Mazdaspeed 3 X-Clutch First Review

Many community members are asking, “What clutch should I buy for my Speed3/Speed6?” or “What’s the best clutch for Mazdaspeed 3/6?” and there isn’t a perfect answer because the right answer depends on your goals with your car. 

While I can’t say what the best clutch is, I can share my experience to date with my Twin Ceramic Rigid Disc X-Clutch in my Mazdaspeed 3.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

First Impressions

Opening the box I found a very well-packaged assembled clutch kit.  This included the assembled pressure plate, discs, and flywheel along with a new throw-out bearing, flywheel to crank bolts, and a nice alignment tool. XClutch also included some generic instructions – They certainly don’t rival CorkSport instructions, but are better than most clutch instructions I have used.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Getting into it

Disassembling the clutch assembly I found some nicely constructed components.  The material fit and finish was great along with the identification of transmission vs engine side of the discus laser engraved was a nice touch. 

Something worth noting: Some clutch kits come to you in separate pieces. This makes you 100% dependent on their instructions for the assembly process (and a lot of times those instructions are lacking), but with the XClutch the whole thing came assembled.  I like this because it gave me the chance to see how it was assembled and therefore made me more confident I would assemble it correctly on the engine.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Now let’s get the clutch on the engine. After disassembling the clutch kit, the first part to go on the engine is the flywheel after a quick cleaning of the machine parts and surfaces.  Using the provided hardware and some lock-tight the flywheel gets torqued down.  The flywheel was a perfect fit on the snout of the crank…a little persuasion was needed which tells me the flywheel will be perfectly centered.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Next is the first clutch disc (make sure you can read “transmission side”) then the middle floater plate.  Following that is the next clutch disc (and again make sure you can read “transmission side”) along with the provided alignment tool. 

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

The Tool

So I want to take a minute to talk about the alignment tool.  I’ve installed many clutches in many vehicles throughout my life ranging from an OE replacement in my 92’ Mazda b2600i, Mazdaspeed3, and a twin-disc in a Dodge.  Every single kit came with the generic plastic alignment tool that doesn’t fit great and flexes.  

But not X-Clutch, their kit included a very nice billet steel alignment tool that fit snugs and did not sag or move when installed.  This seemingly simple tool made a huge difference in the whole installation process.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Back to the install steps; next up is the pressure plate floater plate.  Typically this is part of the pressure plate assembly, but with the Xclutch design, this is separate.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Last is the pressure plate itself which is what applies the force to the clutch discs.  The installation of this is slow and tedious, but important to follow.  The hardware must be installed and torqued down evenly around the perimeter, much like torquing a wheel but with a lot more lug nuts.  

X-Clutch has clear instructions on this so don’t worry.  

Mazdaspeed X-Clutch review

Bringing it back together

So your clutch is all buttoned up and now it’s time to attach the transmission to the engine.  I’ll admit this was a task I was dreading…many times I’ve fought this process because the damn input shaft in the transmission just would not line up with the clutch disc and crank, but I was pleasantly surprised.  

I don’t know if it was luck or if the alignment toll was really that perfect, but in one try the transmission slid right onto the clutch and aligned perfectly.  It was honestly shocking.   I can only hope your installation goes as smoothly.  

Now the review you have been wanting…

First impressions are great.  The peddle pressure is very similar to OEM, maybe just a hair stiffer, but is nearly identical so if you’re worried about a stiff pedal DON’T, it’s cake.  The engagement point is around the middle right now, but I expect it to move up in the pedal stroke slightly as it breaks in further.  I like this, but this is a preference thing. 

Engagement control is interesting.  Going from an ACT 6-puck ceramic to this is very similar in the “grabbiness” of the clutch since they are both ceramic puck discs, but the X-Clutch I would say is a bit more aggressive.  This makes sense with the rigid disc design and the very high torque capacity…1,350 ft/lbs!

So here’s my suggestion and you can check them out here. Learn More!

Conclusion

If you want a OE replacement with a bit more headroom for power then the Street single disc organic is going to be your closest bet.  If you want good street manners but have more power to hold then the Street Plus twin disc organic is going to be your best balance.  Lastly, if you are pursuing motorsports and high heat capacity then the Race twin disc ceramic will be your go-to clutch kit.  

-CS

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The Rear End Drivetrain – Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap ( Part 5)

Welcome to part 5 of the Mazdaspeed3 AWD Swap (sorry for the delay; things got really busy for a bit)! This blog covers the rear-end drivetrain and the huge modification that makes it all work.  

