CorkSport | CorkSport Mazda Performance Blog

April 18, 2023February 14, 2024

How to Get A 900 Horsepower MazdaSpeed 3 AWD Swap – Baseline Weight & Cantilever Suspension (Part 2)

Part 2 of the Mazdaspeed3 AWD Swap blogs, we are going to get a baseline weight, show you some of the parts going into the car and finally tease you with cantilever suspension. Have a seat and grab a drink!

Read Part 1 How to Get A 900 Horsepower Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap – The Intro

Before I started the AWD swap on my half-mile drag-racing Mazdaspeed 3 I wanted to get a baseline weight and weight distribution. Without a driver, my 2009 Mazdaspeed 3 weighed in at 3000 pounds on the money with just under 2000 pounds on the front wheels and just over 1000 pounds on the rear axle.

Corner weights are actually pretty damn good, but this is without my weight in the car. Adding me to the equation would throw that off a good amount. Either we have a baseline that we can compare to later once the car is back to 100% with AWD.

Now this may not be a perfect back-to-back test but it’s something…which is better than nothing. At the time of weigh-in, the Speed3 has an 8-point cage, composite driver seat and basic reclining aftermarket passenger seat, harnesses for both, stripped interior for everything behind the driver.

The components that are changing for the AWD swap:

Transmission: MS3 to MS6
Rear Subframe: MS3 to CX7
Fuel Tank: OEM Fuel Tank to a Radium 10gal Fuel Cell w/Surge Tank built-in
Rear Suspension: Changing from outboard OEM style to inboard cantilever style
Rear Tires/Wheels: Going from a 17×9+45 w/255/40 tire to a 16×8+38 w/255/50 tire
Rear Crashbar: Removing the OEM crashbar for a custom tubular crashbar with parachute mount

The components that are being added for the AWD swap:

Transfer Case from Mazdaspeed 6
Mid-Drive Shaft connecting the T-Case to the Differential
Rear Differential from Mazdaspeed 6 and CX7. (We will discuss this more in a later blog.)
Rear Axles
Firewall Structure to separate the Radium Fuel Cell from the driver compartment

Alright so let’s talk about some of these components that are changing. Firstly is the fuel system. Currently, I am running a dual fuel system featuring the CorkSport Fender Fuel Cell with E98 in it feeding the port injection system and the stock fuel tank with an E48 blend in it.

While this kit has taken me to 650+whp with the CorkSport CST6 Turbo and nearly 900 WHP with a larger turbo and fuel pump…it’s time to really focus the build to a more dedicated racing fuel system.

Enter the Radium “FCST” System; this is a full standalone fuel system that is FIA-certified and incorporates the 10-gallon fuel cell, an internal surge tank, and a fuel level sensor.

For my setup, I will be using a single 525LPH “in-tank” pump inside the fuel cell feeding the surge tank which then feeds to external pumps. This 525LPH fuel pump is mounted to the stainless steel bracket you see below inside the fuel cell.

mazda racing fuel cell system radium 525lph

Then the external pumps are a Quantum 044 style pump feeding the direct injection OEM fuel system and a MagnaFuel 525 gear-driven pump feeding the port injection fuel system.

So why the big change? Well, there are a few reasons really:

With the AWD swap, I couldn’t retain the OEM fuel tank due to the mid-driveshaft so I had to find a new solution. There is some Volvo OEM fuel tank that works with some basic modifications, but this is a racecar. I did not want to retain the same limitations as OEM.
With the power I am pushing and plan to push in the future, I need all the octane I can get so it made sense to use a single tank feeding both DI and PI fuel systems.
Typically, in drag racing, you specifically use a small (less than 3 gallon) fuel cell in the front of the car, much like the CS Fender Fuel Cell. However, my car still sees street use, at events, and may or may not always be a drag racing-only car so I wanted a fuel cell system that could do anything I wanted now and in the future.

Next up is the rear suspension…this is my favorite part…except for the actual AWD of course! With the rear suspension, I am taking a much more unique approach by using an inboard mounting cantilever coilover suspension. While this seems over complicated upfront, and it is, it will also provide me with a lot of flexibility and control later when using and tuning the suspension.

But what’s wrong with the OEM suspension design?

Mazda 3 performance parts suspension setup

Nothing is “wrong”, it’s just not ideal. The lower control arm that supports the coil spring is very heavy, the OEM damper mount can’t be used due to the driveshaft so I will need to create a new mount elsewhere with cantilever or OEM style suspension and lastly, I want double adjustable (rebound and compression) dampers which would be more difficult and expensive to source that will work in the OEM style arrangement.

