What have you done to your Miata today?

[WillD]

Ah, so that attaches to the car somewhere...
Edit: The image wasn't working at first. That makes perfect sense now.

When not using the FM alignment stands how does one gain access to the alignment bolts, end links, etc with weight on the suspension?

 

[JamesCH]

FM hub stands connect to the car like this. It is really easy to measure camber (angle gauge), caster (turn steering wheel left and right, look at camber change) and toe (two measuring tapes).

However, aligning the axle's thrust angle (essentially toe relative to center-line of chassis, is the axle aligned with the whole car) is tedious. This is what FM calls a "thrust angle gauge" it's basically a bit of metal you align with string based on a few center-line marks you can put on the car. I used mine a few times, it was awful trying to align multiple strings with squres to get the 'gauge' in the right spot. And then you sneeze and the car rolls 1/8in sideways and you have to do it again.

Enter the magical laser level. Shoots a vertical line that you can easily eyeball to your centerline marks on the chassis, and cases a nice laser line on the tape measures.

With this I can easily measure the distance from the leading and trailing edge of each tire to the center-line of the chassis. It will still miss-align if the car shifts, but it's really easy to identify now. Mounting the laser right to the car will avoid misalignment issues.



Of course, having just written this, it occurs to me that one could hang the FM thrust angle gauge from the car and eliminate many misalignment issues... but I don't know how easy that would be to use.

 

[WillD]

What is the total time investment to align the car?

 

[JamesCH]

The first time I did it, with friends, maybe 4 hours.

Yesterday, with someone sitting in the car and turning the wheel when needed, something between 60 and 90 minutes from driving in the garage to driving out of the garage. I only have 2 hub stands, so I have to doh-si-doh them around, with 4 stands it'd be faster. Though all of my suspension hardware is less than 2 years old, so I am not dealing with any stuck bolts, bad bushings, etc. which helps a lot.

 

[WillD]

That's not bad at all. I'm just trying to figure out if I want to do it myself or continue to pay a shop to do it.

 

[aMaff]

That's not bad at all. I'm just trying to figure out if I want to do it myself or continue to pay a shop to do it.

The tools are expensive, but by the time you've made 3 or 4 suspension changes, they will have paid for themselves.

 

[WillD]

What's the ideal tool list?

It sounds to me like it could be done with no specialty tools, they just make it quicker/easier.

 

[JamesCH]

I've got $395 in the hub stands, $75ish in the laser, $20(?) in tape measures, $35 in angle gauge, and then two 17mm wrenches (one 6-point box, one ratcheting), one 12mm wrench (steering tie-rods), and your favorite flavor of breaker bar or torque wrench to tighten.

I also sprang for an extra set of hub plates with 5-lug slots, so I can do alignments on all of my other cars if needed. This convinced a few of my friends to 'buy-in,' offsetting the purchase price a bit.

Thusfar I've aligned my Miata 3-4 times, my MR2 1.5 times (first one was front-axle only), and I have helped my friends with a WRX, A6, and an A4. It has probably paid for itself by now, but I don't know if I would have done so many alignment changes if I hadn't already bought the equipment.

 

[WillD]

Thanks James.

 

[princess peach]

so FlatOut Graphics is going to start offering alignments?

 

[WillD]

Haha they will be very expensive and I don't guarantee my work.

But yeah, ideally I'd like to buy 4 hub stands and a set of scales and do my own alignments/corner balancing. I'm just trying to figure out what I'd be getting myself into.

 

[princess peach]

I thought about getting the stands for when I put her away during winter, keep the tires in the apt. I don't change my alignment that often to justify all this carp

 

[WillD]

I have the original daisies with junk tires that only get used for storing the car.

 

[aMaff]

I thought about getting the stands for when I put her away during winter, keep the tires in the apt. I don't change my alignment that often to justify all this carp

...you know regular jack stands are a thing, and they don't cost $400/pair (or whatever), and do just fine if you just want something to keep your car off the ground with the tires off.

http://www.harborfreight.com/3-ton-steel-jack-stands-61196.html

 

[princess peach]

cost $400/pair (or whatever)

dafuq... screw that

 

[WillD]

Lulz... that's what the hub stands we are talking about cost? What did you think we were talking about?

 

[JamesCH]

dafuq... screw that

That's actually pretty cheap for what they do. Other stands I looked at were $1k/4 and up, with no option to buy two of them.

 

[aMaff]

That's actually pretty cheap for what they do. Other stands I looked at were $1k/4 and up, with no option to buy two of them.

This, exactly.

Pablo, we're talking about these:
http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?stocknumber=35-70050

But seriously, just buy some jack stands.

 

[princess peach]

I knew what you guys were talking about, I just didn't know they cost that much. I have 2 jack stands, I'll get 2 more.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

special mazda website http://mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/display...=modelsMain&vehicleCode=MXR#anniversary-panel