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At this point, you can install the lower end of the sway bar end link. Torque everything to spec, and replace the ABS wire and brake line. Make sure you torque the upper mounts fully!
So far, we have been pretty pleased with our Mazdaspeed3, even if the strut installation was a bit of a chore. The modifications we have made are simple and affordable, and have really improved the car. We have picked up a bit of performance without sacrificing any of our daily driver comfort (important when the daily commute is 35 miles each way).
The Mazdaspeed3 is a great platform if you want an affordable car that can handle both the track and the daily grind. In fact, at some point we plan to take our cone dodging 3 to a real racetrack and see how it performs. It’s a shame Mazda killed off this great model (a casualty of the CX-7 going out of production), but there are rumors of a new MS3 on the way soon. We can only hope so, as more sport compacts can only be a good thing. The real question will of course be, “Is this new model actually faster?” Important information, as the 2nd gen MS3 was actually slower than the previous model (and way uglier). Mr. Coleman, we have a car to shootout against if you want to prove Mazda is on their game this time around. Bring it on!
5 comments
What size tires did you use? Were you able to fit 245s under it?
For Street Class SCCA, you have to run the factory tire width, so we were limited to 225s.
No, that is not the rule for SCCA Street class.
No, that is not true. You can use any size tire you want, that fits on a factory width wheel and fits under the car without any modifications. You can also alter the wheel diameter up/down an inch and alter offset by 7mm.
My real question is, will 245s fit under the fenders without rubbing?
You’re right, I grabbed the rules for wheels, not tires when I wrote this article.
I wish I could help you here, but I sold the 3 years ago and never attempted to fit anything wider than a 225 under it. Sorry.