that sounds like something i would like.

Front:
Camber: (-2) - (-2.3)
Caster: (+5.5) - (+5.75) caster as much as possible without losing camber
Toe: 0.0

Rear:
Camber: same as front (-2) - (-2.3)
Toe: (+.17) - (+.20)

Yes, Teamrx8 has also said that adding one and keeping the other oem will cause issues, especially if only the front, then things can get scary in the wet.

I would only buy a set, after the alignment ill have to see if i want to go with a swaybar that will give me a slight increase in stiffness or a huge increase in stiffness mazdaspeed vs progress/AP

After much research I've come up with the following as what I'm going to shoot for when I take the car for an alignment. This will be my starting point to work off of later on, but I'm shooting for a more neutral set up with a slight tendency for understeer at the limit (just enough so its safe on the street). The car is an 2009 R3 (slightly stiffer monotube bilsteins & foam filled cross member are the only two changes I can think of suspension wise between my car and other RX8 years/models) and I'm running Star Spec II's for tires (225's on 8 inch wide wheels).

Front:
Camber: -1 on each side
Toe: 0
Caster: max possible that allows for -1 front camber (minimum I'll go is 5, if I have to go less than that I'll start decreasing front camber)

Rear:
Camber:-1.5 per side (or ~0.5 more than what I can get for the fronts)
Toe: +0.1 (total)

This car is my daily driver that will only see autocross events - no track time (which seems to be uncommon around here, you RX8 guys love to track your cars; I'll join you one day but not till I can afford to write the car off and buy another if I had to).

Thoughts and opinions on this set up? Will it be safe for street use (not too loose, nor shred my tires)? To my untrained eye it looks like a tire-friendly alignment since I'm not running much toe, but I'm not sure if I want a little more or less toe for the rears - just want enough for acceptable levels of straight line stability on the street.

I apologize for asking a question that's been covered before, I tried my best to do my homework and I'm just looking for some input before I actually go out and spend money and TIME on this.

Thanks in advance!

Remember this isn't a BMW ;)

You are better with more camber in the front than the back...so I would go with 1-1.5 in the front..and about .8-1.0 in the rear...zero toe front and slight toe in in the rear

The least amount of camber I was able to get in the rear was about -1.3 degrees. After dropping it on progress tech springs it was -1.5 degrees.

I would suggest getting minimum camber in the rear, and then matching the fronts. Your suggested toe measurements look good IMO.

How much toe would you consider "slight"?

well if you want something that understeers, then running a little less front camber should work just fine.

1/16 or so total...

rinse, wash, repeat ...

hrmm ... interesting.

So I had no trouble at the shop today getting the front camber (minus a seized up cam bolt that we eventually got free).

The rear though was a pain in the ass and for some reason i had a whole degree of angle missing on one side. The closest we could get the rear to neutral was -1.5 on one side and -2.3 on the other side.

No visible damage to the control arms.

Did you figure this out? I had a similar issue on the stock springs. After fitting coilovers I took the time to preload the suspension on each corner and loosened then re-tightened every bolt that goes through a rubber bushing. I also set the camber bolts to maximum camber each side and then took the car to an alignment shop. This meant that when I got there I could see what the max possible was on each side and then tell them what to set it to. After lowering the car 1 inch, I had plenty of room to adjust the camber at the rear. I was also previously limited by running too much toe, and reduced that as well.

At the front, I can't quite get enough negative camber to have even tire temps on track at a 14 inch hub to fender ride height (stock was ~15 inches). I have caster set to the minimum possible, so might go a little lower for my next track day.

Quick update on my car in that a 13.5 inch ride height gave me enough front camber per my rough tire temp readings. It also shifted the balance rearward a little. I have not been back to an alignment shop, but I would guess I am at around -2.6 front now (minimum caster and maximum camber that the factory adjustments will allow up front). This left the rear with slightly too much camber, so I am thinking about -2.6 front and -2.4 rear with a 13.5in ride height should be about perfect on 255 width Direzza Z2 tires. Only problem is that 13.5 inches is just a touch low on the street for me, so I've set it to 13.75 for now. Will see how that does on track in a couple of weeks.

One thing I don't like about this setup is that there is less centering force, and therefore less feel in the steering around center due to the low caster setting.

I check my alignment yesterday, I will be setting the front camber at -1.0.

Any rake? What's your rear ride height (to fender)?

I've been setting it level, so 13.5 front and rear (or as close as possible) and now 13.75 front and rear. Based on my last outing, a ride height 13.75 gave me slight understeer compared to 13.5, so I'm thinking I need to go a little lower again for more front camber. It was a different track and cooler temps though so not exactly a scientific comparison and I was only able to get very rough tire temp readings this time.

I should say, both 13.5 and 13.75 worked very well for me. The car was stable and predictable with my suspension setup, this is just fine tuning.

Do you know the numbers of factory alignment for model 2010;
there workshop manual?

No one knows;

The specs are in the shop manual. Look in the Suspension section.

The book did not write the alignment.. https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-in...ls-pdf-245469/

That's the owners manual. You need the workshop manual. Any alignment place should have this. Search for wheel alignment in the suspension chapter:

RotaryHeads.com - Mazda RX-8 PDF Technical Manuals FE3S

Reminds me I should post my track street alignment. I am very happy with it now, a little lower than in the past and added a bit of caster back in for better feel but without much impact on front camber.

Unless the alignment shop is in the dark ages...the machine will have an entry for the car with the spec's in ;)

everybody else knew, they didn't want to have to explain it out several times over for someone else that has no idea ... :)

Here is what I have been running for the past year now. Very happy with this setup; balance, tire temp differences and tire wear all seem good. Using Direzza z2 255/40/17 with fatcat coilovers.

