93 protege sleeper project

[zzzoom]

this is the first page of my project. i am basically starting out with a more or less stock 1993 Protege LX 1.8 DOHC. Manufacturer date October 1993.

Anyway...

this first installment will be of the following from a 1992 MX3 V6:

Lower COntrol Arms
Spindles
CV Axles
Rotors
Calipers

All of this is in preparation for the MX3 V6 coming this summer...
i will post my progress - as i go along with pictures....
ciao for now

p.s. my protege parts that are being replaced will be up for sale - as most of the parts are less than a year old.

[Mazda_Powered]

nice to see more and more people are going V6! but i hope the mx3 K8 engine is just a mock up engine or something, because you really wont benefit much power increase over the BP.

JACK

good luck. have fun. keep us posted...and speaking of post....post some pics!

[protégébob]

if you're gonna change all of that, why don't you just swap the whole subframe over?
mmm wider track!

[zzzoom]

its actually the lower control arms that seem to make it wider - not the subframe - i held the mx3 LCAs up to the Pro's and sure enough - they were exactly the same except it was @15MM longer extending out to the hub - so no subframe was needed.

something else i discovered - the mx3 hub had a different bearing init for the drivers side!! both hubs came off the same mx3! it was wierd. when i get the drivers side axle then the LCAs go on.

the calipers and rotrs were exactly the same - they looked larger - even when i held them up to another Pro at the yard - oh well...still in pursuit of brake upgrade....

[protégébob]

umm, learn something new everyday

[mike_moss]

its actually the lower control arms that seem to make it wider - not the subframe - i held the mx3 LCAs up to the Pro's and sure enough - they were exactly the same except it was @15MM longer extending out to the hub - so no subframe was needed.

something else i discovered - the mx3 hub had a different bearing init for the drivers side!! both hubs came off the same mx3! it was wierd. when i get the drivers side axle then the LCAs go on.

the calipers and rotrs were exactly the same - they looked larger - even when i held them up to another Pro at the yard - oh well...still in pursuit of brake upgrade....

Very interesting information. Some questions though:

Although the subframes seem to be dimensionally identical. Does the Protegé subframe have the same mounting provisions for the: steering rack? horizontal subframe brace? (the thing that acts sorta like a lower tie bar)

So the Protegé and MX-3 LCAs are dimensionally identical with the exact same mounting locations? This would lead me to believe the aftermarket LCA bushings for the Protegé and MX-3 are interchangeable, but I don't recall that ever being figured out by most bushing manufacturers.

[zzzoom]

i havent gotten to the subframe yet - mike - but from what i saw (running back and forth between the two vehicles - it all seemed to mount up the same - but until i get in there and rip it up i wont know for sure - cnosidering that the LCAs were identical insize (except the 15mm length difference at the spindle), shape, and mounting positins - yes - i would say that they are - besides - when you change the LCA you can use the mounting brackets as well. which means the bushings too...i will be ordering some soon myself.

i will changing my LCAs tomorrow and posting pics as well. eventually, i will begin making videos to document this. :D