All of those factors lead me to the path of developing my own suspension setup.

mazda performance parts double-adjustable dampers

Doing some research I found QA1 dampers have great reviews, are very cost-effective, come in many different sizes/lengths, and have double adjustable options. They seem very fitting for my goals.

The double adjustable control is important for any type of competitive racing, but with drag racing, I had a specific need. When the car is launched from a standstill, there is an extreme amount of weight transfer happening that needs to be allowed to “transfer” to the rear but then needs to be controlled and maintained in that position.

Lastly, what is this cantilever suspension and what does it look like? Here’s a teaser of my design.

While I am planning to dig into the design around this in more details, that will have to wait til the next blog in this series. In a nutshell, the outboard suspension that the wheel and tire is connected to pushes a “push-rod” to a larger rocker arm (cantilever) that then pushes a coilover damper and spring setup. Other than the rod itself, this entire system is inside the car between the rear damper towers.

I hope you are enjoying this series about the AWD Swap Mazdaspeed3, stay tuned for more blogs to come!

You can also find updates on my IG @halfmilespeed3, the CorkSport 7^th Gear Membership, and on mazdaspeeds.org.

https://mazdaspeeds.org/index.php?threads/awd-speed-3-project-halfmilespeed3.15154/

Thanks for tuning in!

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April 13, 2023March 5, 2024

The Best Camber Plates for the Mazda 3 & CX-30

We are excited to announce the release of the CorkSport Camber Plates for both the 4^th GEN Mazda 3 and the 2020+ Mazda CX-30.

You likely already invested in our SRI and rear sway bar, but if you are looking to further enhance the driving characteristics of your Mazda, the CS Camber Plates are a great mod to add to your build. Whether you want to fine-tune your setup for the track or you are looking to upgrade to a more aggressive wheel and tire combo, the CorkSport Camber Plates will give you the extra adjustability needed. Continue on reading for more details on the CS Camber Plates.

The camber plates are designed to take the place of your factory strut top so that whether you are on lowering springs or factory springs, installation is quick and simple. For previous generation camber plate kits, it was required to cut the top of the strut tower to gain access to the camber plate to be able to adjust it while installed. This is not the case, however, for the 4^th GEN Mazda 3 and CX-30! Making camber adjustments is easy and if they ever need to be removed, permanent modification was not required during installation. The Mazda 3 Camber Plates also feature a pillow-ball bearing that replaces the factory rubber mount and makes sure that the strut bar does not move excessively while driving in demanding situations.

Now let’s get to the amount of camber adjustment the CorkSport Camber Plates provide. On the Mazda 3 you can expect camber adjustment ranging from -2.4 to +0.9 degrees. There is a noticeable difference between the two, so if you are looking to fit a more aggressive wheel and tire combo the camber plates may help you achieve it without rubbing the paint off your fenders. The camber adjustment will also help if you plan on tracking your car or want to fine-tune your setup to your driving style on the backroads.

Finally, let’s go over the construction of the CorkSport Camber Plates. The camber plates feature a top and bottom plate. The top plate houses the adjustment slots for the lower plate and is made out of 6061-T6 aluminum that is then CNC machined. The lower plate features the pillow-ball bearing and is manufactured out of steel to provide the necessary strength needed to secure the strut in place so it does not move during hard driving. Also included with the CS Camber Plates is all the necessary hardware so you can get back out on the road to find your optimal camber setting quickly.

The CorkSport Camber Plates are a great mod to continue to enhance the handling performance of your Mazda 3 or CX-30 and also if want to build upon the aggressive appearance at the same time. Be sure to check out the website for additional photos and video on the camber plates and feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

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April 11, 2023April 11, 2023

Roxy Gets Wet & Wild – Lessons from Racing A Mazda RX-8

OnGrid Ridge Motorsports Park– March 11, 2023

Hello! If you’re reading this and wondering who I am, I don’t blame you. I’ve posted a few times on CorkSport’s 7th Gear page but never really introduced myself. My name is Quintin Gunn, one of the Development Engineers here at CorkSport, and I have a Mazda RX8 that I am building into the Time Attack weapon it was always meant to be. Follow along here and on social media as I record each track event and document the build process from stock to full-on race car.

Now, I’d like to introduce the real star of the show, Roxy:

Roxy – The Mazda RX-8 Car

Roxy is a 2005 GT Trim Mazda RX-8 that I bought in May of 2021. Why an RX8, you ask? I knew I wanted a robust RWD platform for building a racecar without it being a Miata (because I can barely fit in one). Naturally, working at CorkSport, Mazda was the obvious choice, which meant the best option in my price range was a Mazda RX-8. Having my first sports car purchase be a rotary was risky, but I have plans to address that in the future (more on that another time).

