Had some new shock absorbers installed today. At 63k miles they were not entirely shot, they were definitely worn, judging by the improved feel on the drive home. They were yellow Koni Sport adjustable shocks, so they were not an equal swap, but more of an improvement.
When the shock replacement was being planned I considered purchasing some lowering springs to get rid of the fist sized gap between the tire and fender lip. After copious reading in the Miata Forum Suspension and Handling section I decided that because this is the “family” car and it is already a close call clearing dead possums in the road that I would choose function over style and keep the stock springs and their “high” ride height.
When I picked up the car after the install it actually looked like the ride height had increased. When I got home I measured it and sure enough the gap was now a 1/2″ more than it was before. Because that dimension is determined by the spring not the shock I was curious. So I asked over on the forum and got a reassuring response that that is normal and the car will settle back down to where it was in short order.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 330