Extended Lower Front Ball Joints on NB8A

forcedfive · Postby **forcedfive** » Tue May 10, 2016 5:45 pm

I have not installed my set of Bauer extended ball joints yet on my NB8A. Can anyone who has fitted these let me know if they encountered any issues with the length of the tie rod ends being sufficient once installed?

Thanks

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Tue May 10, 2016 6:05 pm

I put them on my nb8a without any trouble. Crazy toe in to start with of course, but after an alignment they're fine. Less leftover thread of course, but enough to be safe with - 3deg camber and zero toe.

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forcedfive · Postby **forcedfive** » Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm

Thanks Trackphotos.

StillIC · Postby **StillIC** » Tue May 10, 2016 6:51 pm

I have 3.6 degrees camber, and I have measured ~17mm of thread inserted into ball joint. Which is fine for an M12 thread.

Sirois · Postby **Sirois** » Wed May 11, 2016 2:36 am

Does this cause bump steer issues?

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Wed May 11, 2016 9:00 am

The whole point of the ball joints is to lesson the bump steer when you lower the car. Have you measured the current bump steer on your car? Why do you think that bump steer will increase?

hks_kansei · Postby **hks_kansei** » Wed May 11, 2016 10:11 am

Magpie wrote:The whole point of the ball joints is to lesson the bump steer when you lower the car. Have you measured the current bump steer on your car? Why do you think that bump steer will increase?

I thought these extended joints had nothing to do with bump steer since they extend the joint outwards (for more camber)

Where for bump steer reduction you want to raise the wheel centreline in the hub, keeping the steering rack and suspension arms etc in a similar alignment to factory.

Sirois · Postby **Sirois** » Wed May 11, 2016 10:16 am

Magpie wrote:The whole point of the ball joints is to lesson the bump steer when you lower the car. Have you measured the current bump steer on your car? Why do you think that bump steer will increase?

I've never measured the bumpsteer on an MX-5, I guess I assume Mazda got it right.
I've always understood that you add an elongated ball joint to adjust the roll center after lowering a car. The Evo guys do this along with elongated joints on the steering tie rod to make sure they do not introduce bumpsteer

Postby **NitroDann** » Wed May 11, 2016 10:52 am

MX5 has unequal length double wishbones, Evo has mcPherson struts. Completely different.

Like comparing a human leg to a spiders leg. Both are legs but the way the joints work and the way the articulation works is completely different.

Dann

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Wed May 11, 2016 11:34 am

hks_kansei yes they extend the ball joint outwards for camber however is the intersection point of the upper and lower control arms still at the same point as before fitting the extended ball joints? Is the tie rod still pointed at intersection point of the upper and lower control arms?

Hence the tie rods for the MX5 LE, which was lowered from factory, goes some way to reduce the bump steer on a lowered car.

NitroDann answered the Evo question.