There are a lot of images and explanations of those images so you can see and understand the differences between the Mazdaspeed 6 and CX7 rear drivetrain.    

What is the Rear Differential

Jumping right into it, let’s identify what the rear differential is. The rear differential transfers power from the transfer case via a PTO/driveshaft, through the ring and pinion, out to the axles, and then to the wheels and tires.

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rear Differential Swap Comparison Mazdaspeed vs CX7
CX-7 vs Mazdaspeed Differential Comparison

However, as with many modern AWD systems in compact cars, there is a clutch mechanism between the PTO/driveshaft and the differential. This clutch mechanism controls the percentage of engine torque transferred to the rear tires.

In the diagram below, we’ve identified the two major sections of the differential assembly. The line demonstrates the connection point between the two sections. The rear section is the gear housing, and the front is the clutch housing.

Differential Gear Housing and clutch housing diagram

Now that you understand the differential assembly. Let’s identify the difference between Mazdaspeed 6 and CX7. There are two major differences.

Differences In Differential

The first difference is the clutch housing mounting points for the front subframe mounting brackets. In the image below, you will see two mounting points with threaded holes on the right side of the differential, while the other differential does not have those mounting points.

The CX7 differential is on the left, and the Speed 6 is on the right. The CX7 on the left)has TWO front mounting points whereas, the Speed 6 only has a ONE mount. While this may not be a big deal for a daily driver with modest power levels, it’s a huge advantage for a racecar with nearly 900whp.  

Comparison of CX7 and Mazdaspeed 6 differential side by side
Left to Right: CX-7 and Mazdaspeed Differential

Moving to the inside of the gear housings, the CX7 uses an open differential setup, vs the Mazdaspeed 6, uses a Mazda proprietary LSD (limited slip differential). The LSD is more desirable because it will provide better power distribution to both rear tires vs the open differential.

Fun Fact: the Mazda-developed LSD uses “friction cone washers” sandwiched between the spider gears and differential carrier housing to create the limited slip effect. As load is applied through the spider gears, the increased load presses the spider gears against the friction washer, which makes this a very street-friendly and progressive type of LSD. Check it out below. 

Mazdaspeed limited slip differential
Mazdaspeed limited slip differential

So here we are at a point where we need to use the CX7 differential because it has the ideal two-mounting front section, and we have a CX7 subframe, so…duh, but we want the rear LSD for better power distribution.

Time to split these differentials in half and see if we can swap things around. 

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Differential Swap separated
Rear Differential Separated

Splitting them in half to separate the clutch housing and gear housing, we can see a splined connection that interlocks the two halves.

Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Gear Housing
Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Gear Housing

On the gear housing side, the pinion gears are retained by an internal nut, which is good because splitting the assemblies did not affect the pre-load on the bearings.

Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Clutch Housing
Mazdaspeed 6 Rear Differential Clutch Housing

Let’s look at the clutch housing side. The clutch pack is retained by the external nut on the driveshaft flange; again, splitting the assemblies did not affect any bearing pre-load.

Things are looking great!  And with that, we assembled the CX7 clutch housings with the Speed6 gear housings without issues!  

Now to review: if you are doing this swap, you will NEED a CX7 rear differential assembly, but you DO NOT NEED a speed6 rear differential assembly. We only did that to learn and to get the LSD. You can use the CX7 as is because the gear ratio is the same, and the LSD is not required. 

Next up are the suspension trailing arms; when using the OEM Speed3 suspension, the trailing arms need to be modified to use the OEM CX7 wheel bearings.

Modifying the Trail Arms of the Mazdaspeed

Mazdaspeed 3 trailing arm plate
Mazdaspeed 3 Trailing Arm Plate

The OEM trailing arm has a beefy steel plate welded to the stamped steel structure. While the bolt and center holes look correct, they are slightly different in bore and location.

Mazdaspeed 3 trailing arm showing fitment
Mazdaspeed Trailing Arm

To make the Mazdaspeed 3 trailing arm work, modification was needed via welding the original bolt holes shut and then redrilling the holes in the correct bolt pattern for the CX7 wheel bearing.  Along with that, the center bore diameter had to be increased slightly as well.  

New Welded Holes for the Mazdaspeed 
 fitting cx7 bearings
New Welded Holes for the Mazdaspeed
Fitment of the Rear Trailing Arms & CX7 Wheel Bearing
Fitment of the Rear Trailing Arms & CX7 Wheel Bearing

Modifying the rear trailing arms is only 1 of 3 major fabrication projects needed for the AWD swap.  The others are building a Rear Motor Mount (which I designed a badass billet one for) and the center driveshaft mounting plate which I also designed.  