By far, the shining jewel of the Mazda RX-8 is how it drives. Mazda outdid themselves with the Chassis engineering on this car, and the handling is like nothing else for the price. Over the last couple of years, I have been slowly working up my (and Roxy’s) track confidence while modifying the car to extract as much out of the chassis as possible.

Current Mazda RX-8 Mods (March 2023)

Tires: Falken Azenis RT660 265/35 R18
Wheels: Bronze Enkei TS-V 18×9.5+38
Brakes: CorkSport Big Brake Kit (Front and Rear). Motul RB660 fluid
- Front
  - 6 piston Calipers. Hawk DTC60 pads
  - 356x32mm slotted rotors
  - Stainless steel brake lines
- Rear
  - 4 piston Calipers. Hawk DTC50 pads
  - 356x28mm slotted rotors
  - Stainless steel brake lines
  - Parking brake functionality retained
Sway Bars: Progress Tech (F/R)
Coilovers: BC Racing ER Double Adjustable. 10k spring front, 8k spring rear
Aero: Nine Lives Racing Big Wang RX-8 Kit with V3 CFD endplates
Exhaust: HKS Hi-power muffler with Racing Beat Dual-Res Midpipe
Interior: mostly stripped
Cockpit: Sparco EvoL driver’s seat

Round 1: Ridge Motorsports Park

@corksport Racing in the rain is just like that! #cartok #carsoftiktok #cars #carguy #carenthusiast #racing #rain #rx8 #lovehate #mazda #mazdausa #mazdarx8 #pnw ♬ original sound – CorkSport Mazda Performance

The first track event of 2023 took place at Ridge Motorsports Park, nestled in the southern shadows of the Olympic Mountain Range in Shelton, WA. This 2.47mi, 16-turn Race Track offers a unique challenge of car control and driving skill featuring crests, compressions, and blind corners – the perfect place then for a Time Attack showdown.

I was joined by Derrick Ambrose, CorkSport’s Motorsport Manager and Owner (…and Founder…and Mechanic…and Tuner…and Racecar driver…he wears all the hats). Anyway, he came armed with CorkSport’s TC America Mazda3 racecar, which served as one of the testbeds for our Skyactiv Turbo Kit. Freshly retired from professionally sanctioned race events, the car can now participate in Time Trials in OnGrid’s Touring Class, the same class I am building the RX8 to compete in. Derrick came looking to kick butt and take names with s2000s, BRZs, and Miatas locked firmly in his sights.

CorkSport-sponsored driver Phil Dandurand joined us in his stripped-out 4th Gen Mazda3 Turbo for his first track day! He was eager to get his feet wet (pun intended) and push the 4th gen platform to its limit. His car serves as one of the testbeds for all of our 4th Gen Turbo parts, including a full 80mm exhaust, downpipe, coilovers, and rear sway bar (among other things).

Sadly, I don’t yet qualify for the Time Attack group, so I was in the HPDE sessions for the day. Nevertheless, we were excited to get back out on-track for the first time since the end of September. Unfortunately, it wasn’t ideal conditions for laying down fast lap times…we all got our feet wet.

The Mazda 3 TC America Car on the Ridge Motorsports Raceway in rain

Rain. Lots of it

The thing about the Pacific Northwest that a naïve Southerner like me took a while to comprehend is the concept of seasons, specifically winter. See, where I’m from, there are no seasons – at least NOT like this. Winter was no more than a mild summer for most places. Winter meant highs of 68°F (20°C), sometimes low 70s, a cool breeze, and a light jacket. However, in Oregon, it means rain and highs of no more than 45°F (7°C). It means non-stop cold, rain, and clouds from November until May. The stereotypes about Northwest Rain are absolutely accurate. Today was no different, and this meant adjusting our expectations and driving styles to fit the conditions.

Session 1 started the morning with loads of standing water and rooster tails two or three times the car’s height. The track staff tried their best to sweep the rain off the track with a roller and big-fancy blowers, but it was useless. The rain kept coming. Derrick, being the madman he is, brought his Pirelli Racing Rain Tires, and even he struggled for grip.

