[DRFT MX5]

Hey everyone my 1.25" Front Sway finally came in from Racing Beat. I'll be putting it on today and just need a few suggestions. A friend of mine made me a set of really nice custom end links (which are being sold on ebay as well search for miata End links).

I really trust his judgement on how to set up this car as he has the fastest autocross Miata's in our region... So his suggestion was to take all the reload out of the bar by adjusting the endlinks to be just barely taunt when the car is level on the ground. Now I have a Tein Flex suspension ... how does one adjust the endlinks so they are at this point when the car is on the ground? My car only sits maybe 4" off the ground... so yeah... suggestions?

BTW I only have access to a jack and stands.

 

[TrophyFodder]

The driver wouldn't be Ed Raymundo would it?

 

[boogie van]

hmm....know anyone with some spare lumber? I was gonna suggest driving up on some 2x4s or 2x6's, might need to stack them to get the car high enough

 

[Miatamoto]

ramps?

 

[DRFT MX5]

The driver is Shawn Lambert, I also drive w/ Ed he's very quick as well. But still in ES, Shawn competes with me in CSP. Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll see what I can do and let you know how it turns out. I highly recommend these end links they are beautiful and work for many different Mazda vehicles.

 

[boogie van]

same concept, but I think his front bumper would get caught on them. I know mine did the one time I tried.

Chris you could always go buy some 2x6s or 2x8's from lowes or something, and then return them when youre done

 

[TrophyFodder]

The driver is Shawn Lambert, I also drive w/ Ed he's very quick as well. But still in ES, Shawn competes with me in CSP. Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll see what I can do and let you know how it turns out. I highly recommend these end links they are beautiful and work for many different Mazda vehicles.

Please pass my email to Ed [email protected] Ed was my HS MINI co-driver (actually I was his tire warmer) for Nationals a couple of years back. I've seen Ed beat BSP times with a H Stock car! I havent talked to him in a while- damn deployments.

Thanks
Chris

 

[vicious-s]

i have to say that those endlinks do look pretty damn sweet. and definatley look to be worth the price! $140 for a complete set of 4 is only $20 more than a pair from fm!

hope these last another two weeks...

 

[Bryan]

Rhino Ramps. You can use them when you want to change the oil, too.

 

[DRFT MX5]

Chris I'd be more than happy to pass your email off to Ed. I'll say this he is damn fast... I have learned a ton from him and Shawn. Only fastest thing I've seen around here on an auto-x course is Ed driving Shawns car

Visious-s I'll post up a few more detailed pictures of his end links. They are a great deal and very nice hardware. Right now he has 5 or 6 pair built but is growing discouraged due to no ebay activitiy. I told him that provided I like them, I would promote them here for him. I'll say this the quality alone on these are much higher than most aftermarket end links.

I didn't end up getting all my parts and people together until late last night so the bar never made it on last night. However I will provide some pic's of the install and end links this evening.

 

[jesseclee]

...So his suggestion was to take all the reload out of the bar by adjusting the endlinks to be just barely taunt when the car is level on the ground....

Mmmm- I don't understand this. If your car is sitting level on the ground, and the sway-bar hasn't been tweaked in an accident, there should be little or no 'preload' on the sway bar. Unless one side of your car is higher than the other side.

Also- I think the important thing is just to shorten the linkages so that the sway bar is parallel to the ground. If you lower the car without shortening the linakge like this you risk having the sway bar contact the upper A-arm- instant sway bar mounts rippage.

 

[freedomgli]

I think that's what Chris is having trouble figuring out. He's lowered the car and has adjustable sway bars and end links. He wants to know how to adjust the end links so that the sway bar will be parallel to the ground when the car is at static equilibrium. I don't like being cramped when I work so what I would do is:

• Set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels
• Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels
• Jack the front of the car up and secure with jack stands
• Jack up the rear of the car and secure with jack stands so that it is the same height as the front
• Remove the front wheels
• Disconnect both stock sway bar end links so that the bar is free to rotate
• Place a floor jack under the front wheel hub and lift one corner of the car just to the point that it starts to come up off the jack stand
• Adjust the new sway bar end link so that the sway bar will be parallel to the ground when connected to the control arm
• Set the other sway bar end link to the same length and install it
• If your car has been cornerweighted you might wish to more carefully set the other side for optimum precision but honestly I'm not sure how critical this is

 

[DRFT MX5]

Hey guys! Thats what I did (thanks Kyle)... With as low as my car sits now, it was preloading the bar with the stock endlinks. I shorten the new ones up just a hair, then put he car on the ground turned the wheels reached in and Travis and I adjusted them together counting the turns until the bar was slack. Then we snugged everything up to take it just barely back to tight. The car drives like its on rails now!!! I'm actually going to do a little video on suspension tuning since thats where the majority of my tuning focus has been lately. I recently read an article called the "Black Art of Suspension Tuning" And I'm considering taking it to a video series with the authors permission... we'll see I'll keep you all informed.

 

[fourwhls]

I hate to bring up an old thread, but....

You guys are missing the point of the adjustable end links. The idea is to get rid of the preload on the sway bar with the driver in the car.

Miatas have a tendency to lock up the passenger side front wheel under hard braking. One of the reasons for this is that the when you get in the car, your weight preloads the driver's side of the swaybar and therefore lightens the opposite side. Less weight on that side of the car = less friction between the tire and the road and therefore brake lock up (smoke).

I'm sure if you have ever been to an autocross, you have seen a Miata lock up the PS front wheel.

If you adjust the end links with the driver or driver's equivalent weight in the driver's seat, you eliminate the preload.

Not only does the getting rid of the preload aid in braking, it also increases the usefulness of the sway bar. Think about making a left hand turn with the swaybar preloaded by the driver's weight. You will have a slight delay before the swaybar starts working so that the weight can transfer. The delay will be thousandths of a second, but those of you that race know that thousandths of a second is the difference between 1st and 2nd quite often.

If the swaybar is in a neutral static state with the driver in the car, there should be no delay in the swaybar reaction.

BTW...I am Shawn, the one that Chris is referring to above. They are my end links that he is using.

On another note...I have revised the design of the end links once again. Not that the old ones were bad, but I am having trouble with my rod end supplier and have decided to go to a male threaded rod end versus female. Using the male rod ends not only makes the end links more aesthetically pleasing, it allows me to use better rod ends. Think Black Anodized turnbuckles with chrome moly housings with Teflon bearing race. Strength that will handle loads multiple times that of which a Miata is capable of producing in a better looking package. The price will go up slightly, but I am shooting for a $10 increase per set with a max of $15 increase.

The parts are being fabricated right now and I should have them up on ebay by the beginning of next month.

 

[DRFT MX5]

THANKS SHAWN! Mind if I drop by the garage-mahal to adjust them the correct way now!

Also, once I do get this squared away the right way, I'll post a how to photo set if I have time.

 

[fourwhls]

No problem Chris! Just give me a heads up and we'll make it happen.