We are proud to announce a brand new product we have been developing for the last 8 months and totally unique to the Mr2 scene, the Woodsport Mk3 Mr2 Spyder subframe , nicknamed the "Kanjo frame" will shortly be available to order.
The goal from the outset was to provide an upgrade alternative to the rapidly decaying OEM subframe, as i'm sure you are all aware the Spyder subframe suffers very badly from rust and corrosion to the point where sooner or later it needs to be replaced. Indeed we have seen them so badly rotten and weakened from internal rust that it becomes a real danger to the integrity of the whole rear suspension. The main reason for this corrosion is the stock subframe is not water tight and water ingress allows the inside of the subframe to rust pretty quickly.
An example of how badly the OEM subframe deteriorates below, the keener eyed among you will notice that the inner upper surface remains as new and not a single rust spot, it's the entire lower section that rots out, simply due to it's flaw in being able to retain water in these areas. Seriously compromising the integrity of the suspension arm mounting points.
By comparison the Kanjo frame is full box section and sealed, water ingress is impossible with the new design.
We knew that a stronger, more durable and aesthetically pleasing option was well overdue, so design started early last year to come up with something that not only provided a direct replacement subframe that tackled the corrosion issues but also ticked a lot of extra boxes along the way. The Woodsport Kanjo frame is an excellent upgrade over the OEM subframe, the OEM frame has hanger mounting tabs that are only 2mm thick, indeed the whole subframe is very thin and although we have not done any FEA analysis on the stock subframe it isn't hard to see that it isn't especially strong, couple that to internal corrosion and it becomes a seriously weakened major component on the cars chassis. The Kanjo frame has 3mm thick hanger brackets for the arms by comparison and 40mm box section frame contruction.
I think you will agree the Woodsport Kanjo frame looks great! We're very proud of how this product has turned out and has been worth the hundreds of man hours in CAD and prototyping over the last 8 months.
Adjustable arm mounting points
Part of the redesign included the need to make both the lower control arm and track arm mounting points adjustable. This is a huge feature of the new Woodsport design. For many years owners who have lowered their cars suspension with shorter springs or full coilover kits have had to deal with bad bumpsteer issues as lowering the car past the roll centre on the arms creates a very negative handling effect as the suspension arms rise and fall, causing the rear wheels to deflect or "steer" when going over bumps or heavy cornering. So with this in mind for both road cars and heavily focused track cars we gave the suspension arms three points of attachment so that the user can adjust the roll centre depending on how low they have set the car. The mounting holes are 25mm apart, the lowest set of holes being at exactly stock height, the middle holes are 25mm higher than stock, and the upper holes are 50mm higher than stock, giving a huge range for adjustment. Most users on average lowered height suspension will use the middle set of holes, with only the extremely lowered cars needing to use the upper set.
If you are running very lowered and wish to use the upper set of mounting holes, it is expected that your suspension will be set to maximum stiffness for that mounting position, as there will be limited travel for the arms at that mounting height, again only very track focused, very low and stiffly setup cars will be able to use the uppermost mounting points. For 95% of the rest of us who are roughly 30mm lower than stock, the middle set of mounting holes are perfect and will require no consideration for arm travel.
We feel this adjustabiliity feature alone makes the Woodsport Kanjo frame the future of Mr2 Spyder suspension tuning. The frame itself is incredibly strong with carefully designed gussets spreading the lateral loads along the frame, not just concentrated on the hanger points themselves.
Pictured above is the issue with lowering a Spyder, as you can see all suspension arms now point in an upward direction towards the hub, this effectively shortens the distance from arm pivot point to hub when the suspension compresses further, which then pulls the rear of the hubs in and toe out on the wheels. Raising the inner arm mounting point fixes this issue.
Check out the corrosion happening around the stock tie rod mounting point, it's very thin and weak in this safety critical area, compare that mounting point to the picture above of the very strong Kanjo design.