Luckily I was starting the day in the 3rd session, meaning plenty of cars were on track before me, and a dry line was forming on the surface. While that does mean that it’s the grippiest part of the track, it also means it is the only grippy part of the track. So now, instead of a 40ft wide race track, it is only a car width. Deviate anywhere off this line, and you slow down or risk getting out of control. I learned this lesson quickly by driving up the hill at Turn 11 and hitting a patch of standing water, sending me off the dry line and mere millimeters away from the grass.

The BMW, a couple of cars in front of me, must’ve done the same thing, and it spooked him enough to slow to a crawl in the blind part of the crest, causing the car in front and myself to take evasive action. With the chaos and the track conditions, I chose to pull back into the pits and end my session early.

Knowing your limits and lessons learned

Normally, I wouldn’t mind racing in sub-optimal conditions. I think it’s a great opportunity to learn car control, situational awareness, and how to find and push to limits at a lower speed. Today, however, was different.

Contrary to what most people believe, racing is not giving 100% all of the time. Yes, “if in Contrary to what most people believe, racing is not giving 100% all the time. Yes, “if in doubt, throttle out,” but that’s easy to say when you have an unlimited racing budget with spare parts and even an extra car. Most of us don’t have that kind of support. So racing is methodical and all about finding the limit of your car, yourself, and dancing on that edge – trying to push it further. Sometimes though, edging closer to the limits isn’t worth the risk.

Over our lunch break, temperatures dropped, and the nonstop rain turned into ice. As we sat under the canopy trembling from the cold and watching the ice accumulate on the cars and our tents, we decided to cut our losses and head home. Nothing was to be gained by staying longer; there was everything to lose if we did. Our decision was confirmed by watching our paddock neighbor’s Porsche Boxster return from the track on the back of a flatbed with a crumpled fender and snapped lower control arm – the face of defeat and dejection worn by its owner said it all. Not wanting to meet the same fate, we promptly loaded up and headed home.

Annoyingly the entire 2-hour drive back home was bone dry, and the Portland/Vancouver metro area didn’t see a drop of rain all day…

As they all say: that’s racing folks.

Join us next time at Portland International Raceway as I try to set a new personal best and beat Derrick’s lap times in his Non-Turbo Mazda 3 SCCA T4 car. Follow CorkSport on social media and me @qg_autosports on Instagram for more updates.

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Mazda RX- Racing on the Ridge Motorsports Track

Thanks for reading,

How to Get A 900 Horsepower Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap – The Intro

Have you ever felt like you try and try and try, but just can’t get the traction to make forward progress on your Mazdaspeed 3 car build? Ya, it happens to the best of us and the 2022 season was my time…both in literal traction and life.

If you haven’t seen my build yet, the @halfmilespeed3, go check it out. It’s an awesome combo of DIY, Teamwork, Innovations, and CorkSport goodies you all love.

Back to this traction conundrum. Racing an 800+hp FWD Mazdaspeed 3 on small airport airstrips with no prep and plenty of dust has proven to be challenging. There have been many successes and many challenges, but ultimately it comes down to those two tiny patches of rubber that meet the road.

LITERALLY NO TRACTION

Yes, Motec helped substantially with traction control and Justin’s ramp-up in power delivery also helps, but really…I just didn’t have any damn traction. Sticky tires with meaty sidewalls also help, but again traction was such an issue! There had to be a better way!

Wheel & Tire Setup:

Front: Toyo TQ 255/50 on 16×8+38

Rear: Toyo R888R 255/40 on 17×9+45

And there was and I had been talking about the idea for a year or so already. Then life happened.

As you can see with the racecar; I like to go fast. I carried that enthusiasm into my love of mountain biking one day in June 2022 and well…I got a lesson in physics let me tell you.

Five broken ribs, a double punctured lung, level 3 AC separation, and a fractured collar bone and scapula. Resulting in weeks of hospital stays and three surgeries; then months of recovery and physical therapy. Let’s just say the 2022 season did not go as planned.

But it did get me focused on solving my traction problems…

Mazdaspeed 3 drag racing 800 hp CorkSport

Mazdaspeed 3 performance parts racing — Mazdaspeed 3 with CorkSport Mazda Performance Parts Back (AKA HalfMileSpeed3)

The Goal…Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap

So I decided it was time to stop talking about it and actually take action (well as soon as I physically could that is). I made a plan and figured out the details and order of operations to finally get my traction back.

It was time to AWD Swap the Halfmilespeed3.

While I am not the first to do a Mazdaspeed AWD swap. I did have a goal to make my build unique in the sense that the AWD swap is catered to racing performance. Meaning the strength of custom parts and the rear suspension design and the new fuel system are capable of handling the 4-digit horsepower goal I have and the abuse of racing.