Measurements taken with me in the car.

Front L/R
Camber: -2.8/-2.8
Caster: 6.4/6.3 (was as close as it would go)
Toe: -0.01, 0.00 (as above)
Ride height: 13.3in/13.3in

Rear L/R
Camber: -2.5/-2.5
Toe: 0.04, 0.04
Ride height: 13.3in/13.3in

Most I could get was -1.8 on the front..

F- 1.8, 1.8
Caster 5.2, 5.2
R- 1.6, 1.6

Zero toe

Running at Roebling tomorrow, so we'll see how it shakes out...Car feels good..Thanks to Trinity Motorsports in Pooler for getting me Set Up..

Offset LCA front bush
 

Hey all
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but I am try to track down some offset front lower control arm bushes like the drop engineering ones with the spherical internally.
I have enquired on numerous websites that purport to sell them but with no response.

Does anyone have any stock? or am I in the lucky position of having to make them?

I should add I'm in AUS

James

Is your goal increased camber? If so, consider the offset upper control arm bushings from Whiteline, which I believe is an Australian company. They serve the same purpose- increasing max negative camber- and are readily available and relatively inexpensive.

http://www.whiteline.com.au/product_..._number=KCA421

Thanks, yes I have them already but I need the lowers too so my question still stands.

Road Racing, -1.7F -1.0R 0toe all around

so has anyone used whiteline camber kit bushings to get more negative camber out of stock suspension?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...cd37f9f5f3.jpg


what is the trick to get most negative front camber out of the stock suspension?

I have not personally tried it. I did ask Chris at Cobb Tuning, who does a lot of performance suspension work, about offset bushings in general, and he told me they have trouble with them moving and not holding an alignment. His recommendation is adjustable control arms.

Counterpoint...

I asked Terry at Vorschlag Motorsports (also does a lot of suspension work) the same question, and he said they have used them successfully in many cars.

That was quite literally of no help, wasn't it?

I will be at the track Saturday and will try to remember to ask the owner of Motorsport Enterprises (specializes in Miatas and RX-7s and 8s) what he thinks of them.

It would be great if they work. The most negative camber I have been able to get out of my front suspension is -2.4. That is with a ride height of 3.75" measured at the pinch welds. I want -3.5. Badly.

.

These are my current settings, BTW. The front is uneven, but I told him to "max out both sides, and I will drive to it." Turning left and turning right are a little different. ;)

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...4bc64cdcea.jpg

Suck it up and get the Speedsource lower control arm camber bushings ;)

You won't have any trouble getting -3.5 with a lot more caster than that too :)

Thats great. If I could buy them.
Everywhere I have asked says NLA

I guess I'll have to make my own - a pain but at least I can make them with slightly more offset.


James

I recently put a set in. If they "turn" you are doing it wrong. Works just fine, but like you, I need more total neg.


James

Did you try Mazdaspeed Motorsports? They used to have them

Drop used to make them as well...but I think that they stopped making them a few years ago

Drop = NLA

Mazdaspeed only allow membership if within US or race annually in US.
I'm in AUS

Might not hurt to ask around if someone can get you a set ;)

Or call Speedsource directly and see if they sill make them

Yes I've been doing that for a year.


I might just do that but my hopes are low.

Mazdaspeed Motorsports lists the following part:

0000-04-5420

1
BUSH.KIT,OFFSET(DELRIN)
Notes: BUSH.KIT,OFFSET(DELRIN)
MX-5 Miata
RX-8
ALL
2004 - 2015
$86.80


No idea who makes it, or if it is for one axle or two.

.

they are just the offset UCA bushes like shown in post #478

the part # we are after is 0000-04-8001

MSM site says NLA.

indeed it does

Thanks for posting. Makes me feel a bit better about my new car's alignment. Was at -2.7 on the front right, but could not get more than -2.3 on the left. Ended up evening it out so -2.3 all around (front and rear).

This is with -6 caster and a ride height around 13.5in from hub center to wheel arch. I'll need to check what that equates to from the pinch welds, but it is not super low.

Backing out the caster did not make much difference to the static camber btw, so I think I will add more in next time.

My prev car was at -2.9 at the front, but slightly lower, so probably equivalent to -2.7 at this car's ride height.

0.15 degrees toe seems high in the rear? I never really know what to have here, am at 0.05 per side right now, and 0.00 at the front.

Yes, I think that amount of rear toe is a little high. I let them talk me into it, when I was troubleshooting my Ohlins oversteer issues. Next time I take it in, I plan to have it backed down to around where yours is.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...5f7562ed86.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...eb84aa1413.jpg


Here's basically what the lower control arm camber offset bushings look like.....these are the Drop Engineering ones...but they look the same as the Mazda speed ones

Has anyone tried contacting Speed source directly?

Yep.
No response.

That sucks....

If I thought that there was a market for them they likely wouldn't take much to make.

and they add how much? you in south fla? willis?

beers :beer:

You can get a about 2 deg more - camber than stock.

​​​No..about as far away as you can get in lower 48 😎 and then about 10 miles north 😎

Willis? Like Bruce? 😉

I will be in Mid Florida in a couple weeks of you want to buy me a beer 😎

Would I be able to get away with just getting the lower control arm kit, or do I need to get both?

I am guessing lower would yield most additional negative camber with leaving the UCA stock?

More importantly do these stay put - don't rotate during the track use?

Has anyone actually used them?

interesting install video:

fwiw, I went to a local shop out in LA that handles a lot of tracked / raced miatas, and they tried to use offset bushings to get some additional camber adjustment, and they had tons of issues with them (in general, not these specifically). They would rotate while being tracked... and when they drilled and bolted them in, they cracked. They basically said they weren't a viable solution, as sometimes the camber would get out of adjustment after a single session...