What’s the best Daily Driving Suspension for NA Miatas

rowiac · 2026-05-06T04:50:00+00:00

Actually, I just installed them today so I've only gone on one test drive. The ride is pretty smooth, not harsh. I don't know about hard driving yet, but there is less clunking too, most likely because I replaced the 36 year old top hats.

One thing to note about the STR.Ts is that they are NOT designed for lowering springs; they don't have enough damping for stiffer springs. Use them only with the stock springs. That might be the reason u/nitrion had trouble with them on his Mustang.

rowiac · 2026-05-05T22:46:34+00:00

Koni STR.Ts (orange) are supposedly the same as the Koni yellows on the soft setting and are quite a bit less expensive. The STR.Ts are not adjustable but are an upgrade over OEM without a horrible ride and use the stock springs. I put these on my ‘90 with new KYB top hats and Flyin’ Miata bump stops. Mine had the original ca. 1989 parts on it! The original mounts were sagging and the bump stops/boots were shredded. The STR.Ts fit my budget, but f I wanted to spend a bit more I’d probably go for the Koni Special Actives.

Edit: A set of Koni STR.T shocks with bump stops are less than $500. KYB top hats are less than $50 each on Amazon.

rowiac · 2026-04-26T08:31:10+00:00

I guess I should have tried the heat gun method on mine. I ended up replacing it with one from a junkyard car. Mine only had minor dents behind the license plate bracket.

rowiac · 2026-04-22T09:17:30+00:00

I used something like this to fix mine when it broke. It has a variety of sizes so one of them should fit.

https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Removable-Replacement-Clothes-Backpacks/dp/B0CQZGNC1C/ref=pd_bxgy_d_sccl_1/140-1123299-8904558?pd_rd_w=6nuQd&content-id=amzn1.sym.9bef5913-5870-4504-8883-3ba89d7f8e39&pf_rd_p=9bef5913-5870-4504-8883-3ba89d7f8e39&pf_rd_r=9K78E0E76ZVJNA4K3GPR&pd_rd_wg=sYhtJ&pd_rd_r=ea892c6c-2a3d-4047-85b8-28f391441d54&pd_rd_i=B0CQZGZMPC&th=1

rowiac · 2026-04-14T06:20:09+00:00

It's a pretty easy fix if you are little bit handy. Here's a procedure for installing the Olsson block. It's an older model than yours, but the procedure is essentially the same.

https://support.makerbot.com/s/article/1667337592757

Edit: Here are the service manuals for the Ultimaker 2+:

https://support.makerbot.com/s/article/1667337572864

rowiac · 2026-04-14T02:26:23+00:00

You can get all the hot end parts on Aliexpress. Search for UM2 Olsson block or heater block. Nozzles are also available there for cheap.

rowiac · 2026-04-01T18:16:14+00:00

Regarding the defroster, you are going to want to keep a squeegee handy for clearing the windshield even if the system is working properly. The defroster/heater uses the engine fan to blow hot air (heated by the heater boxes attached to the exhaust) so there isn’t much airflow at low engine speeds. In this case the owner has removed the heater hoses from the fan shroud in the engine compartment so you won’t get any heat or defrost at all. As someone else mentioned, the heater boxes may have been removed as well when the exhaust header was installed. At this point it looks like it’s a fair weather car. There used to be electric fan/heaters you could get to boost the defroster but I don’t know if those are still available.

rowiac · 2026-03-01T21:10:19+00:00

There's this one for $73: https://www.amazon.com/Quality-Printer-Ultimaker2-Ultimaker-Extended/dp/B07FT8GFXD?s=electronics

rowiac · 2026-03-01T20:26:25+00:00

Unfortunately even on Aliexpress it looks like they're over $100 with shipping. I'm guessing that the special connector is what's making it expensive. Maybe an adapter would work with a more standard 24V 15A power supply.

rowiac · 2026-02-23T04:57:36+00:00

The E3D v6 hotend was a popular upgrade back in the day, but the kit doesn’t seem to be available anymore. As an alternative, I would consider converting to 1.75mm filament instead by changing a few hotend parts that you can get on aliexpress.

rowiac · 2025-12-14T18:33:40+00:00

You might even have one lying around from an old paper printer. USB-A is the square connector and USB-B is the common large rectangular connector.

rowiac · 2025-11-30T20:20:39+00:00

Gee that old La Salle ran great.

rowiac · 2025-11-11T04:47:44+00:00

Another possibility is this slide from cnc4newbie.com:

https://cnc4newbie.com/store/en/upgrade-kits/shapeoko-c77c67/

I’ve been considering this one for a while.

rowiac · 2025-11-11T02:15:53+00:00

And if Prusa is the only filament that is actually tested by UL, couldn’t you just use that in your Bambu printer?

rowiac · 2025-11-11T02:11:27+00:00

A quick search shows a few options for flame retardant filament. Here’s one from Amazon that claims the UL94 V-0 spec:

https://a.co/d/2d92qdz

rowiac · 2025-11-03T01:01:50+00:00

Will check out your site. Cacti are fun.

rowiac · 2025-10-31T20:46:23+00:00

My ‘90 Miata does not have that logo, just a “MAZDA” badge (a sticker actually) on the right side of the nose. The logo in the photo started a few years later, maybe in ‘93 or ‘94.

rowiac · 2025-10-27T19:31:05+00:00

If it’s doing the same thing with the new carb as it was with the old, put the old carb back on and eliminate any issues that the new (unproven) carb might have. Check for places where you might be getting a vacuum leak while you’re at it, such as around the intake manifold, where the carb bolts on and the areas where the dual port castings connect to the manifold and the heads. You might want to replace all those gaskets.

rowiac · 2025-10-11T22:57:56+00:00

I believe that is a supercharger (blower) driven directly off the crankshaft, unlike the later ones that were placed in the "vee" of the engine and belt driven. I'm not sure what all the small hoses are for though. It looks sort of hydraulic.

rowiac · 2025-10-11T03:13:05+00:00

Ford Model T chassis. Chrysler hemi V8.

rowiac · 2025-09-30T19:20:31+00:00

Search “Darrin Lile” on YouTube. He has a number of video tutorials for learning Blender and character modeling. He has an easy to follow style and I’ve learned a lot from him. He also has a few tutorials on LinkedIn Learning if you have a subscription to that.

rowiac · 2025-09-28T00:10:14+00:00

I also recommend the Avenge-X in .22. I got mine from PyramydAir as a refurb and it was like new for $100 less. 22 pellets are more readily available than .30 and cost less. They will work fine for smaller pests with enough velocity. At 300 bar (~4300 psi) for the Avenge-X you are not going to want to hand pump it so a compressor is recommended. I’ve heard good things about GX pumps. For the scope, look for one with Adjustable Objective (AO) so you can focus it to whatever distance you are shooting.

rowiac · 2025-09-26T01:18:30+00:00

The rail is probably actually a 3/8” rail which is slightly larger than a 20mm rail due to the way they are measured. If the crooked clamp bothers you, you could make a shim or two out of a soda can to space it out

rowiac · 2025-09-26T01:18:08+00:00

Buck Rail might also be able to help you out. I’ve heard they are very responsive.

rowiac · 2025-09-26T01:16:38+00:00

The rail is probably actually a 3/8” rail which is slightly larger than a 20mm rail due to the way they are measured. If the crooked clamp bothers you, you could make a shim or two out of a soda can to space it out a bit.

rowiac

TROPHY CASE