Wanting to raise the stock suspension 1-2”

[Alidins]

Living in Canada, I often find that when backing out of my garage on days with heavy snowfall, my car can become high-centered. The snow prevents my wheels from making sufficient contact with the ground, forcing me to rock back and forth between reverse and drive just to get out, and there are times when I have to use a shovel to dig myself out.

My Mazda Speed6 is my daily commuter during the winter. I'm curious if anyone has successfully added spacers to their suspension and what issues I might encounter if I do the same. Also, does anyone have recommendations? I rarely drive this car in the summer.

 

[Easter Bunny]

Are you sure you are on stock springs? Ms6's sit pretty high stock

 

[Alidins]

Are you sure you are on stock springs? Ms6's sit pretty high stock

The car is 99% stock. I am the second owner and purchased it from a dealership when it had 60,000 kilometres 37000 miles. It remains 100% stock except for the catalytic converter, which is not a direct OEM spec replacement. The struts are getting weak and are intermittently squeaky. The car now has 155,000 kilometres 96000 miles, and I just completed a major tune-up as well.

Gotta fix a leaky PTO and upgrade the rear differential mounts sooner then later now.

also, I got snowfall that comes up to my headlights sometimes fyi.

 

[Easter Bunny]

Don't know what the answer could be for the ms6 ms3 can just install Mazda 5 springs to raise. Maybe @phate can help

 

[phate]

I see a couple different ways you could do it -

Add a spacer under/over the spring in the strut assembly. This increases the preload on the spring, and might hurt ride comfort a bit.

Add a spacer on top of the strut assembly. No change in spring preload, but you would need longer studs to go through the spacer.

 

[Alidins]

So I went ahead with the spacer on top of struts in the front, just finishing up the installation and all brand-new suspension parts, tie rods gave it the works. I tried compressing the rear coils and failed on just over 2” using straps— 3 straps with the rear subframe out. I felt like it was going to blow up in my face, didn’t feel safe to me.

Bringing it to a shop to install the rear lift and overlooking my installation of everything else to get the expert opinion if there are any red flags, might need a strut stabilizer bar, see what the off-road lift shop thinks.

They should be able to install the lift with ease with the rear subframe in the car and just tighten it up properly and give some additional advice. I just don’t have the equipment to do it right for compressing the rear. But she’s all torqued Also got the godspeed upper control arm for the rear to give that extra adjustment for the wheel alignment.

SURE Dreadnaught & Juggernaught Package installed— took almost a year for that to come in. I broke my last differential case due to bad bushings on the OEM mounts.

I’ll post what happens in the end of it all if I remember in September when I get it out of their shop after I bring it there.

 

[Raider]

My speed3 is a little over 3" higher now. BC Coilovers custom made for the YouTube Throtl channel winner.