geo set up in Essex

[vx220]

Work colleague has a 08 MX5, is struggling a bit with handling in wet weather. This could be because she is used to driving a 1.25 Fiesta (friendly FWD) or could be an alignment issue.

Is there an Essex based specialist, or a proven set of figures to take in and get it checked against?

[vrsmxtb]

Dandy cars are an MX specialist and do alignment, never used them though.

[MX-5 Lazza]

It does sound like an alignment issue but could also be wrong or mismatched tyres. Can you report back what tyres (and tyre pressures & tread depths) are on all 4 corners?

[Shaw Tarse]

Have a word with (email) Tony at WiM?

[cwinterb]

Elite in Rainham or Skidmarques in Brentwood. They will check it against the factory settings no probs.

[SmilerFTM]

MX-5 Lazza said:

It does sound like an alignment issue but could also be wrong or mismatched tyres. Can you report back what tyres (and tyre pressures & tread depths) are on all 4 corners?

My treads are getting thin on the ground, still easily legal but I had to swap the fronts with the rears as my traction pulling away was getting terrible in damp conditions. Now I've just got a bit of understeer when pushing on in the wet. Desperately need £400+ to replace them though, just the small matter of a house purchase getting in the way at present

[SmilerFTM]

cwinterb said:

Elite in Rainham or Skidmarques in Brentwood. They will check it against the factory settings no probs.

Factory settings can be way off what the car should be though, needs to be done properly by someone

[cwinterb]

SmilerFTM said:

Factory settings can be way off what the car should be though, needs to be done properly by someone

On that basis WiM's settings or anyone else's could be way off too. If it is an alignment issue that is causing this owner wet weather handling problems then at least having it back to a known point (factory spec) gives you a sensible starting point to think about tweaking it from there...

[MX-5 Lazza]

cwinterb said:

SmilerFTM said:

Factory settings can be way off what the car should be though, needs to be done properly by someone

On that basis WiM's settings or anyone else's could be way off too. If it is an alignment issue that is causing this owner wet weather handling problems then at least having it back to a known point (factory spec) gives you a sensible starting point to think about tweaking it from there...

No, factory settings can be way off what's needed because the tolerances are wide to make it quick & easy for dealerships and the settings aimed at low resistance for long tyre life and economy father than grip and handling. WiM work to much closer tolerances and use settings that are aimed more towards giving grip where its needed.

[sbird]

cwinterb said:

On that basis WiM's settings or anyone else's could be way off too. If it is an alignment issue that is causing this owner wet weather handling problems then at least having it back to a known point (factory spec) gives you a sensible starting point to think about tweaking it from there...

No, just no!

As Lazza said, the OEM settings are too broad. I've driven several MX-5s with Mazda-recommended settings, including one that had done delivery miles. None of them handled properly.

The OEM settings aren't very good in perfectly dry, warm conditions.

Take it to a specialist. Describe what the car is doing, and describe how you want the car to handle. A good expert should be able to get it close to what you want.

[cwinterb]

Calm down, calm down! I've used both Elite and Skidmarques. Both have decent Hunter equipment. Both will do an accurate set-up, or do it to your own figures if you turn up with the numbers you want.

Skidmarques are very good and definitely aware of the WiM fast road settings and more than capable of setting the car up exactly as you want if you tell them how you'd like the car to behave. Last time I was there they were talking about buying a mk2 of their own to play with.

Based on my personal experience of getting my mk1 with mismatched rubber and no record of the alignment ever having been done and then promptly spinning it 270 degrees and backwards into a hedge in the wet, the difference was like night and day with 4 new tyres and a "standard" but accurate alignment done by Elite based on the Hunter book figures. For a driver new to an MX5, coming from a front drive hatch, I'd still start there if I wasn't sure what I wanted but felt the handling was dodgy...

Mine's subsequently been re-done after a full re-bush/Gaz Gold Pros to settings recommended by Everything MX5 in Romford, which I seem to recall were close to WiMs fast road set-up. After a few thousand miles and several track days I'm very happy with the nice neutral balance it has. If anything I'd make it more oversteery now.