jon.l

Thanks for clarifying Tony Jon

Yep that makes sense, cheers In the grand scheme of things am I going to be better off with the right offset/size wheels for adjustments sake? Ie can the car adopt a wider range of settings with the right wheels? I'm guessing yes but advice from those who know is always good. Cheers Jon

Forgive me for sounding stupid but when you say moved I take it you mean adjusted as opposed to physically changing components?

Thanks for replying Tony, if for example I was to fit a set of 8j wheels with a low offset (et10 or et0), are we saying thats really not a good thing or can the car still handle well on these. It's unlikely I'd do that but I'm interested in asking the question Jon

Reading a few posts over on MX5 Nutz about the effects of lowering the offset on an MX5 have lead me to wonder if there is a point where you can still retain a large part of the cars characteristics (which we all know and love) but also have an increased contact patch/wider 'stance' (I hate that word)? I know that generally there are two types of people, those fit the wheels that make the car handle the best and those that fit the wheels that make their car 'look' the best, but can there be a happy medium where one can, say, make the look a little more aggressive or even just open up more choices of wheels? I understand past a certain point you are changing a lot of fundamentals in the geometry of the suspension, I wouldn't be looking to push that far, just to perhaps fill the arches out a little. Cheers Jon

I presume a decent drop and geo wouldn't put it far off the equivalently altered soft top? I'm currently driving a BMW 130i, which is a great car, just not much fun to drive, if I get another '5 I'd like to hope it would be a step in the right direction in terms of handling and fun

Thanks for getting back to me folks, I had a feeling you'd have done something about it, hence me asking here first I intend to go have a look an RC local to me at the weekend, however I'm not sure what to expect on account of the manufacturers settings, it should be easy enough to get a good idea though. To all intents and purposes the soft tops are a lot cheaper, I just fancy the added security of the hardtop (and they seem to be holding their value more aswell:) I've read praise from Tony before of the NC MX5's but are they really that good?

Hello all, it's been some time since I last posted here, however as I know WIM is the place to discuss all things MX5 I thought I'd pose a question. I'm considering an NC MX5, whilst the reviews I have read (magazine and owners) may not be overly positive I know that the car can literally be 'transformed' by lowering and having a good geo done. My question is whether or not the same principal applies to the RC (folding hardtop) model aswell, I know there is a little extra weight up top, so does this affect geometry considerations? I know that the soft top model seems to be getting more praise but the folding hardtop seems like a safe bet, especially over the coming months, I'm just wondering if by choosing that would I be potentially compromising the handling characteristics of the car? Logic tells me that 35kg~ won't make much difference but I'm no expert Cheers Jon

I presume that upgrading both at the same time, following (or along with?) upgrades to shocks/springs is the best idea then? I'd guess there is a trade off of having stiffer bars?

This thread has popped up over on MX5 nutz.... http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=57397 Now I for one understand that though ARB's may be good to reduce roll to a degree, they also limit the independant suspension arms from working so..er independantly. Is this right, in not so many words? A friend of mine had a stiffer ARB, albeit on an FWD car but on a long sweeping bend the rear decided to overtake the front and he found himself buried in a fence! We suspect due to the outer rear wheel lifting as a result of the roll bar 'linking' them effectively. I also gather they aren't too good in the wet either, sure I read that on here somewhere?

There's logic in that statement Maybe it's not the bushes after all, there's always the possibity of another problem accelerating the wear. Anything is possible with cars it seems

I was chatting to a motorfactor regarding this the other day, as I have recently replaced both lower arms on my Mk4 Golf. It seems unfortunately the pattern part industry use a lower grade of rubber bush that deteriorates faster under normal conditions than a genuine example (in most cases). Cost being the major factor of course. Apparently for certain vehicles you can specifiy a 'heavy duty' arm (which has a stiffer, and I presume closer to OE quality bush) but I can't say I've spent much time on this subject. When I worked at an independant dealership customer complaints of having new lower arms on their Fiesta's/Mondeo's/Saxo's etc after a year or so were commonplace and although the part can be changed quickly with the right tools its not ideal when you have to explain (without saying it outright) that the parts are not designed to last

Kumho KU31's seem to get good reviews from the Integra drivers, as they have a nice stiff sidewall (moreso than the T1R but less so than the AD08 I gather) but are abtou £40 a corner tops from most online retailers. Also good wet weather capability aswell I understand..

