From Mexie ... to MXSE ...

[KevGoat]

yeah .... even the fuel filler cover showed signs of lack of use when the little plastic knob thingy inside that releases it got stuck. Spent about 15 mins at the pump trying to open it! Bit embarrassing ...

[KevGoat]

Carrying over from my posts in the Everything Frame Rail Brace Related thread, I've fitted a pair of Jass Performance chassis frame rails. It wasn't a planned upgrade until Alex 2550 organised a group buy and I thought why not

The rails arrived in good time, well packaged and protected by film.







Watched the suggested MiataMods fitting video - MX5 NA Miata - How to install Jass Performance frame rails - and read a few threads around the net. First thing I realised was I'd need a cordless drill to make this easier. Couldn't justify spending too much so bought one of these kits with the drill, charger and two batteries from Bunnings for $159:



I've had a few Ozito items over the years (electric chainsaw, corded drill, grinder) and had a really good run with them, and the way this drill performed doing this job I'm very happy.

As I mentioned in the other thread, fitting these rails isn't complicated, but is time consuming, and a lot of careful checking is advisable. Seats need to come out, door sills off, lower seat belt mount off and the carpet pulled back out of the way. Removing seats and lifting carpet so often has it's rewards ...



Car needs to be well secured on stands at a workable height. The new rails were a snug fit over my chassis rails so I needed a jack to push them on. Once on, it's vital to carefully check the positioning so that bolts don't foul the front seat support mound, don't sit too far back that bolts foul the rear wall or too far forward that they foul the ecu cover. I actually had a slight problem here with positioning the passenger side rail and not sure if this is an NB thing or something I was doing wrong that I've missed, but I could not position mine where one of the bolts would miss the mound. If I went far enough forward the rail wasn't sitting flat and the front bolt would slightly foul the ECU cover. If I then just sat it far enough forward that the rail sat flat to the flooring, the hole was directly on the mound metal (as happened in the MiataMod video!). In the end I decided to fit it in a way that the the bolt sits inside the seat mound. This initially appeared daunting but in the end didn't present the problem I imagined with fitting the bolt - it was actually very easy! A 13mm spanner fitted through one of the holes in the mound and onto the bolt head and I could torque it all up easily!!

This is how it ended up being fitted with the bolt inside ...



So after many times positioning and taking them on and off, drilling endless holes, cleaning, rust preventing, siliconing - they were finally bolted in and looking pretty. This photo was taken before I'd fitted the brake line brackets - forgot to take one when I was finally completely finished. Think I was too stuffed by then ...



So after clearing everything away and lowering the car, I took it for a quick drive for some initial impressions on whether this was all worthwhile. I had recently put the hardtop on the car, so I wasn't expecting a great deal yet, but am hoping that when I remove the hardtop the car will feel better than before. Straight off, I couldn't tell any difference apart from more creaks and groans from the hardtop that may have just been everything settling after all the distortions jacking the car up and down. But after a while I seemed to be noticing some improvement in the way the car was dealing with bumps and road irregularities. It's hard to explain but it just feels more "solid" and there's no continuation of bounce or shake in the car after a bump, it just deals with it. By the end of about a half hour drive, I had an impression the suspension is just working a little better, and I realised I hadn't felt any shaking at all. Of course, some or all of this may be subliminal hope and wishing for something to justify the cost and the fact that my arms were struggling to turn the steering wheel

I did add in the other thread - on first impressions do I feel it's worthwhile for later NB's? A decent run down the coast that matches a drive I did recently will show up more and I'll update on further impressions, but on my feelings just on this test drive - yes I do. If I continue to get those same feelings as I did on this drive, though very minor, to me they make it worthwhile. It's not ridiculously expensive and certainly not going to hurt apart from a few kg's weight added.

Just such a shame all that lovely shiney stuff is hidden ...

[Lokiel]

I would've recommended buying a quality cordless drill (Makita, Ryobi, DeWalt, Bosch) over the Ozito, they're incredibly handy and you'll use it more than you think so it's worth spending money on (unlike the bloody expensive corded-Ryobi router I bought years ago which has only been used for ONE job )
Also, once you have one of these name-brand cordless tools, buying other tools in that range is reasonably cheap so you MUST choose wisely because you're essentially committing to that brand. Ryobi was one of the first to realise this and is why all my cordless tools are Ryobi - if I hadn't already committed or Makita had a similar product line when I started, I would be a Makita Man; can't complain about Ryobi though and my Ryobi rattle-gun has never let me down.


I have the MX5Plus Twin Hoop roll bar and while driving didn't notice any difference from before and after the FM frame rail install.
Tthe MX5-Plus Twin Hoop roll bar made a huge difference, the car felt completely different which I attribute to its substantial torque box helping to prevent chassis twist.

I subsequently installed Boss Frog Frog Arms and did notice the difference:
* driving across undulated surfaces or train lines reduced cowl shake noticeably
* turning felt sharper, especially hard-turning

Where I did notice the difference with the frame rails was when jacking up a corner - the other wheel on that side got airbourne much earlier than it used to.
This indicates that it does improve chassis rigidity longitudinally, even if I couldn't feel it.

