97 MXV's NA8 Gender Transformation

[Magpie]

What were Front/Rear temps?

By the way Ross was not the fastest on the day

[97 MXV]

What were Front/Rear temps?
By the way Ross was not the fastest on the day

Sorry Magpie with two drivers and 1st time out adjustments on the fly, we still took the opportunity to glance at the gauge to see how tyre temps were tracking generally but did not have time to record absolute numbers systematically with time so worthless giving you random numbers from the random number generator inside my head.
The plan is to record more systematically in the future, as I really want to tinker with 195/50/15 size rubber for as long as possible while my driving improves following your advice about more time in the saddle.

Also sorry I can't award you another Pic of Kari Byron's Bust for picking up my BS about "Ross's" times, as the correct information was actually translated by me (using my Aussie to American Translation App) into BS for American consumption. Its now their official language spoken off the scale.
I have now found the proof they can't take the opportunity to glance at the gauge to see how broken it is.

[Magpie]

No problems, it has been 3 years in the making getting faster than Ross. I have ticked that off my bucket list

Collecting data now that is something that I can agree with... I have some 195 AD08R's at home...

[97 MXV]

More Today Info from Bauer on Tie Rod Thread Engagement

Hi Keith,
I spoke to my friend Sammy Valafar about the rod end situation, and he doesn't see an issue. He's installed them on several cars and has not had a thread issue. However, I agree with you that 12mm thread purchase is an issue. It may be that the Miata used a different tie rod length for Australian cars. I recently swapped the "rare for U.S." 3.63 diff gearing into my car, only to find that it came stock on all the Australian models.

Sammy is my "go to" guy for fitment and racing issues, as he's a Miata guru who also won the Spec Miata nationals in 2012. He's FAST. He confirmed that an aggressive street camber setup would be -2.7 front -2.3 rear, and that he can get -3.5 from his stock ball joints. When the car is lowered, that negative number goes up. Since my Catfish is only 1,750lbs, I've found that the car likes less camber. Regardless, we did find a solution for your car, listed below.

SPL Tie Rod End Kit for NA / NB Miata SPL TRE NAMR

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SPL-Tie-Rod-End-Kit-for-NA-NB-Miata-SPL-TRE-NAMR-/252717631499?hash=item3ad725080b:g:3KUAAOSwn-tZJsPI&vxp=mtr
A Male-Female hex thread adapter may help as well, although you may have to cut down your tie rod in order to get the proper length. Please see examples here:

https://www.mcmaster.com/#threaded-spacers/=17u8ohh

I think that the ideal solution would be to go to your local Mazda shop and ask to see a tie rod end for an NA/NB Miata, and one for a Protege or 323, or a similar aged vehicle. If it comes off the shelf a bit longer, you're in business.

Hope all this helps.

Best regards,
Cord Bauer
www.bauerltd.com
www.readyramp.com

[97 MXV]

Some posts recently on the subject in the Used Parts section

Not sure if i''m best bumping this thread but I am anyway... Just fitted a set of these extended ball joints and am conscious of the tie rod end thread engagement. My car is a track and weekend car, not a daily but i'm interested if any tie rod end alternatives have come up - I saw this kit online that also offers adjustment to help with bump steer, i wonder if this allows more thread engagement...

http://www.splparts.com/products/spl-tie-rod-end-kit-manual-rack-na-nb-miata.html

Sitting at the computer with 20 windows of tie rod ends open trying to spot differences

The IL motorsport ones looks like they might be slightly longer to me but it's very hard to tell on a screen with different pics... Perhaps I'll make myself a guinea pig and order a set...

http://ilmotorsport.de/shop/article_detail.php5?aid=5912&oid=265&depth=3&page=3&count=53&PHPSESSID=739bfdeb96a47b55397d193c015d37e4



genuine Mazda part on their website as a comparison...

http://ilmotorsport.de/shop/article_detail.php5?aid=1217&oid=265&depth=3&page=3&count=53&PHPSESSID=739bfdeb96a47b55397d193c015d37e4

[SnaveSnavely]

Thanks for linking into your thread and also good to see you got another reply from Bauer. I was helping a friend put his engine and gearbox back in today took it as an opportunity to compare tie rods...

This is a photo of the tie rod from my 91 NA6, it's probably the original part...



This photo is the tie rod on his NA6, a replacement from Repco in the last year...



Sorry about the picture quality... under the car with a torch.. Anyway, comparing lengths and attempting to measure them with calipers it would seem the aftermarket part is somewhere between 2-4mm longer. That makes a difference when when it means going from 14mm to 17mm engagement... The aftermarket part looks the same as the IL motorsport branded item, the shape looks identical and the wire round the base of the boot looks the same. I have also found a 'Protex' brand set on eBay that looks to be the same part. Going to order a set tomorrow and get them on the car and see how much difference it makes...