Now, with the trailing arms and wheel bearings in place, we can finally figure out the rear axle lengths. Checking both the Speed 6 and CX7 rear OEM axles, I found they use the same wheel bearing and differential inputs, which is great. However, The lengths are not the same.

Mazdaspeed 6 Differential Spline Length
Mazdaspeed 6 Differential Spline Length
Mazda CX-7 Differential Spline Length
Mazda CX-7 Differential Spline Length

Unfortunately, in test fitting the Speed 6 and CX7, we found that both needed to be shorter for the Speed 3 application. With that fact, the cost is a lot more expensive for anyone swapping because of the needed custom rear axles.

I was personally going to get custom rear axles either way due to the power levels and use of the Halfmilespeed3, but it’s not a requirement. 

Rear Custom Axles for the Mazdaspeed 3
700WHP Rated Custom Rear Axles

Fast forward many weeks, and we have a set of custom-length 700WHP-rated rear axles to compliment the front DSS 5.9 axles.

Rear Custom Axles installed on the 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3
Mazdaspeed 3 Rear Axles installed

All bolted in and looking great!  While doing this I learned a few things and realized that one of my assumptions was wrong. 

  1. The front axles work and don’t work from the MS3.  The driver front MS3 axles will interface perfectly with the Mazdaspeed6 transmission.  However, the inboard CV housing/spline section for the passenger side front will need to be replaced/modified to work with the speed6 intermediate shaft.  
  2. The rear ABS sensor for the Mazdaspeed3 will not work with a Speed6-style ABS trigger wheel. They use a much different and more modern magnetic trigger wheel incorporated in the rear ABS sensor for the Mazdaspeed3 will not work with a Speed6-style ABS trigger wheel. They use a much different and more modern magnetic trigger wheel incorporated inside the wheel bearings…which we don’t have when using the CX7 wheel bearings. This has led me to develop custom ABS trigger wheels to work with the OEM Mazdaspeed 3 sensor. More on that later.

Alright, that wraps up the rear drivetrain setup.  There are plenty more huge milestones to overcome, which are coming up in this multi-part blog series! 

I hope you are enjoying this series about the Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap. Stay tuned for more blogs to come!

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

Thanks for tuning in!

-Barett @ CS

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All New Mazdaspeed Aluminum Coolant and Power Steering Fluid Tanks

For years, you’ve asked for them, and they’re finally here! 

Introducing the CorkSport Aluminum Coolant and Power Steering Fluid Tank for the First Generation Mazdaspeed3 (2007-2009). Although we’ve had a 2010-2013 Mazdaspeed 3 coolant tank, it’s about time we added these tanks to line up.

2007-20096 Mazdaspeed 3 Engine mods with CorkSport products

Let’s face it, the first-gen Mazdaspeed3 platform is aging, and with that age comes ugly, yellow plastic tanks. We’ve even seen tanks crack and fail, causing coolant leaks, headaches, and eye sores for owners.  It’s time we changed that.

CorkSport has developed a solution in the form of an aluminum replacement for these tired plastic tanks that fit and function just like OEM! Our tanks also come coated in a beautiful black powder coat that will look right at home with any color in any engine bay. Our tanks are robust and will stand the test of time for years to come. 

But why aluminum? Why do we even have a tank, to begin with? What does it do?Let’s start by going over how a cooling system works.

TW: It’s about to get a little nerdy!

Understanding Heat Transfer in Cooling Systems

Think about a hot summer’s day. You’re sweating from a hard day of wrenching on the Mazda in the garage and desperately need a cool down, so you place a cold, wet, refreshing towel around your neck. Initially, when you place that cool towel around your neck, you only feel the cold in one place: around your neck. But pretty soon, you feel the cold spread throughout your body and begin cooling down.

This feeling, however, is misleading as there is no such thing as “cold.” There is only heat and a lack of heat. What’s happening is the heat that you feel on your body is being transferred into the cool towel, and the blood that passes through your neck is cooled as a result. As this blood with less heat (i.e., “cooled”) circulates around your body, you feel the effect of that towel all throughout until all of your blood is cooled, and you begin to feel better! You’ll notice after some time that the towel is no longer cool because it has absorbed the heat from your body and the surrounding air. Remember: heat moves from hot to cold and wants to spread until an equilibrium is met. 

