Tony Posted January 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 the more i get to know about geometry, balancing etc the more paranoid i become...i get annoyed when people tell me my car might need 'tracking' I know how you feel mate, the more I've learnt about the subject the more I try to pass on to others what I know....however, most don't believe me, for example changing the tyres around if you experience a pull before having the alignment checked. They're convinced this wouldn't change anything as tyres are tyres and it must be the tracking that's out! Pneumatic drift is the most common complaint.... A simple cost free test is to simply move the front wheels side-to-side, if the pull stops or goes the other way then you have the answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alnug Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 Pneumatic drift is the most common complaint.... A simple cost free test is to simply move the front wheels side-to-side, if the pull stops or goes the other way then you have the answer. True Tony....pneumatic drift maybe a common complaint to people who have had the inclination to have found this forum or read up on the subject, but i would say there is a HUGE amount of education that needs to be made in this area. Generally people would think that alignment is out etc. The LAST thing they would suspect would be tyres especially if they are new........i would say that 9/10 tyre dealers probably won't know what pneumatic (or radial pull) is . Thing is once you've found a tyre with problems then you know that it's going to cost you (unless you've found yourself a good tyre place)...these days with directional tyres this is becoming more of a problem since there is really no where else you can put the tyre to compensate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Pneumatic drift is the most common complaint.... A simple cost free test is to simply move the front wheels side-to-side, if the pull stops or goes the other way then you have the answer. True Tony....pneumatic drift maybe a common complaint to people who have had the inclination to have found this forum or read up on the subject, but i would say there is a HUGE amount of education that needs to be made in this area. Generally people would think that alignment is out etc. The LAST thing they would suspect would be tyres especially if they are new........i would say that 9/10 tyre dealers probably won't know what pneumatic (or radial pull) is . Thing is once you've found a tyre with problems then you know that it's going to cost you (unless you've found yourself a good tyre place)...these days with directional tyres this is becoming more of a problem since there is really no where else you can put the tyre to compensate Yep i agree directional tyres are a problem.. But in truth this is the tyre centres problem not the customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 I heard something else about the NC spring change too. In a reply to someone else asking if their NC didn't look as low as it should: "Did you tighten the front A-arms with the car on the ground, or in the air? If you did it in the air, then the front will be too high. To fix, you need to loosen the A-arm bolts, put the car on the ground, drive a few feet to let things settle, crank the wheel to one side, tighten the bolts you can reach, crank the wheel to the other side and tighten the remaining bolts. I bet this will fix your problem and I bet your mechanic tightened things up in the air." Does this mean anything to you? PS. I have only driven a mile or so with the new springs before coming back offshore so I will give it a good blast next time home and still trying to fix a few days when I can get down to your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 I heard something else about the NC spring change too. In a reply to someone else asking if their NC didn't look as low as it should: "Did you tighten the front A-arms with the car on the ground, or in the air? If you did it in the air, then the front will be too high. To fix, you need to loosen the A-arm bolts, put the car on the ground, drive a few feet to let things settle, crank the wheel to one side, tighten the bolts you can reach, crank the wheel to the other side and tighten the remaining bolts. I bet this will fix your problem and I bet your mechanic tightened things up in the air." Does this mean anything to you? PS. I have only driven a mile or so with the new springs before coming back offshore so I will give it a good blast next time home and still trying to fix a few days when I can get down to your area. Perfect sense.. With the wheels off the ground the A arms will drop, if the bolt is tightened there then once on the ground the bushing will be twisted and under tension.... I've known Mazda do this a few times?.. I have the car in for calibration, loosen the adjuster then "BANG" as the bushing relaxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well knowing my Mazda Dealer they WILL have done that error! I will give them a looking at when I get home. Jack the car up slacken the A frame off a little, drop the car back down and then tighten them back up?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well knowing my Mazda Dealer they WILL have done that error! I will give them a looking at when I get home. Jack the car up slacken the A frame off a little, drop the car back down and then tighten them back up?? Be careful the adjuster bolt doesn't move.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Does this also apply to the rear suspension too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alnug Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 yes it does...especially if it's multilink or similar that had many bushes supporting the suspension. you see if you tighten all the bits while the wheel is dangling loose once you put the weight of the vehicle onto the suspension there is no more give left in the bushes...this will mean that they could fail MUCH sooner than anticipated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 yes it does...especially if it's multilink or similar that had many bushes supporting the suspension. you see if you tighten all the bits while the wheel is dangling loose once you put the weight of the vehicle onto the suspension there is no more give left in the bushes...this will mean that they could fail MUCH sooner than anticipated! I agree... And the NC is multi-link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 FFS. I didn't spend £300 to let someone else do it just so I have to go through and do most of the job again. LOL Is all this covered in what you do to set up the Geo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 FFS. I didn't spend £300 to let someone else do it just so I have to go through and do most of the job again. LOL Is all this covered in what you do to set up the Geo? Yes it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted February 16, 2008 Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Even though mine is now lowered I dont think it looks low. It just looks normal to me but I guess that what the lowering kit does. It looks normal until you park it next to a standard NC and then realise just how high it used to be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted February 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2008 Even though mine is now lowered I dont think it looks low. It just looks normal to me but I guess that what the lowering kit does. It looks normal until you park it next to a standard NC and then realise just how high it used to be! That's the point, it's not lowered it's "correct"..... I can tell you this, of all the "correct" MK3's I've seen non of them have grounded out and damaged the under side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarkMalbot Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 I have touched the bottom of my bumper on the speed bumps in my street but not to worry. I only noticed when I had the bumper off to fit the intake. Now I take them very very slowly.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie0506 Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 In defense of some Mazda dealers LOL, just got my MK3 they reduced the list price by firstly £30 pounds as a club member and then also reduced by £50 as they could do the full geometry setup. They suggested I left this for about 1 week so settle in and they have it done. I have downloaded setting for the MX5 owners club, do you have any advise on setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 In defense of some Mazda dealers LOL, just got my MK3 they reduced the list price by firstly £30 pounds as a club member and then also reduced by £50 as they could do the full geometry setup. They suggested I left this for about 1 week so settle in and they have it done. I have downloaded setting for the MX5 owners club, do you have any advise on setup? Hello Stevie... My suggestions for the setup would be the correct one's for the current ride height. Is your NC stock (as sold in the EU) or lowered to the OEM height? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie0506 Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 I had the Eibach Springs fitted and supplied by Mazda to lower it by 30mm, 17 inch wheels on my Niseko convertable not RC, only got it yesterday It does already feel a lot better than the standard car that I test drove, about to spend 3 days with it drive the roads of the west coast of Scotland :angry: :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Nice ...... So have Mazda set the calibration or are they waiting for the coils to settle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie0506 Posted March 22, 2008 Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Sorry was not very clear, Mazda couldn't do the 4 wheel alignment, I have booked it in to get this done at a garage recommended on the MX5 owners site, next week. Downloaded a setup from the owners club, however there seems to be a lot of discussion about different setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Sorry was not very clear, Mazda couldn't do the 4 wheel alignment, I have booked it in to get this done at a garage recommended on the MX5 owners site, next week. Downloaded a setup from the owners club, however there seems to be a lot of discussion about different setting. I can give you the exact settings if you tell me the current body trim height? This is the distance between the centre of the wheel arch and the centre of the wheel in the vertical plane (front and rear) If your not sure pm me a contact number and i will explain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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