For me, the best feature of the frame rails is the ability to jack the car up from the centre of the rail with a low trolley jack and change both rims/brakepads on that side quickly with no need to "dick around" with the scissor jack.
- if I wasn't so stingy and had more garage space, I'd buy a 2nd low trolley jack just to jack up the side enough to allow me to get my main low trolley jack under the front when I need the front raised instead of needing the scissor jack to give me that little bit of clearance for the front jack when needed.

[rascal]

For me, the best feature of the frame rails is the ability to jack the car up from the centre of the rail with a low trolley jack and change both rims/brakepads on that side quickly with no need to "dick around" with the scissor jack.

I do this anyway just using the factory jacking points, when I swap wheels after each track day.
Trolley jack under the front one and keep lifting the front wheel till the rear one is in the air as well.
Swap both rims, lower it down again and then do the same on the other side. Much easier and quicker than doing it one wheel at a time..

[KevGoat]

Yeah the twin hoop certainly makes the biggest difference (as would any of the MX5 Plus roll bars). In my old NA the Brown Davis made a huge difference too.

I noticed the difference in the way both wheels raise when jacking up the car after the drive to search for a rattle/buzzing that wasn't there before. Completely forgot about that point!



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[Lokiel]

[quote="KevGoat"]Yeah the twin hoop certainly makes the biggest difference (as would any of the MX5 Plus roll bars). In my old NA the Brown Davis made a huge difference too.
:
/quote]
... to all the "nay-sayers":

[KevGoat]

So, earlier today, I updated my impressions on the Everything Frame Rail Brace Related thread after a decent drive today.

Essentially I was presented the opportunity of a decent drive of around 300kms around the Fleurieu Peninsula over roads I know very well, which would give me a very good comparison of how the car performed in the past to how it does following the fitment of the frame rails. I went into the drive expecting little as far as any changes were concerned, and essentially that's what I got - little that I can define - it's just "different", but in a good way.

The differences are subtle, individually almost indiscernible, but when put together they make an improvement. The car is more solid on the road and especially during cornering, most noticeably through bumpy corners that would previously throw the car offline. To me, it's like the suspension is dealing with it rather than passing it through the car, improving stability and my confidence in how the car will react. I can't say for sure, but it even felt like there was better grip at times because the "whole" car is staying better shaped to the road.

My son gave an interesting comment during the drive that despite the faster speeds we were doing to previous drives, he didn't feel like he was being thrown around in his seat as much and if he didn't know better would have sworn I'd changed the suspension!

I noticed no body/chassis shaking whatsoever for the first time since driving MX-5's and that was great! and though fitting these rails doesn't give the wow factor that fitting a roll bar gives, I still feel the cost and effort involved has been worthwhile!!

[speed]

Thanks for your feedback re the frame rails.
I suspect that an NA (without all the additional bracing that a SE has) would have a more noticeable change.
Keep up the good work


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[KevGoat]

Thanks Speed ... yeah, I'd also think there'd be a more significant improvement on an NA. I was in two minds going into this, as mine did not feel that bad. I've still had some body shake and vibrations over some surfaces but it wasn't that bad and so far, fitting these seems to have removed all that. But compared to an NA, I'm sure the difference in age, mileage, factory bracing and that my rails were pretty much still immaculate would all be factors.

[Lokiel]

:
I suspect that an NA (without all the additional bracing that a SE has) would have a more noticeable change.
:

FM make a butterfly brace for NAs that bolts across their frame rails which helps reduce chassis twist - I suspect this combination is more noticeable with NA's than just teh frame rails alone.

[speed]

:
I suspect that an NA (without all the additional bracing that a SE has) would have a more noticeable change.
:

FM make a butterfly brace for NAs that bolts across their frame rails which helps reduce chassis twist - I suspect this combination is more noticeable with NA's than just teh frame rails alone.

Thanks for that. I had a set and sold the butterfly brace but kept the rails, so was i interested to hear feedback on what the rails alone would do on a NA

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[KevGoat]

Speed... take look at this thread: DIY Butterfly Brace.

One thing on that thread that really interested me was during my fitting I couldn't help wondering about the possibility of moisture and dirt collecting between the rails and chassis and maybe causing rust over time. Actually considered sealing around all the edges, but he's gone even further!

[speed]

Speed... take look at this thread: DIY Butterfly Brace.

Thanks Kev, I'll give it a read on the train home

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[KevGoat]

So a quick follow up about the chassis rails ... the hard top was removed and stored away again and I went out to drive the same route as before, but this time to see what difference (if any) there is with the top down. I'm pleased to say, and I'm very surprised, that there was very little difference to having the hard top fitted! Maybe a very (very!!) small amount of body vibration over some very severe irregularities but I had to be very critical to notice it and I'm not sure I wasn't just trying to find something to justify keeping the hard top

Wife's comment from a couple days ago - "feels like they've re-surfaced the road"... say's it all really.

[KevGoat]

Bit of a drive down south this arvo, then stopped off around Myponga Reservoir on the way home ...