How Automotive Cooling Systems Work

Automotive cooling systems work on the same principle. Replace that towel with a radiator, your blood with automotive coolant, and the engine as a heat source, and now you have an automotive cooling system! As the cold coolant passes through the engine, it absorbs the heat generated by the combustion cycle and friction in the cylinders. Some of this hot coolant is then passed through your HVAC system, where some of this heat can be used to heat the cabin (this is how your heater works), and the rest is passed to the radiator for cooling. Once cooled by moving air, it is then passed again into the engine, where it works to cool it down. Then the cycle continues. This is the same basis of how Turbo front mount intercoolers operate. For more information on these systems, check out our Front Mount Intercoolers.

So where does the tank come in?

Naturally, as things heat up, they expand. Coolant is no exception to this rule, and this is usually combated with an expansion tank to capture any excess volume. What makes the MazdaSpeed 3 cooling system unique is that the expansion tank is incorporated into the main flow path of the coolant, with the expansion volume built into the reservoir design. This design of combining the expansion tank with a reservoir simplifies the system without the need for additional tanks or hoses. This can also be compared visually with the fill point of the cooling system. On most vehicles, it is located on top of the radiator, but on the Speed3, it is located on the tank directly.  This means that the tank itself is pressurized when the system is hot, which introduces a challenge with material selection.

Mazdaspeed’s Need For A Better Tank  

Since the OEM tank is made of plastic, it is more vulnerable to degradation over time. Once the tank has deteriorated enough, it cannot withstand the pressure changes and high-temperature cycles of the coolant system. It will eventually fail, leading to many owners complaining of cracks and leaks. The TIG welded aluminum construction and powder coating of our tanks mean that they are substantially more resilient than the OEM tanks and will last for years to come. 

2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3 aluminum coolant tank

Power Steering Tank

The 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3 power steering tank is much simpler as its only function is to hold fluid, and the system is only slightly pressurized, meaning no expansion volume has to be built into the tank design and the temperatures are much lower. However, the OEM tank is still made of the same ugly plastic as the coolant tank and has the same disadvantages. While this tank does not see the same failure rate as the coolant tank, we decided to take the opportunity anyway to fully complete the look of the engine bay and provide our customers with a comprehensive solution to replace all of the aging plastic tanks to improve the appearance of the engine bay vastly. 

mazdaspeed3 aftermarket power steering tank

Fitment and Design

We understand that universal tanks are such a pain. We have experienced this with some of our cars and have had to design and fabricate custom brackets to make them fit. This is a headache, not to mention having to cut or move OEM hoses or custom-make our own. Retaining OEM fit and function is the easiest and most effective design for installation, and that is exactly what we have done for our tanks!

First Gen 2007-2009 Mazdaspeed 3 Aluminum Tank compared with OEM tank

If you want to purchase one (or both) of our Aluminum Tanks for your Mazdaspeed 3, today is the day! 

Thanks

-Quintin, CS engineering

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How To Build A 900 Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap – Rocker Arm Suspension (Part 4)

Welcome to part 4 of the Mazdaspeed3 AWD Swap! If you missed the previous posts, you can catch the Intro, (Part 2), and Part 3.   This blog will cover the rear suspension design, specifically the rocker arms, and how we came to the size, shape, and overall design.  This will get technical with numbers, angles, and CAD models.

Before we get into the technical jargon, let’s cover the “what” with rocker arm suspension.  

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap Rocker Arm Suspension
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Swap Rocker Arm Suspension

Let’s break down this diagram as it is 100% not OEM for the Mazdaspeed 3:

  • Rocker Arm:  This is the keystone of the suspension design and does all the work.  The rocker arm connects the push rod and the damper to transfer suspension force at a different angle.  The rocker arms can also go by a few names: rocker arm, bell crank, cantilever, and pivot arm, to name a few.  
  • Push Rod: This is a simple rod with spherical rod ends on each end.  This connects the OEM suspension to the rocker arm.  The push rod is in a similar location as the OEM suspension. 
  • Suspension Mounting Bracket: This is the mounting point for the push rod to the OEM suspension trailing arm. This must be added because the OEM damper mount is below the now-new axle shaft. 
  • Coilover/Damper: This is an off-the-shelf damper that can have a coil spring installed on it.  It features independent rebound and compression damping adjustability.  
  • Cross Member: This is the cross member that is welded between the chassis shock towers in the car to support the new rocker arm suspension.  

Here you can see the design tack welded in the car.  This should help you understand how the design fits and is used in the car itself.

