best rear suspension possible

[Gotts2BMe]

I have a 91 escort lx 4 door that is bp swapped. I am wanting to upgrade my rear suspension with stuff I have lying around. I was wondering what would be a better upgrade. Not changing the struts/springs.

I have a 92 mx3 gs, 91 escort gt and a 96 mx3 gs as donor cars.

I am thinking either the mx3 rear tie bars, mx3 rear discs and egt rear sway bar or just the complete 96 mx3 rear subframe. The car will be mostly daily driven but will be ice raced this winter and possibly auto x next year.

[Mazda_Powered]

afaik the MX3 and EGT have the same diameter rear sway bars, but I'd measure them just to be safe. If they are, then I'd just swap the complete MX3 rear subframe in if you're only using parts from those specific vehicles...

[Gotts2BMe]

the mx3 and egt use a different style of rear sway bar. Drop links and end links.

Will the rear sub frame from the mx3 widen my stance some like the mx3 front lower control arms?

[KAinjection]

The rear subframe is the same, but the lateral links are wider like the front control arms are. To avoid the hassle of dealing with the spindle bolts, then yes swapping the entire sub frame from the mx3 is the easiest thing for you. 4 bolts for the subframe to body, 4 bolts for the spindle/strut bolts, brake lines to the calipers/drums, brake distribution block on the subframe, disconnect the parking brake cables and it will be out.

Make sure you swap the parking brake cables from the MX3 since rear disc uses different rear cables then drum cars

[Gotts2BMe]

The rear subframe is the same, but the lateral links are wider like the front control arms are. To avoid the hassle of dealing with the spindle bolts, then yes swapping the entire sub frame from the mx3 is the easiest thing for you. 4 bolts for the subframe to body, 4 bolts for the spindle/strut bolts, brake lines to the calipers/drums, brake distribution block on the subframe, disconnect the parking brake cables and it will be out.

Make sure you swap the parking brake cables from the MX3 since rear disc uses different rear cables then drum cars

ok how about the rear struts. My 96 mx3 looks like it sits high in the rear especially compared to the front. If I use the mx3 struts will it raise it up or are escort struts swappable onto the mx3 sub frame? I may just have to measure the length

[KAinjection]

Struts are all interchangeable, but the struts do not dictate your ride height, that is the job of the springs, your struts just dampen the spring.

[Gotts2BMe]

Struts are all interchangeable, but the struts do not dictate your ride height, that is the job of the springs, your struts just dampen the spring.

Yeah I know that lol. I was talking about the whole strut/spring assembly. Thank you for your advise

[Turpro]

I'd stock with the escort stuff unless you do front and rear mx3 full suspension parts. This way it's all geometric like from factory. Widths and spring heights ect

[KAinjection]

Yeah I know that lol. I was talking about the whole strut/spring assembly. Thank you for your advise

Yes the whole thing will swap in, everything is the same, strut mounts even have the same part number. The spring may be a different length and/or rate, but I dont know on that.

[Gotts2BMe]

I'd stock with the escort stuff unless you do front and rear mx3 full suspension parts. This way it's all geometric like from factory. Widths and spring heights ect

I do not want to use the front springs on the mx3 for 2 reasons

1. The stock spring rates are set for the vehicles weight in mind. The v6 will be much heavier than my 4cyl escort with a/c deleted.

2. One of the springs is broken on he mx3.

[Georonimo]

best rear suspension possible:

[josh95mx]

^^NICE!

I would swap the front and rear suspension. It is said that the 96' GS MX-3 used a solid rear swaybar vs the prior years that used a hollow bar minor benefit. IMO I would roll with the MX 3 suspension parts and run your escort springs for now until you came into something better.

[Mazda_Powered]

the mx3 and egt use a different style of rear sway bar. Drop links and end links.

Will the rear sub frame from the mx3 widen my stance some like the mx3 front lower control arms?

All I was suggesting was to run the largest rear sway bar possible. People are able to run the 323/Protege style swaybars on MX-3s using a heim joint and bushing setup.

http://www.velocityshop.com/images/products/1278271546-hr-swaylink-frt-dc2-blue.jpg