Why change your suspension?

[BillAce]

Having an actual endurance race car and Mitsubishi's production version of a rally racer I feel I can say the Mirage is no race car and it would be a battle of diminishing retuens to make it one. It is a fun car and a little more power and a little better handling would make me happy.

[Basic]

It handles bumps a lot better than a Mazda2 IMO.

See this is where I know we are talking about two completely different things...

You are talking about the Mazda2 having a stiffer overall spring rate, and being "harsher" overall.

I am talking about how the Mirage is so soft, that at maximum compression, the spring is uncapable of keeping the suspension from hitting the bumpstop, which then rapidly rebounds the shock and unsettles the car.

[foama]

Bottoming out never was a problem with this car the way I drive on these roads. A Daox swaybar would certainly help against body roll.
If bottoming out were a problem, I would simply install a set of Eibach springs. They also reduce roll.

[Mark]

Bottoming out never was a problem with this car the way I drive on these roads. A Daox swaybar would certainly help against body roll.
If bottoming out were a problem, I would simply install a set of Eibach springs. They also reduce roll.

I don't mind the ride of my Mirage. In spring when the frost is coming out of the ground on rural roads I will hit frost heaves (nature's speed bumps), & the car will bottom out. It sounds violent when this happens.

A former member Chad (from the UK) sold his Mirage, because of this reason (other reason being poor seats).

[Christopher_B]

Bottoming out never was a problem with this car the way I drive on these roads. A Daox swaybar would certainly help against body roll.
If bottoming out were a problem, I would simply install a set of Eibach springs. They also reduce roll.

These are two mods I would like to do to my mirage. I would like a slightly better handling car, less wheel well gap, but not harsh or bouncy. We are fairly sure the Eibachs will fit on the 2021?

[PityOnU]

These are two mods I would like to do to my mirage. I would like a slightly better handling car, less wheel well gap, but not harsh or bouncy. We are fairly sure the Eibachs will fit on the 2021?

Aside from some small changes over the years (engine components, rear spoiler, spring rate, front brakes), the Mirage is still the same as it was in 2014. The exterior redesigns are almost entirely superficial - the actual body/frame of the car has remained unchanged the entire time. So the Eibachs will fit.

My suggestion to you is, though: give that car's current ride height a chance. I am of a similar opinion that it sits just a little too high to be aesthetically pleasing. However, the peace of mind you get from the additional ground clearance is very much worth it if the car is your daily driver. It's a case of function over form. Wheel well gap is a small price to pay for not having your anus constantly pucker from scraping the chin off of parking lot entrances - at least, IMHO.

[Mirage207]

In my early 20014 with 2 medium sized passengers and 2-3 suitcases in the back mine used to bottom out too frequently - so no, count me out for enjoying the cushy suspension.

With the cheap but stiffer Yaris springs in the back I have never bottomed out. The Yaris springs plus my 200lb/inch springs in front, stock ride height, the car handles very neutral when driven moderately hard - almost wants to rotate as opposed to push but its pretty neutral.

Can I ask you what year of Yaris Spring did you order? And was this a better option for you compared with the VW Beetle Spring upgrade. I'm considering NAPA Part# NCP2773785 for my 2020. I regularly carry a lot of drum equipment in the back and would like to run 195's on the car. Thanks!

[Eggman]

Can I ask you what year of Yaris Spring did you order? And was this a better option for you compared with the VW Beetle Spring upgrade. I'm considering NAPA Part# NCP2773785 for my 2020. I regularly carry a lot of drum equipment in the back and would like to run 195's on the car. Thanks!

Hello Mirage207 and welcome to the forum. Consider using a set of Air Lift air bags. Best part is they're adjustable. I have a set and I think they would work fine for your use, and would be easy to return to stock if needed.

[Mirage207]

Hello Mirage207 and welcome to the forum. Consider using a set of Air Lift air bags. Best part is they're adjustable. I have a set and I think they would work fine for your use, and would be easy to return to stock if needed.

Thanks, Eggman! I"ll check it out and will give it some thought! This may very well fit the bill. This is a really helpful community of folks.

[Christopher_B]

I was about to reply that what I notice is that, I don't think its so much a matter of being soft on the dampening side of the suspension, but that the rebound is very very little.

I'm no suspension expert, but have spent a good amount of time in cars fresh off the assembly line, driving them around the test track. OEMs typically have an area on their test track that puts a vehicle through all manner of suspension undulations and harmonics. Generally to check their suspension ... however at Hyundai it also served to determine if there were dropped fasteners rattling between the floor and carpet. Damn they were (probably still are) horrible. Anywho...

I haven't bottomed out yet (new car, noone in the back yet), but I have noticed that especially at a decent speed, if your rear suspension gets fairly compressed over some condition, when it rebounds it's as if the rear suspension slams all the way to the top of it's travel (topping out). No harshness to the topping out, but what happens is that a) the weight on the rear tires is reduced during the time delta that the upward movement of the suspension travel is slowing, and b) probably the geometry (toe, camber, caster) is all going out of whack during the "topping out." And that basically, during the a) and b) just described, the rear tends to "steer" the car just a bit. Makes a person who is really into driving a car feel a skosh uneasy for an instant. But ya get over it.

Some people may not feel this. Take my wife, she hit a clover leaf one time years ago, and I told her to back down her speed a bit because the clover leaf was just a touch icy (Michigan winter). She gets her panties in a wad any time she considers me to be bossing her around, and instead gained speed. I couldn't say anything, I was frozen (too). Her car actually started drifting the rear. God was sitting in the car with us because it only drifted about 1 tire width most of the way around. She didn't even notice that she was steering the car into it (correctly ... but mostly the car just steered itself). Once the clover leaf ended she just griped at me because she said I was exaggerating by acting scared. But no ... she was 0.001 mph from spinning the car out of control ... and she never knew it.

The point is, some people notice things about cars, that others don't. And in this case, some people notice the rear suspension on this car, some don't. My take about the Mirage's suspension? I think it handles / bottoms / tops out the way it does because Mitsubishi had to slap the least expensive suspension they could under the car. For 1 or two people in the car, it gets the job done. But that's about all the suspension does. It gets the job done, but doesn't go any further than that.

I think what foama did was an ACTUAL upgrade to the vehicle. I may go that route at some point, maybe 10 years down the road when the suspension is wore out.

This is the biggest and maybe only complaint I have about this car. I find that the trio of highway speeds, curves and suspension unloading (?) makes me uncomfortable with keeping up with traffic. Take away any one of the 3 and it seems fine.

I have yet to get my alignment checked which seems to be off from new (have to hold the wheel to about 11 or 11:30 instead of straight up)