Talking horsepower…what does the car make right now?

Dynograph of Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap 800 WHP

This is at a modest 40-41psi using a Xona Rotor 9569s with the X3C compressor housing and 1.03A/R turbine housing. Later Justin @freektune and I turned it up a bit more to see how close we can get to the 600wtq threshold and hold it. Clipping off an 881whp run…damn! This was supported by the many CorkSport Mazda performance parts you can get for your Mazdaspeed as well. From engine mounts to manifolds, anything that isn’t a one-off custom is CS.

Anyways…I have since updated the compressor wheel to a 99 lb/min design compared to the above 95 lb/min design and a larger compressor housing which is more efficient. This setup has not been dyno tested yet, but talking to the engineers at Xona…2023 is going to be spicy!

Close up because who doesn’t like billet turbo shots!?

Dare I say this is the largest turbo in the stock location ever on a Mazdaspeed? Go ahead…prove me wrong. To compare, this competes with a Precision 6870.

Mazda 3 performance parts awd swap Mazdaspeed 3

The Start of the Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap

Anyways, this is the introduction to my Mazdaspeed 3 AWD swap here at CorkSport HQ. I actually started the swap in October 2022 and have been making big steps each month. We are going to be sharing blog updates rapidly as I wrap up the swap over the next couple of months.

There will be much more technical info and images coming up so grab a drink and enjoy!

You can also find updates on my IG @halfmilespeed3, the CorkSport 7^th Gear Membership, and on mazdaspeeds.org.

https://mazdaspeeds.org/index.php?threads/awd-speed-3-project-halfmilespeed3.15154/

Thanks for tuning in!

-Barett @ CS

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March 29, 2023March 30, 2023

The Best CorkSport Lowering Springs for the 2016+ Mazda CX-9!

We have listened to your requests and are excited to offer Lowering Springs for the 2016+ Mazda CX-9. Car enthusiasts will enjoy the new look of the CX-9 with a more reasonable ride height. The CorkSport lowering springs give you an OEM fit, while providing an increase in handling performance and a decrease in ride height. The CS springs lower your CX-9 while retaining great ride quality so it remains a usable and fully functional SUV, but gives you the ability to hit the back roads and corners harder when you feel like it.

The CorkSport Performance Lower Springs for Mazda CX-9 SUV

Look and drive better with the best performance lowering springs for your CX-9. The CS lowering springs will drop your Mazda ~1.45 in (37mm) front and 1.30 in (33mm) rear on the turbo models. We found that this is a great height to make sure your CX-9 stays practical while still providing a great look and the improved handling that comes along with it. Since we are working with a large SUV to start, the amount of drop that we selected still allows for ample ground clearance. The amount of height reduction also leaves plenty of suspension travel for those larger bumps you might encounter even when you’re at full capacity with cargo in the back.

There are multiple benefits to lowering your CX-9 in addition to the more aggressive stance. The handling characteristics are improved due to both the lower center of gravity and the increased spring rates front and rear. These changes offer reduced body roll in corners so the vehicle will feel more planted and give you more room to push in the corners if you find yourself wanting to fly through some backroads in your 4000+ lb SUV. The spring rates were increased more in the rear than the front and the final spring rates selected were 3.1K in the front which is a ~20% increase and 9.5K in the rear which is a ~35% increase over the factory springs.

All of these changes discussed above don’t negatively impact ride quality and it remains similar to how the OEM springs ride. To achieve this we tested multiple springs and compared their natural frequency to the OEM values to make sure the ride quality was still comfortable but with a little added sportiness. The spring rates also work well in combination with the OEM dampers so there is little to no bounciness after bumps and they continue to operate in the normal range so they don’t wear out prematurely.

Mazda CX-9 ride height with lowering springs installed

The installation of the CorkSport CX-9 lowering springs is just like stock and retains all of the OEM components. The only modifications required include trimming the bump stops to account for the lower ride height and making the hole in the rear shock dust covers larger to fit the modified bump stops. The springs are made from high tensile strength spring steel and the rear springs feature spring isolators so any unwanted noises are eliminated. The springs are finished off in our CorkSport Blue powder coat to offer good corrosion resistance so they stay looking good for years to come.

Thanks for checking out the new lowering springs for the 2016+ CX-9. Be sure to head over to the web page and check it out for more details and images!

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Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

OnGrid Ridge Motorsports Park– March 11, 2023

Roxy – The Mazda RX-8 Car

Current Mazda RX-8 Mods (March 2023)

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

The Goal…Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap

The Start of the Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news and product updates from CorkSport.