Mazdaspeed AWD Suspension Corss Member Tacked
Mazdaspeed AWD Suspension Corss Member Tacked
Mazdaspeed AWD Suspension Push Rod Mount
Mazdaspeed AWD Suspension Push Rod Mount

Now that we have a basic understanding of this rocker arm-style suspension let’s get into some more details!

First, let’s talk about suspension and the forces they deal with.   Gravity pushes you and your car down to the ground, and road imperfections (bumps, potholes, unlevel surfaces) try to push you and your car up/down/all around while driving.  If vehicles did not have suspension and instead the wheels were rigidly attached to the vehicle chassis, we would have all sorts of issues.  Comfort, control, and tractions are the big concerns, amongst many others.

The suspension’s job is to soak up and move with many road imperfections like bumps, potholes, and unlevel surfaces.  Every time your tire goes over a bump or pothole, it moves up or down, resulting in a force transferred into the suspension.

Check out this quick illustration to see the rocker arm suspension in motion:

As the tire moves up/down, you can see that the rocker arm pivots and transfers that motion into the coilover/damper.

Now let’s break down those forces a bit more.  The rocker arm allows us to change the angle of the forces transferred to a new angle that is easier for us to deal with. Instead of being required to have a coilover/damper in a vertical suspension down around the tire (like OEM), I can now change the angle so I can put the coilover/damper in a position that is much easier to deal with. 

Rocker Arm Suspension Mazdaspeed  Swap Forces
Rocker Arm Suspension Mazdaspeed Swap Forces

The rocker arm has two major features about it. 

  1. The angle change of transferred forces, as we just discussed.  This is mainly to help with “positioning” the suspension components. 
  2. The rocker arm lengths allow us to define the “motion ratio” of the suspension.  Looking at the diagram, you can see a blue line and a green line.  These effective rocker arm lengths affect the suspension and result in a motion ratio.  
    1. The resulting ratio is 1:0.7 meaning the damper compresses 70% of the amount that the wheel moves up/down.
    2. The wheel/tire has a maximum range of 5.55 inches of travel, while the damper has a maximum travel of 3.875 inches.  

Designing the rocker arm with this 1:0.7 motion ratio allowed me to use a smaller, lighter damper design with limited travel and still get the desired wheel suspension travel I needed.  We use a stiffer spring to compensate for the extra leverage of the motion ratio.  

Motion ratios in suspension are common.  For example, the Mazdaspeed 3 suspension has a unique motion ratio in the front (1:0.98) and rear (1:0.71) from our calculations.  These numbers are typical of the style of suspension found in many commuter cars these days.  

Now that we understand the forces and the intent with the rocker am…we have to design its shape and size to do the job.  Angles are the tricky parts of the rocker arm design.  Defining the angles (and thus shape) comes down to understanding the push rod input angles and the desired damper output angles while in motion. 

Rocker Arm Suspension Mazdaspeed AWD Swap Angles
Rocker Arm Suspension Mazdaspeed AWD Swap Angles

When we say “angles,” we are talking about the red arrows in the above diagram.  These red arrows are the angles between the rocker arm and the push rod, as well as the rocker arm and the damper.  Ideally, these angles are always 90 degrees through the entire motion you see in the GIF, but that is not physically possible, so we had to find the correct balance of angles while in motion.  

A whole lot of math encompasses this, but the upcoming diagrams will help break it down to a very understandable level for everyone!  We are breaking it down to the three major suspension travel points: droop, bump and ride height.  

First, we are going to look at the angles for the push rod in Bump, Ride Height, and Droop. 

  • Bump is when the suspension is fully compressed.
  • Ride Height is when the car is sitting stationary (static). 
  • Droop is when the suspension is fully decompressed.  Image your car sitting on jack stands with the tires hanging in the air. 
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Bump Pushrod
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Bump Pushrod

In full bump, the push rod angle to the rocker arm decreases to 67 degrees which is 23 degrees off the “ideal” 90. 

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Ride Height Pushrod
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Ride Height Pushrod

Then looking at ride height as the suspension moves downward from full bump.  The damper-to-rocker arm angle decreases to 82 degrees which is 8 degrees off the “ideal” 90.

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Droop Push Rod
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Droop Push Rod

Lastly, with the suspension traveling to full droop.  The push rod to rocker arm angle increases to 117.5 degrees which is 27.5 degrees off the “ideal” 90. 

