Setting Miata Ride Height
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
I'm at 4.25"F 4.5"R(with the drivers weight in the driver seat) My front spring rates are slightly heavier and the rears are slightly lighter. And at Nationals last year the car was 2065lbs. It does look really low when you first set it down...but it's right.
SSM 96/196
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Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Seems like you stand for your word.I thank you for that.I will know in the next few days. As I have been stating I'll know once it is on the ground.
disneyd wrote:Well Bob, this is the first I've heard of any problem. I'm interested to know what the issue is. If you'd like, I'll buy the setup back right now, assuming they're in the same condition as when I sold them. Just PM me and let me know.
How's that for standing up?
Bob Colbert
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Dave, why is the ride height so critical? Are you trying to get a certain camber value? Do you have adjustable A-arms?
Kristo K.
'13 Scion FR-S
STX 53
'13 Scion FR-S
STX 53
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Mike. I have a set of scales with ramps and turntables. But I live in Kingsport. I also don't have a good place to set tham up. If you can't find a set down that way let me know. I could bring them down. Chad
*Chad Summey*
E mod 78 lotus seven clone.
E mod 78 lotus seven clone.
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
My data points aren't going to be very useful. I don't have my 6ULs yet so I'm sitting on 6" wheels with a regular street tire. As it sits, my front is at 4.25". I made the last change to stop the rubbing at the Adesa event and I only changed the front so my rake is gone. Fwiw, I was rubbing TDC and it didn't look like removing the liners was going to help that much but thinking about it now, removing them might get me down to 4.0. 4.0 is what Emillio was recommending at the time. Anyway, the front was the controlling end on how low I could go. I can get a fender lip measurement but unless we both do it exactly the same way, it's difficult to compare at the precision we're talking here.
Brian Hatten
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
I venture to guess it is a suspension geometry thing. The ride height adjusts the a arm angles into their happy place. It is easier to measure than putting the arms at a particular angle. Ever wonder why my VW was so high?sentrase wrote:Dave, why is the ride height so critical? Are you trying to get a certain camber value? Do you have adjustable A-arms?
Ted V.
don't make me list all my VW's
don't make me list all my VW's
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Will hub center to fender lip work? That is how we did it on subie stuffBrian wrote:My data points aren't going to be very useful. I don't have my 6ULs yet so I'm sitting on 6" wheels with a regular street tire. As it sits, my front is at 4.25". I made the last change to stop the rubbing at the Adesa event and I only changed the front so my rake is gone. Fwiw, I was rubbing TDC and it didn't look like removing the liners was going to help that much but thinking about it now, removing them might get me down to 4.0. 4.0 is what Emillio was recommending at the time. Anyway, the front was the controlling end on how low I could go. I can get a fender lip measurement but unless we both do it exactly the same way, it's difficult to compare at the precision we're talking here.
sent from typotalk
Chris Harp
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
I think that would depend on the virginity of your fenders.
'16 FRS - PSTX 97
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
I'm not sure it's critical at all. There's some camber range gain and data that says lower is faster but in my case, the real issue was there's almost no setup information from 949 and even less for basic assembly. I wound up calling twice and talking to everyone local who is running this setup on a miata. Not a knock on 949, just the way it is. I still have work to do before I can even think about corner weighting. Of course, I'm basically lazy so it's dragging on.TedV wrote:I venture to guess it is a suspension geometry thing. The ride height adjusts the a arm angles into their happy place. It is easier to measure than putting the arms at a particular angle. Ever wonder why my VW was so high?sentrase wrote:Dave, why is the ride height so critical? Are you trying to get a certain camber value? Do you have adjustable A-arms?
Brian Hatten
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Yes but agreeing on how to locate the center of the hub and measuring from there is what I was referring to as a source of error. You can be very precise or eyeball it.thrdeye wrote:Will hub center to fender lip work? That is how we did it on subie stuffBrian wrote:My data points aren't going to be very useful. I don't have my 6ULs yet so I'm sitting on 6" wheels with a regular street tire. As it sits, my front is at 4.25". I made the last change to stop the rubbing at the Adesa event and I only changed the front so my rake is gone. Fwiw, I was rubbing TDC and it didn't look like removing the liners was going to help that much but thinking about it now, removing them might get me down to 4.0. 4.0 is what Emillio was recommending at the time. Anyway, the front was the controlling end on how low I could go. I can get a fender lip measurement but unless we both do it exactly the same way, it's difficult to compare at the precision we're talking here.
sent from typotalk
That sounds contradictory to the previous post. My understand is that it IS critical to get the rake right (front to back) on a miata.
Brian Hatten
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
AS 92
'11 CaymanS
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Nice, have you tested it's behavior yet?disneyd wrote:Update: Emilio says to set it to 4.25/4.5 at the pinch welds (or a touch lower) and don't worry about what it looks like unless it behaves poorly.
I guess I'm lower than most, I might raise mine up to 4.25/4.5 when I get my corner balanced. I'll also shoot Emilio an email about it and hopefully he'll have some good input.
FWIW, my control arms are level at my ride height and current alignment specs(4f/4.25r, -3.0f/-2.6r,0 toe f/r, 5.5 caster). I only smash the bump-stops on large pot-holes or road level changes and SC roads are really shitty so I've been experiencing it a lot lately.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but assuming the geometry isn't completely off, the lower the CoG, the better?
Marcus Luttrell - 99' Miata - GLTC/Max3/ST5 #92
Nine Lives Racing - Sales/spell-checker/IT
Nine Lives Racing - Sales/spell-checker/IT
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Here is what is weird about mine: at 4.25" at the front pinch weld, the max camber I can get on both sides is -2.1
And that's with new cam bolts. With the old bolts I could only get to -1.8. Makes me wonder if something is weird with my car.
I set it to 4.25"F/4.5"R. I agree it'll give the suspension more travel to do its work, but it looks high in the back... 'course it's been ages since I've seen a Miata sitting at stock height.
I'll run it like this for a bit and see how it does. I can always start lowering it at an event and see how it behaves.
And that's with new cam bolts. With the old bolts I could only get to -1.8. Makes me wonder if something is weird with my car.
I set it to 4.25"F/4.5"R. I agree it'll give the suspension more travel to do its work, but it looks high in the back... 'course it's been ages since I've seen a Miata sitting at stock height.
I'll run it like this for a bit and see how it does. I can always start lowering it at an event and see how it behaves.
- Dave Disney
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
The lower you go also changes the spring rate, that is on my k w variant coilovers. I do not know about Dave's setup but I would think it would lower the spring rate on any set up. This is what I learned from Sam in Blytheville when he drove my car. JY
JY ( Jeff ) Cox
ETR R.E
2018-2021, 2022, 2023 Solo Nationals Co Chairman
2010 GT500
ETR R.E
2018-2021, 2022, 2023 Solo Nationals Co Chairman
2010 GT500
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
I don't get that.jcox07 wrote:The lower you go also changes the spring rate, that is on my k w variant coilovers. I do not know about Dave's setup but I would think it would lower the spring rate on any set up. This is what I learned from Sam in Blytheville when he drove my car. JY
GT350
Re: Setting Miata Ride Height
Me neither....unless you don't have linear spring.
Chris Harp
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3
2009 Mazda RX-8 | 2018 Toyota Tundra | 2011 BMW M3