So I got stuck in earlier and drained the diff oil, and this was on the end of the drain plug (which I presume is magnetic) Not sure what to make of that, but it all came off the drain plug before I fitted it and refilled the diff. In all honesty I can't say I've noticed any difference... still clunking Also, whilst there I looked at the rear arms/shocks and bushes, and this is what the lower shock bushes look like Though the bush isn't actually detached it's distorted and is sitting at an odd angle. I'd be willing to bet that there is metal on metal contact between the shock and the arm somewhere, which probably isn't helping. Thoughts welcome Jon

If it's a stock alarm/immobiliser then it will be built into the ECU, you'll notice a green picture of a key flashing when you take the key out after stopping the engine. If it's this type as mentioned above the easiest way is to plug an OBD2 reader into the car, if there is a fault it should be displayed. It may have a separate system (normally on the older stuff but I wouldn't be surprised to see otherwise) that is linked in a different way. Certainly on those ones water can find it's way into the siren and screw things up. Jon

That's all I needed to know, thanks Tony I'll do the oil at the weekend and see how I get on. Seems to be overlooked on 5's from experience. As for the rattling, I'll have a look at the shock bushings and shocks themselves. Chances are after 130k miles they could probably do with replacing anyway, moreso with lowered springs on I bet. Jon

This is on the '5 btw.. Issue 1 - I seem to be getting a shuddering/vibration through the car at speed/when going over bumps in the road, as if the whole body is resonating side to side (think no suspension so the only absorption of vibration is done by through chassis). Think the way a wooden door moves when you slam it. As I type this I become more convinced this is down to the Bilstein suspension, but I'll carry on.. Issue 2 - I get a similar feeling of vibration through the car when putting into first/reverse at low speed, accompanied by a 'clunking' metallic noise from the diff (as if it's taking up the slack, it's an LSD if that makes any difference). Now various searches have led me to believe this can be normal for a diff that requires oil, or one that is using the incorrect oil. The same searches have also led me to believe that the diff bushes could be worn. I have purchased a pair of poly bush inserts for the diff but the work involved is making me consider other options. I know the car needs alignment as it is a lot more tail happy then I think it should be (again possibly partly due to the suspension, and tyres) and I'd rather not have the hassle of two trips to get this done. If I am replacing the suspension and tyres and getting an alignment I'd like to incorporate the diff bush replacement into this work as it will save me a return trip. So far all I have done is set the gearbox lash, which seems to have made little difference. Any spanner time will be covered by me, I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty but as we can all appreciate I'd rather not have to remove the rear diff if I can avoid it. Advice welcomed Jon

This is very interesting, I'd be willing to bet 90% (or at least a high percentage of people out there) do this when reinstalling suspension items. Tony - would you object me posting this on a forum I am a member of?

Hardly major progress but fitted a front plate (got stopped the other day though I did have it with me, the bracket was 'missing'). Much better, and more legal

Where do I sign then? I think a PM to Tony is in order. Thanks all Jon

Thanks for the info guys, pretty much confirmed what I was thinking If I did rebush the car I'd probably do it myself anyways, but I think I'll leave it for now. One other thing, have either of you driven with or been in an MX5 with the Bilstein setup? How does it compare to the Gaz setup for ride quality? I know the Bilsteins are reknowned for their stiffness on the bumpier roads (which Sussex is pretty much made up from ) Jon

Hi folks, Just wondering if someone could explain to me the negatives and positives of fitting polyurethane suspension bushes, from a professional point of view? I understand that stiffer bushes can provide more compliance and less unwanted suspension movement, at the cost of transferring more of the 'road' through the chassis of the car. I also learned recently that stock bushes are designed with some compliance in them to allow for a little bit of movement (to compliment a 'total' setup inc shocks/springs/tyres/ARB's if you will) as part of the complete package. Now obviously my car is stock and I intend to change the bushes at some point as it is nearing 130k miles, I also have the intention of renewing the suspension and tyres. Now if I carry out these changes I would be interested to know what I can expect in terms of ride quality and general driving feel. In terms of communication I am more than happy with the feedback provided by the car at the moment, albeit a little hard as it has the Bilstein suspension. I would rather not compromise too much with ride quality but ould certanily be interested to know how the Gaz setup compares. The other reason I am considering using poly bushes (as others do) is also cost. OE items generally aren't cheap, but then again I'd rather not save myself £100+ to find the ride is unbeareable. Cheers

Thanks for the comments, I'm very very pleased with the car and glad I spent good money on it There is a wierd juddering through the car when pulling away and also when going over bumps at speed, which I suspect to be the diff mounts or the PPF being out of alignment, and the rear brakes away a little easier then I thought but nothing a good geometry can't cure I think. More progress to follow ... Jon

Sold the Teg yesterday and picked this up: It's the RS Limited, 1 of 500 made. Comes with LSD, carbon kevlar seats, personal steering wheel and special wheels to name but a few things. Drives fantastically, certainly not as fast as the Teg but I don't care. Overall a great car, should have bought one sooner... Needs a few minor bits and bobs but a trip to WIM is definately on the cars in the coming few weeks

Absolutely understand you there, it's quite often overlooked. I overlooked it myself for years until I started finding the rear of the car developing a mind of it's own on roundabouts, not a nice feeling.