MX-5 Wheel Alignment Specs..
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 1:38 pm
Thanks to Charlie Brown.
Here we go again; these specifications have been gleaned from people far wiser and more knowledgeable than myself. I am just a poor lowly scribe trying to understand.
Mazda Specifications are:
Front
Caster: 4.83 deg min. to 6.83 deg max
Camber: -1.10 deg to +1.10 deg
Toe: -0.05 deg to +0.35 deg
Rear
Camber: -1.78 deg to +0.22 deg
Toe: -0.05 deg to +0.35 deg
There is a huge range of possible set ups within the Mazda tolerances and there are combinations within these tolerances that would make your MX5 handle like a real dog. The MX5 is very sensitive to minor alignment changes and you can get great handling rewards by getting the setup just right.
You need to decide on a combination that meets your driving requirements, be it casual, spirited, aggressive or track and then have a reputable aligner carry out the work.
My alignment requirements are based on the following:
*I drive the car daily to work (70k round trip) and do the odd track day.
*The car is completely standard.
*I wanted an alignment that would work with occasional spirited driving and would not wear the insides of my tyres.
I headed off to Spinning Wheel, a known race alignment specialist that has done work on many MX5 Club cars and told them my requirements.
Shown below against “Spirited Driving†are their alignment numbers. These work extremely well for day to day driving and are very similar to CT’s shown further down the page. You get great feel, good turn in and neutral or balance handling characteristics with these settings.
After a couple of runs at Wakefield and a new set of tyres I decided I would like something a little more aggressive. I also wanted to try and reduce roll oversteer, after an “off†at 120kph at Turn 3. This is not something that I would have come across during normal road driving activities, only on the track at the limits of adhesion. So back to Spinning Wheel and the new spec’s are shown against “with track daysâ€. The increase in rear toe in seems to have controlled the roll oversteer I had in Turn 3.
Front
Caster: 5 deg plus
Camber: Spirited driving: -1.00 deg, With track days: -1.10 deg to -1.50 deg
Toe: Spirited driving: 0.28 deg (2mm in), With track days: 0.13 deg (1mm in)
Rear
Camber: Spirited driving: -1.00 deg, With track days: -1.50 deg
Toe: Spirited driving: 0.13 deg (1mm in), With track days: 0.34 deg (2.4mm in)
Note: The larger the bias between front and rear camber the more understeer the car will have.
Toe out on the front gives better turn in but car will dart around (tramline).
Toe out on the rear is very bad in a MX5. It causes roll oversteer. Remember if you set it at 0 degrees, when you sit in the car your weight makes it go toe out. Always have some toe in to allow for this.
CTZooms alignment is:
Front
Caster: 4 deg + (Maximum positive castor, sacrifice a little neg camber to get it if you have to.)
Camber: -1.00 deg
Toe: 0.0 deg (CT’s comment: “a little toe out with a stock front sway bar can give more turn in but not my preferenceâ€)
Rear
Camber: -1.00 deg
Toe: 0.15 deg in (total)
CT’s comment: “The car will be neutral, tyre wear will be fine, it won't dart around and won't give you any nasty surprisesâ€.
And for a bit of comparison as it always pops up -
Lanny’s alignment (from Miatanet) http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html is:
Front
Caster: 5 deg
Camber: -1.20 deg
Toe: 0.075 deg in
Rear
Camber: -1.75 deg
Toe: 0.075 deg in
Here we go again; these specifications have been gleaned from people far wiser and more knowledgeable than myself. I am just a poor lowly scribe trying to understand.
Mazda Specifications are:
Front
Caster: 4.83 deg min. to 6.83 deg max
Camber: -1.10 deg to +1.10 deg
Toe: -0.05 deg to +0.35 deg
Rear
Camber: -1.78 deg to +0.22 deg
Toe: -0.05 deg to +0.35 deg
There is a huge range of possible set ups within the Mazda tolerances and there are combinations within these tolerances that would make your MX5 handle like a real dog. The MX5 is very sensitive to minor alignment changes and you can get great handling rewards by getting the setup just right.
You need to decide on a combination that meets your driving requirements, be it casual, spirited, aggressive or track and then have a reputable aligner carry out the work.
My alignment requirements are based on the following:
*I drive the car daily to work (70k round trip) and do the odd track day.
*The car is completely standard.
*I wanted an alignment that would work with occasional spirited driving and would not wear the insides of my tyres.
I headed off to Spinning Wheel, a known race alignment specialist that has done work on many MX5 Club cars and told them my requirements.
Shown below against “Spirited Driving†are their alignment numbers. These work extremely well for day to day driving and are very similar to CT’s shown further down the page. You get great feel, good turn in and neutral or balance handling characteristics with these settings.
After a couple of runs at Wakefield and a new set of tyres I decided I would like something a little more aggressive. I also wanted to try and reduce roll oversteer, after an “off†at 120kph at Turn 3. This is not something that I would have come across during normal road driving activities, only on the track at the limits of adhesion. So back to Spinning Wheel and the new spec’s are shown against “with track daysâ€. The increase in rear toe in seems to have controlled the roll oversteer I had in Turn 3.
Front
Caster: 5 deg plus
Camber: Spirited driving: -1.00 deg, With track days: -1.10 deg to -1.50 deg
Toe: Spirited driving: 0.28 deg (2mm in), With track days: 0.13 deg (1mm in)
Rear
Camber: Spirited driving: -1.00 deg, With track days: -1.50 deg
Toe: Spirited driving: 0.13 deg (1mm in), With track days: 0.34 deg (2.4mm in)
Note: The larger the bias between front and rear camber the more understeer the car will have.
Toe out on the front gives better turn in but car will dart around (tramline).
Toe out on the rear is very bad in a MX5. It causes roll oversteer. Remember if you set it at 0 degrees, when you sit in the car your weight makes it go toe out. Always have some toe in to allow for this.
CTZooms alignment is:
Front
Caster: 4 deg + (Maximum positive castor, sacrifice a little neg camber to get it if you have to.)
Camber: -1.00 deg
Toe: 0.0 deg (CT’s comment: “a little toe out with a stock front sway bar can give more turn in but not my preferenceâ€)
Rear
Camber: -1.00 deg
Toe: 0.15 deg in (total)
CT’s comment: “The car will be neutral, tyre wear will be fine, it won't dart around and won't give you any nasty surprisesâ€.
And for a bit of comparison as it always pops up -
Lanny’s alignment (from Miatanet) http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html is:
Front
Caster: 5 deg
Camber: -1.20 deg
Toe: 0.075 deg in
Rear
Camber: -1.75 deg
Toe: 0.075 deg in
)
