how many other companies produce a suspension setup that actually raises an RX-8? Precious few I'd bet!

My employer, Auto Experts shop owner Greg Gallagher, volunteered the use of our facilities and time to perform the exchange.

Let me first say that I'm not often around dedicated competition vehicles.

Oozing my slightly overweight self into the RX-8's cockpit past a seeming maze of beautifully constructed roll cage bars, then squeezing into McKague's well-bolstered seat (clearly, he is more slender than me) was an experience in itself.

It's definitely odd to see what is basically a new, low-mileage car, with most of its interior stripped to the metal and completely violated by the cage, various safety and navigation items inelegantly bolted wherever necessary.

The Hot Bits coilovers did not come with any instructions whatsoever.

The assumption seemed to be that if you're installing them, you already know what you're doing.

In fairness, there were only a few head-scratching moments, a couple of which might have been avoided if I had worked on an RX-8's suspension before.

In the end, it proved not as difficult as anticipated, but a little guidance would have been appreciated.

I've learned that few aftermarket "bolt-in" parts ever just bolt in.

No exception here; adjusting the height of the spring perches on the threaded strut body proved particularly tricky in the front. That's because the RX-8's front suspension design places the adjustment collars right in the middle of the triangular upper control arm, severely restricting access.

The collars also contacted the aluminum arm itself, requiring some careful attention with a grinder to make both parts happy to cohabitate.

The Mazda's ride height was measured at all four corners beforehand. The new coilovers needed adjusting to attain the desired increase at each wheel.

Each time, the car had to be taken off the hoist, rolled back and forth to relax the suspension, measured and raised again to make the necessary changes – a time-consuming process. Luckily, I made a good guess during the initial installation.

I also benefited by not being the one to make the final adjustments.

That honour fell to Dave Wood Mazda, which would realign the car and probably fine-tune the height (which would settle slightly after being driven), and to McKague and co-driver Mike Gayowski.

A quick run down the street and back after the install confirmed the need to find a satisfactory compromise between chassis control and compliance.

The dampers were still set to their default firmest setting. With my torso unceremoniously jammed into McKague's form-fitting race seat, my innards felt like they'd gone a round with Mike Tyson.

The team finished first in Class 9, first in the Modern division and earned sixth place overall in the Targa (race competition) class, so they must have got the car sorted to their liking.

I'd like to think that I had something to do with their success.

I suppose I did, but the reality is that my total contribution was a pretty small part of a much larger effort.

Congratulations to all involved.

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