mx5cartalk.com

hi all.

im having some second third and fourth thoughts as to whats next suspension/chassis wise.
im hoping to get the car as stiff as possible befor i unleash it at wakie and need some advice from some members who may have been around miatas longer than i have as im still semi new to the scene.

im currently running:
BC BR series coilovers
Front lower subframe brace
Rear lower subframe brace
NA8 Seatbelt tower brace
Racing beat adjustable rear sway bar
Signature adjustable front sway bar

now, i have a few options to go with being FM Frog Arms, Trunk strut brace, FM Butterfly brace...

as previously stated, i am only 4 months into my miata career so still not as educated as some on here may be,
but i am thrown as to what may still make a difference through upgrading.
the car is quite stiff at the moment, but as i have learned from past experiences, if i can feel the body sway/twist/flex on the street, im going to feel it on the track even more.

any ideas/suggestions please feel free to let me know, bearing in mind that the budget is not limited.

why not just take it to the track and see for yourself?

next track day isnt until august as far as i know.
but just after some advice.
i know plenty of options but unsure of how well these options work..

To the OP,
Your MX5 should benefit from:
1. Complete SuperPro Adjustable Bush Kit (over 30 bushes in the kit) for the MX5
2. Torque Box Roll Bar or Brown Davis Roll Bar for the MX5

Nothing in my opinion will make more difference and add safety to your MX5.

Les @ MX5 Shop

P.S. Hope this helps your MX5 related query.

dang... i was going to suggest a roll-bar... but you beat me to it, Les

will something like a bd bar make much of a difference compared to an na8 tower brace?

I replaced the standard NA8 bar with a BD rollbar. Made no difference at all, except that I felt a lot safer.

Both will stiffen the chassis. A rollbar should do it better than a tower brace since it is 4-point versus 2-point. Also, a rollbar will maximise the chances of keeping your head attached to your body in the unlikely event of a rollover.

As for hitting the track in your NA6, my advice is similar to Les's, except that I suggest you keep your car as stock as possible at the start. Spend your money on track fees to gain seat time - you stand to gain several seconds from this alone. Fit a rollbar and harness for safety reasons - both will appreciably improve your ability to control the car. I suggest you hold off on replacing the bushes until your track skills have developed to the point where you will appreciate their contribution. I am still running on the original bushes - they creak and groan, but my NA6 is fast enough to surprise most modified MX-5 owners.

Guran wrote:... but my NA6 is fast enough to surprise most modified MX-5 owners.

Guran speaks the truth, except for "surprise" you should substitute the word "outpace".

If you must upgrade then think about the safety items first - harness and rollbar. The NA6 seatbelts are inadequate now, even for road work. In a forward accident they allow enough movement for your head to slam the windscreen surround very, very hard. Sideways your helmet will go through the window or slam the rollbar. A 3" 4 point harness locks you in so that you use the steering wheel for steering only, rather than steering and hanging on. It's worth a second or two per lap with the extra control it gives you. Crotch strap is a useful option.

interesting.
i honestly diddnt think of a harness but that does sound logical.
do i need some sort of sparco specific ones or just any brand harness will fit with my sprint jnrs

Any brand should fit, as long as it's well made and FIA approved. Would pay to go somewhere like Revolution Racegear to try some and get advice first.

Is it Ok to use a harness with the original na6 seats?
My concern is that the na6 seat design won't allow the harness to sit securely on your shoulders i.e. could slide off.
Rear mounting point for the harness would be an eye bolt located on the bd roll bar.

Hi I have fitted the FM frame rails,road car,and swear by them, do an Internet search as another company makes them,cheaper and a lot cheaper in postage

decitex64 wrote:Is it Ok to use a harness with the original na6 seats?
My concern is that the na6 seat design won't allow the harness to sit securely on your shoulders i.e. could slide off.
Rear mounting point for the harness would be an eye bolt located on the bd roll bar.

Before I fitted my race seat I used my harness with the stock NA6 seat and the harness attached via eyebolts in the BD rollbar. It worked fine for me but was a bit awkward managing the shoulder straps since you need to search for them over each shoulder. When buckled up, I didn't have any problem with them slipping off my shoulders.

Another alternative to eyebolts, is to simply strap the harness around the baseplate of the BD rollbar. This allows you to line up the shoulder straps with each shoulder. The eyebolts on my BD rollbar are offset about 10cm towards the centre of the car, compared with the holes in the back on my seat. Wrapping around the baseplate also makes it more difficult to remove the harness for everyday driving.

Note that it is illegal to use a harness instead of a regular seatbelt, but nothing stopping you from using both simultaneously.