Xida Maintenance

Xidas are pro-level motorsports dampers. Tractive, JRZ, Moton, MCS, Penske, Ohlins, Multimatic, Nitron. All the same hardware professional race teams buy for their 1/2 million dollar race cars. With the incredible performance the shocks deliver comes the need to service them periodically. This is simply replacing the oil and seals. Most budget shocks run low gas pressure, in the 10psi range. The budget shocks will actually have higher friction seals, more of them, higher viscosity (thicker) conventional oil and dust boots. Xidas run 220psi, have low friction seals, lower viscosity synthetic oil. Early Xidas have no dust boots. The budget shock may not perform nearly as well but it is likely to be maintenance free. Our Xida application for the 90-05 Miata has been in production since 2009, thousands shipped to racers all over the world. In contrast with 90-05 shocks from all other pro level suppliers, there are likely 20x more Xidas out in the wild compared to all other pro level shocks combined.

Recommended service intervals
25,000 miles or 5 years  – Street use only, no snow or dirt roads
10,000 miles or 2 years  – street use only, regular snow or dirt
100 hours or 3 years – Competition type driving, HPDE, autocross

What wears them out?
Trailered miles count the same as driven miles.
Highway miles on stiff spring rates concentrate all wear in narrow band of stroke, reducing service life.
Wet sand is the most damaging. It only takes a short drive through wet sand to scratch a shaft which then tears the top seal.
Letting shocks stay wet and dirty for long periods. Some dust is OK but add moisture and you now have grinding paste.

What work is performed during a full rebuild?
Visual inspection. Looking for knicks or scratches on the shaft, damage to the body, oil seepage, etc. Disassemble the shock and examine the oil, o-rings, seals, shims, and bore of the body.  If the condition looks normal the oil, o-rings, seals, and shims are replaced along with adding the correct nitrogen charge.

How can I tell if they need a rebuild?
If you see leakage on a brand new shock (within first 5 hours of use), send it in for warranty.
If you see leakage on a shock that’s been in use for more than 15hrs or 1,000 miles, send all four shocks in to be inspected.
If your usage is combined street and track, then add both miles/hours together.
If you find you have to adjust damping stiffer because the shocks are losing damping, it’s a bit late. Your shocks are past the point of needing a rebuild and may require more than a simple seal and fluid change.

What happens if I don’t service the shocks when they need it?
Continuing to use a shock that is overdue for service will result in poor damping performance, excess component wear and possible leakage. Abuse or lack of service can result in major components being damaged and requiring replacement, such as the main cylinder, shock shaft, piston. This neglect can turn an affordable rebuild into a major expense. With regular service, the major components should last 10 years, 100k miles, 500hrs for most Xida owners.

How can I extend the life of my shocks?
Shocks get covered in dirt and grime during normal use on clean, dry roads. Add in dusty, dirty or wet roads and the grime is increased. This grime builds up around the shaft, at the top of body, and gets pulled through the dust and oil seal into the damper. When a shock gets contaminated with debris, it breaks down the oil, seals, o-rings, and shims. Keeping the shocks clean will extend the life of the shock. Pressure washing the underside of your car periodically will help reduce grime build-up. Soft covers or shock boots help keep grime off the shocks. We offer shock boots for Xidas that originally shipped without them https://949racing.com/product/xida-shock-boot-rubber/. Fabric or neoprene shock covers are available online.

What warranty coverage do Xidas carry?
Xidas have a one year warranty. If you have an issue that you believe may be covered, email Supermiata. All warranty repairs in the USA are handled by PSI, Tractive’s USA service center. If you live outside the USA, contact us. If you are the original owner of your Xidas and simply want to replace a damper for any reason, you can purchase a single replacement damper at 25% off retail price within the first 5 years of ownership. Contact us for ordering instructions.

Which Xidas do I have?
Gen 1 Xidas for the 90-05 Miata were made by AST. They have a 47mm OD with a 14mm shaft diameter, black lower spring perch. They typically can go longer between service intervals. They are less likely to be contaminated, due to the dust seal design, but get hotter due to less shock oil volume.
Gen 2 Xidas for all cars are made by Tractive. They have a 52mm OD body with a 16mm shaft diameter, orange lower spring perch. They have a larger body with more oil volume, but have low friction oil seals (less drag, higher performance) and a spring loaded dust seal below the top cap of the shock.