Only other thing I'll mention from my google searching is another common M12x1.25 tie rod end is S13 Nissan. The stock Nissan ones would be no good but there are aftermarket ends made for them. GKTech in Australia makes a set with different length rods to accommodate for rack swaps, widened track etc and also a dust boot to protect the rose joint. Key issue I can see with these is that the rose joint is bulky and because of the angle they fit in the MX5 knuckles they probably wont clear the brake disk and shield...

https://www.gktech.com/high-misalignment-64-degrees-tie-rod-ends-12mm-14mm.html

[97 MXV]

Thanks SnaveSnavely Awesome Post !
Agree every mm is good, every mm is needed, every mm is useful, and every mm is fine.
So because every mm is great, if a mm is wasted, we get quite irate !
It seems uncanny that every mm is sacred ?
That's of course provided they eventually work out cheap enough to be blessed.

[Magpie]

Just do not spill you mm on the dusty ground.
97 MXV shall make you pay for, each mm that can't be found.

[97 MXV]

Just do not spill you mm on the dusty ground.
97 MXV shall make you pay for, each mm that can't be found.

Don't worry, seems like he is already handling it with kid gloves to avoid that problem.

[SnaveSnavely]

[Ned Loh]

Regarding the extended ball joints and thread engagement. Have you looked into spacers that go on the rack end? I believe they are available but have never used them.

There are also some (ghetto) solutions for tie rod end but the less said the better...

[97 MXV]

Regarding the extended ball joints and thread engagement. Have you looked into spacers that go on the rack end? I believe they are available but have never used them.
There are also some (ghetto) solutions for tie rod end but the less said the better...

I have had a bit of a look at a female/male spacer adapter/spacers. The problem with these is that by the time you get enough thread engagement with the male/female spacer the tie rod ends up too long.
Part of that problem is the spacer needs a smooth. therefore long transition, say 2D long, between the end of the male tie rod thread and the start of the female tie rod end thread.
The way to fix this is to shorten the tie rod. This is one of the solutions already offered and to be considered in due course.

Thanks for heads up on term ghetto solutions. I imagine that involves ad hoc welding of steering parts.
In that case, rather than ghetto solutions, maybe we call those cemetery solutions.

[Ned Loh]

have you found a male/female adapter with the right threads?

Provided it can be done safely spacing the rack end of the tie rod could possibly get you an easy 5mm or perhaps more. I think the drift are into it for more lock but I have no real idea

[97 MXV]

I think adaptor/spacers were also covered in this thread discussion.

[97 MXV]

Toyo R888's as much as I love them, are just not loved by hot chicks with experience.

So now I am on the hunt for some nice quiet luxury riding radials to fit spare 15 x 7 Enkei LM8s rims. Soft grippy compound tyre preferred.
Any recommendations for a smooth quiet riding tyre and thoughts on size ?
195/50/15 is my preference at the moment.

Can recommend re003's
Or Hankooks rs3's, they have a soft sidewall for a semi slick. Not sure about the quiet but though

Thanks MX5002....Exactly as you proposed, Sparkley is now proudly shod with a set of 195/50 x 15 Bridgestone Potenza RE003's replacing the Toyo R888 on the 7 inch polished Enkei LM8s rims.
Very impressed so far. Sparkley will be dríven to Brisbane Ballina next week so will report further on the comfort of that experience.
So far I would have to say that these tyres have plenty of redundancy with lateral grip and steering response easily exceeding my expectations.
The tyres perform far in excess of experienced chick passenger comfort thresholds and terrorizing limits.

As expected the lumped mass dynamic response with RE003s is much quieter than with the R888's. I plan to play with tyre pressures and damper settings and maybe ride height and sway bar settings.
Cruella Deville has volunteered to have her various lumped masses wired up and shaken by Jinba Ittai trained engineers in order to check how they will respond to stimulation from radial tuning of Sparkley's suspension in respect of an experienced woman's comfort.

Aside from experienced comfort women, the boys at Bridgestone Mt Gravatt in Brisbane get me excited relishing every turn I now get just driving to the shops on their RE003's and their awesome wheel alignment detailed earlier.

Meanwhile I have another set of 7 inch Enkei LM8s rims for the R888's which will be painted either alloy silver or white as my experience with black rims is they do not show up in the all important track photos all that well.
With polishing not in this year's budget, I am thinking a white Minilite retro track look, but alloy silver is also possible.