mx5cartalk.com

Hi all

After having a detailed look at the recommend installation guide for Tein SS for NA MXs, I spotted that Tein recommend 285/300 (F/R) ride height for the NA...seems much lower than the recommended 325/330mm that I've heard from somewhere. If I remember correctly 325/330 apparently gives the optimum handling characteristic.

Those with Tein SS, what's you're ride height? and why?

Cheers
Minh

Here is the link to Teins instruction
http://www.tein.com/ti/inst/km64u.pdf

I dunno where they get 285/300 from, even if I wind mine all the way down it wouldn't quite get that low.

Mine's at 320/320, which is pretty much the out of the box setting.

Mind you, if you get the SS without the Tein top mounts, it does seem to sit about 10mm higher.

Minh, not the standard way of measuring it I know, but I set mine up so there was 100mm of clearance under the front crossmember and the sills were all level with a driver aboard. I think that VicRoads has a 100mm limit.

That's worked out OK for me as a compromise for city, country and track.

manga_blue wrote:Minh, not the standard way of measuring it I know, but I set mine up so there was 100mm of clearance under the front crossmember and the sills were all level with a driver aboard. I think that VicRoads has a 100mm limit.

That's worked out OK for me as a compromise for city, country and track.

Out of interest, what are your guard to hub center measurements for each corner without driver.

Cheers
Minh

Hard question to answer, I was avoiding that coz I'm a thousand kms from home without a level floor or a tape measure.

BTW, Minh, the Loch Stewart bolted straight in and worked bloody brilliantly. I never expected to get so much of a gain from it. Thanks for that.

Tein SS installed but ride height isn't quite ideal, the front are at ~310 so are the rear, what's more interesting is the driver side is about ~3-5mm lower without occupant. Anyone out there played with NA and Tein SS and derive an ideal setting? Tein themselve recommend 285/300mm (front/rear) seems crazy low to me but they must be recommending this for a good reason right...I'm sure it's not just about looks?

When I wound mine all the way down, it was about 305mm all round. It was a bit harsh at this ride height, and in fact the suspension was resting on its bumpstops (which are quite tall and squashy, so there is still travel).

At about 335mm all round, it rode much better, but the everyday compromise
is 320mm all round, which works well on track, rides almost as well and looks much better

is it still important to keep the front ~5mm lower than the rear?, apparently this gives neutral ride height when the car is in motion....not sure what do you recon?

IMHO, the ride height measurement is just the distance between the hub and the wheelarch, it isn't necessarily a measure of ideal front vs rear geometry or anything (and even if it was 5mm isn't a lot).

Had alignment done today and because the back is lower than usual, the minimum camber was ~2degree, a little too much for everyday car? Say if I was to raise the rear by 10mm, how will this change alignment and by how much? I'm sure it will lower rear camber but how would toe and castor change?

Oh and these are Teins with top hat

Mr Starlet wrote:Had alignment done today and because the back is lower than usual, the minimum camber was ~2degree, a little too much for everyday car? Say if I was to raise the rear by 10mm, how will this change alignment and by how much? I'm sure it will lower rear camber but how would toe and castor change?

10mm won't make much of a difference at all.