What does this mean?   This is great, actually!  Ride height is where the suspension will function most of the time, and that is only 5 degrees off the ideal 90-degree angle.  When the car is launched in a drag race, the suspension is going to compress, and that angle will decrease, passing through the ideal 90-degree angle and further.  This is precisely the balance we are looking for with the rocker arm design.  To keep it functioning most of the time as close to 90 degrees as possible.

Ok, let’s look at the angles from the damper side of the rocker arm. 

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Bump Damper
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Bump Damper

In full bump, the damper angle to the rocker arm increases to 111.5 degrees which is 21.5 degrees off the “ideal” 90. 

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Ride Height Damper
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Arm Angle Ride Height Damper

Then looking at ride height as the suspension moves downward from the full bump.  The damper-to-rocker arm angle decreases to 82 degrees which is 8 degrees off the “ideal” 90.

Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Angle Droop Damper
Mazdaspeed 3 AWD Rocker Angle Droop Damper

With the suspension traveling to full droop, the damper-to-rocker arm angle decreases to 62 degrees which is 28 degrees off the “ideal” 90. 

Again we have the damper near the “ideal” 90-degree angle at ride height and then pass through the 90-degree angle zone when the suspension compresses at launch.  Again, the balanced angles we are trying to design for so the suspension function in the “ideal” angle range most of the time.  

Why are the angles so important?  The further you get from the “ideal” 90-degree angle, the more non-linear the suspension acts.  When the suspension acts in a linear function, it is tunable and predictable to drive.  If it is non-linear, then it makes tuning and use much more difficult…this results in inconsistent launching and driving, which is not good in a racing environment.

Mazdaspeed AWD Swap Racecar Suspension
Mazdaspeed AWD Swap Racecar Suspension

This seems like a lot of work…why do it? 

A few reasons, really: 

  • Moving to the rocker arm design gave me a lot of control over how I set up my Mazdaspeed for racing
  • It also gave me the ability to use readily available off-the-shelf dampers.  This allowed me to get double adjustable dampers (rebound and compressor) for a very cost-effective price. 
  • The CX7 AWD swap rear axle shafts did not allow me to use the OEM dampers anyways. 
  • This design moves more of the suspension component’s weight to “sprung mass” which is better. 
  • I love the challenge of designing a suspension system like this, and this was a great opportunity!

Before we wrap things up, note the rocker arms are 6061-T6 billet and are massive!  We knew they were big, but it didn’t really sink in until we saw them firsthand.  

Rocker Arm Size Comparison
Rocker Arm Size Comparison
Rocker Arm Size Comparison 2
Rocker Arm Size Comparison 2

Alright, that wraps up the rocker arm suspension design, a huge novelty for the build.  There are plenty more huge milestones to overcome, and those are coming up in this multi-part blog series!

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 7th Gear Membership, and on mazdaspeeds.org.

Thanks for tuning in!

-Barett @ CS

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1st Gen Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

Are you looking for an exterior mod that will freshen up the look of your first gen Mazdaspeed 3? Well if that’s the case then the Carbon Fiber Spoiler is the perfect part to install on your build. The Carbon Fiber Spoiler retains the OEM look with the much-appreciated addition of carbon fiber. Keep on reading below for more info on the carbon spoiler.

2x2 carbon weave Mazdaspeed3 Rear spoiler wing

Since the Carbon Fiber spoiler is based off of the factory Mazda piece, installation is a breeze and requires no drilling or other modifications to the hatch. We have also pinned the third brake light so that it can reuse the OEM connector with no modification to the harness needed! The Carbon Spoiler also comes with all the necessary hardware to install the spoiler so you can be back on the road in no time. Fitment with other add-on parts such as spoiler extensions or gurney flaps should work with the OEM style shape, however, we have not tested it. The same goes for GEN1 Mazda 3, the CF spoiler should fit, however, you may have a different 3rd brake light setup and/or have additional holes from the smaller Mazda 3 spoiler

Following the OEM MPS 3 design the top is carbon fiber with the bottom being a black gel coat

The Mazdaspeed Spoiler features a fiberglass base that is then topped off with a layer of carbon fiber on the top side of the spoiler. The underside of the spoiler is finished in gloss black and the whole thing is then coated with a UV-resistant epoxy resin to provide a mirror-like finish and the necessary protection from the elements. The two halves come together on the rear edge so there is a small seam, however, once installed, the seam all but disappears!

1st gen MS3 look of the stock spoiler but in a carbon fiber

If the CS Carbon Fiber Spoiler is a mod that you would like to add to your build, then head over and check out the product page for additional photos! Also, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have.

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Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

Mazdaspeed 3 Carbon Fiber Spoiler

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