The track arms (tie rods) hanger bracket comes with the factory oval slots so full tracking adjustment is maintained, but also using aftermarket tie rods or lower control arms works in exactly the same way. Each hanger bracket is heavily reinforced with gusseting along with bracing between the front and rear hangers, much stronger than the OEM subframe in this area. We believe this subframe also offers a substantial increase in rear chassis rigidity between the chassis rails. The Kanjo frame weighs 12kg.
The rear transmission mount is also tied into the subframe as normal, but with a much thicker load bearing mounting plate.
The Kanjo frame will come finished powder coated and with new mounting hardware featuring high tensile bolts/washers for the chassis leg mounting points
The Kanjo frame has much more free space around it than the stock subframe, making it ideal for use with engine conversions or custom exhaust systems where extra space is needed for routing or for engine/transmission clearance.
Other features
Upon ordering, the Kanjo frame can be configured with options, one of those being adding mounting points for SMT models pump and the heat shields around that area in the lower left corner, of course some people run their cars without the heat shield, the choice is yours. The Kanjo frame also comes with the ABS sensor cable attachment points and also includes the Facelift subframe additional tie rod mount, again this can be requested or left off at time of ordering.
So it can be configured to fit both Pre-facelift and Facelift models in both SMT and Manual versions.
The frames will be finished in blue powder coat, other custom colours can be available for a small extra charge so you can match the subframe to your cars colour etc. Please get in touch with me before ordering about various colour availability, if no colour option is requested the frame will ship in Woodsport Blue.
The name of the frame- Kanjo!
We wanted this new subframe to have an identity, a name that people would call it by and recognize it as a Woodsport product, most of our in house designed products have a Japanese name attached to them, the Kuki roof spoiler, the Kanki Mk2 Mr2 engine lid etc
Kanjo translates as "little to most" and also means "Tubular", it's also a tribute to the Japanese Kanjo racers from the Kanjozoku scene who race on the Kanjo loop in Osaka, who strive to get the most from their cars handling and performance, so we feel this catchy name suits it well. All subframes will feature our Woodsport badge and Kanjo badge and will be serial number stamped for identification and quality control.
Pricing, lead time and shipping costs
Initial demand for this new product will be very high, so lead times may vary but in general expect your order to be ready to ship within 7-10 days of ordering. That lead time may be significantly longer during the first few months of product launch. If you want an exact update on current timescales or have any other questions about the Kanjo frame please email me This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and i will advise.
The price for the Woodsport Kanjo frame will be decided soon based on initial interest/orders and projected numbers for the first production run, plus shipping costs, approx £95 to the USA (3-4 day service) , £35 to Europe (3-4 day service), £20 within the UK (48hr service). The webshop will calculate your exact shipping cost before payment is taken.
For custom powder coating colour other than grey an additional £20 will be required, please contact us for colour availability.
UPDATE 3rd August 2023
Following huge initial demand after announcing the soft launch of this product we have been inundated with pre-orders, so we have decided to do the first production run of 30 Kanjo frames for the price of £675 plus shipping (approx shipping costs above). For this price you will get a complete Kanjo frame in Woodsport blue, or for £695 it will be powder coated in whatever colour you require (subject to availability, please email your enquiry first)
Each frame will be configured for Facelift/Pre-facelift and SMT/heatshield etc as requested to customize your order.
What we have decided to do is take £100 deposits for the first production run of 30 Kanjo frames, with the balance plus shipping payable on completion, this simply gives us an exact number to work with for the first run and gauges interest for subsequent production.
Please note, the first production run of 30 will take us 5-6 weeks to produce, with the aim to get the first 10-15 made and shipped within the first 3-4 weeks. Once initial demand has been satisfied we expect lead times to be 1-2 weeks from ordering.
Please use the checkout below to register your order and pay your deposit, thank you for your incredible support for this new Woodsport product- Paul Woods
Update 14th August 2023
The price for the first 30 in the primary production run will remain at £675, however future orders will be at £750 per frame due to higher than expected production costs.
There are currently 4 spots left at the introductory price, thank you.
Update 20th August 2023
31 deposits taken and the group buy is now closed.
It will now only be possible to order one of these in a few months time at the full price.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has taken part and supported our brand new product.