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Had the car in today, the front wheels were toeing out slightly. Not sure if it was you I spoke to Tony, but many thanks for the help and taking the time to discuss some of the above issues with me. I was quite interested to hear about the Evolution set up; a looser rear axle sounds fun, but I stuck with the fast road setup ability. The car felt much firmer and more planted on the way home and it seems to feel and sound a bit less harsh over road joints - could just be me though. It's surprising how much better the car felt if I'm honest; I guess that it's quite hard to detect gradual changes in the setup since the last alignment. Anyway, thanks again, great service and advice

Just booked in for Sat 24th, great

Thanks Tony. Yeah, I'm hoping it's nothing major, perhaps it might be more evident after an alignment check. I'll try and get the car booked in soon, but I can only do Saturdays and knowing how popular you guys are I imagine it would be a few weeks yet before you have a slot. Cheers for the quick reply.

Hi all, I had my 2006 MX5 into WIM for lowering (on your springs) and alignment perhaps, 18 months ago. Fantastic result, car felt and looks great - I've been really happy ever since. The car has been driven every day since then so I think it's due for a check up, especially as it's just had a new set of tyres all round (Conti SC3) and the roads in my area can be quite rough in places. Just a couple of things I'd appreciate any input on: 1. When the front tyres were changed (Toyo T1-Rs) the wear was pretty even but the guy who did them commented that the inside edges looks more worn than the outside - I wasn't too worried, I assumed this was a result of the camber setting applied at WIM. Aside from that, the tyres were in good condition, just worn to about 3mm. Anything to be concerned about? 2. I've noticed over the past few weeks a slightly odd feeling when braking. Basically, as the car rolls to a halt at very slow speed, I can feel a slight 'rocking' sensation. The symptoms feel exactly like warped discs, but there is no vibration when braking at speed - I can only feel it (and not very much) at the slowest speeds as I come to a halt. Also, the discs are only 4 months old or so, and the pads still have plenty of life so I was wondering if this could be a consequence of worn shocks, but they feel fine on a bump test and the car feels very solid otherwise, with no no lurching and nominal body roll (and they have been recently checked out thoroughly, as below). I'm wondering if rough roads might have taken their toll on the set up and an alignment check might be the first port of call. 3. Over the last few months, I've noticed a slight rattling from the OSF wheel over sharp bumps. I can only hear it with the roof down/window open and it only happens on very sharp bumps, ie, potholes, road joints, etc - not speed bumps or something like that. However, I've had it in to two separate mechanics recently (one of them a Mazda specialist who conducted the MoT). I mentioned the issue to them both and they said that they could find nothing amiss whatsoever after a thorough inspection - the Mazda independent said that everything was rock solid. Being the curious type, I changed the front drop links thinking they might be an easy culprit, but the sound was still there - could it just be a stone somewhere rattling and jumping about with the wheel movement? It's that kind of sound, and might explain why I only hear it on sharp bumps. Anyway, I want to get the car booked in for an alignment check at WIM in the coming weeks regardless, but I just thought now might be the time to bring up these issues. Any input appreciated!

Thinking about it, I only hear the sound over short, sharp bumps - such as potholes and those small speed bumps you get in car parks, etc. Or when driving a long a road with lots of joins or small ridges across it. I dont hear it when going over normal speed bumps. Im assuming it could just be the firmer suspension being a bit 'snappier' over small undulations, does that sound plausible? Regardless, the car feels great. All it really needs now is a new pair of tyres and it's set

OK, I will keep an eye (ear) on it for now. The car is due for it's MOT next month so I will ask them to give it a check over then. Just worried Ive come a cropper to the badly potholed roads we have in the southeast Thanks for the advice Tony.

Not given them a thorough inspection, just a visual check. Could I tell if they were faulty just by feeling for movement? Is there anything else that it could be - balljoints, bushes etc? Im not sure if there even is a problem or if its just the sound caused by the suspension travelling. Having never had a car with firm suspension and less sound insulation before, I find myself listening for every little thing and worrying whether its simply caused by the character of the car or not.

No problem Tony. It's been about a month now and the car is handling superbly. Quite a bit firmer over bumpy back roads which can be a bit unsettling, but excellent fun, I think a lot of bumps often sound harsher than they are. I do have one question, but I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid. I could swear that over some of the bumps on the roads around here, that there is an ever so slight muted knocking noise from the rear nearside wheel. It's so quiet that I can only hear it with the roof up - which is making me wonder if I'm being paranoid and it's just the character of firm suspension. Ive tried bouncing the rear of the car and there are no untoward noises, and the rebound feels firm, but fine. The handling is fine, the car doesn't feel unsteady at the back. A quick look underneath reveals nothing untoward, although I don't have a proper jack to get under it and give a proper inspection. Is there anything to worry about? Are they are any common weaknesses in the suspension I could try looking for? I'm fairly sure this has been happening since the lowering, although it's very subtle so I find it hard to know if it's something to be concerned about. Sorry for the vague description :/

Had the car in to you guys today and just wanted to say a big thank you to your team. I had to wait a while because of an MR2 that overran while it was being set up, but overall the service was friendly, swift and professional. The car not only looks better, but is handling much sharper, and it feels much more planted on the road - I drove the 70 miles or so back round the M25 feeling a lot more confident. The tendency of the front end to 'wander' a thigh speed has been corrected and the steering wheels feels much more centred and weighted. Road positioning feels better and the car seems to handle rough asphalt a little more confidently. Fantastic service and very happy with the result. Many thanks guys, money well spent

That's good to hear, as I live on the other side of London, so a one-stop solution is ideal. I must admit, I wasn't going to bother lowering the car. But after reading that Mazda raise the MX5s for the UK market and after feeling a little underwhelmed by some handling aspects, it swung the decision for me. Im looking forward to being able to enjoy the car as it was intended.

Exceptional. That's what I'm hoping for really, improved handling with no negative comfort aspects. Cheers

Phoned up yesterday and took the plunge. Booked in for the morning of Saturday 14th for WIM springs and geometry setup. Looking forward to seeing what a difference it might make. My only concern is that the lowering might make the car less practical and comfortable as a daily driver. The guy I spoke to claims not, although the ride is slightly firmer. Can anyone else with the WIM springs comment on the comfort?

I'm also a new MX5 owner looking to get the suspension sorted out (as per my thread in the Geometry section). Does that price include the springs fitted and geometry checked and adjusted? Yes.... it's £305 for the coils, fitting, geo and vat. Cool, I will probably be giving you guys a ring later to chat about it and get it booked in if thats ok

I'm also a new MX5 owner looking to get the suspension sorted out (as per my thread in the Geometry section). Does that price include the springs fitted and geometry checked and adjusted?

Sorry, yeah, I know now that it's not standard and is sitting too high. Ive done some reading on the great NC MX5 conspiracy... Thanks for those links. It definitely looks like lowering and having the guys at WIM check the geo is the way to go. I should also add that the front tyres are of rather poor branding at the moment. However, they are fairly new, so I intend to live with them for the moment, get the lowering done, then change both tyres at a later date.