I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __Steering wheel feel
Hi,
Does anyone have suggestions to improve the steering feel of the MX5 RF ND MK4?
I have a Aygo and the thing I really like about that is the amount of road surface feedback you get through the wheel. The MX5 in comparision just smoothes everything over and it just feels a non-event driving it, as if it is too accomplished. It is just you don’t get that feel of the road.
Some people have suggested changing the tyres and getting an alignment done. But I was thinking would new suspension bits (springs and damper/coils) plus sports orientated anti-roll bars help in this matter?
Some also state add in wider tyres but I am not sure on this yet.
First, are the tyres the same make and size and at correct pressures.
Second, if not already done get an alignment, from someone who knows what they are doing and not a normal tyre/fast fit place.
Third, if you have done the first two and are not happy then waste money on replacing parts.
People will offer different settings, personally I am on a ‘fast road’ setting as below (provenance originally Good-Win, I have reduced the caster slightly):
Front Camber -1.2*
Toe IN 1/32nd per side (some shops call this 1/16th ‘total’ toe in).*
Caster 6
Rear Camber -1.2*
Toe IN 1/32nd per side
Racers will take much more camber and zero toe all corners (and usually full coilovers instead of just these very mild street springs).
Yes all genuine and same brand tyres. Car was bought from a Mazda Approved dealer recently. They are those Bridgestones. Pressure wise I put them to 31 PSI but from the dealer they were set at 26 PSI. Do tyre pressures make that much difference to the steering feel?
Alignment will be done soon. And also some upgrades are coming with regards to the suspension. Just wish there was more texture and vibration from the road through the steering wheel of the MX5 that I get in the Aygo.
I think the standard pressure should be 29 so 31 is not too far away. Tyre pressure affects the contact point of the tyre with the road so will have an influence on steering feel. The best way to bring more ‘life’ to the ND is to have the alignment done.
You can certainly tweak it - alignment, better tyres and so on but it’s EPAS. And that’s why an ND can never offer the feedback of older cars , especially those without any PAS at all . Many owners are happy with the steering , and I can understand why if they’ve never experienced decent feel. But if you’ve driven an older 911, a Caterham , Elise or Elan- or even an old MG Midget you will know what you are missing . Subjectively , I found getting a Royal steering wheel didn’t improve the feel, of course , but it did make the steering experience so much nicer than the thin and slippery standard wheel.
I was looking at the Royal Steering wheel website yesterday and that video of the Porsche Cayman.
I agree the MX5 ND wheel is far too thin. Feels horrible. So I was looking at what options I have. I like the look of Alcantara, but does it get wet with sweaty hands?
The other issue is I don’t want the steering wheel to come off. It is for safety/security reasons. The steering wheel houses the airbag and I don’t want someone messing with it for that reason.
It doesn’t come off, so you keep all the airbag and radio controls etc. Royal replace the rim - they take about 15minutes while you wait. Alcantara - Ihad similar sweaty palm fears so went for leather. Huge difference in enjoyment with this .
That is incredible. I saw some of these on the internet/websites last night when searching for parts and accessories for the MX5 ND but if someone from the UK can do this for me without removing the steering wheel then that is brilliant.
Do you lose any feel of the road/vibrations etc etc due to the thicker steering wheel rim?
As you’re Yorkshire based, I’d go to see Roddison’s in Sheffield for suspension alignment/geometry. Then take it from there in terms of how you’re feeling the car is responding. Run the car at 29PSI cold pressures.
As for steering wheels, I’m not sure if there’s a bit of confusion here? As Jack at Royal Steering Wheels will need to remove the wheel, so it can be worked out and re-trimmed. The actual re-trimming work doesn’t occur in the car, with the steering wheel attached.
He offers a few approaches, either that a re-trimmed wheel is fitted from his stock, and your own steering wheel controls and airbag are swapped over. This is usually the most popular approach, as people want a ‘while you wait service’ and for someone to undertake the swap for them.
Or what I’ve done in the past is send him my wheel to work on, and the re-trimming occurs on the same wheel and is shipped back. But this is only feasibile if you have a spare steering wheel to hand, or you’re willing to have the car parked up without a steering wheel, while the re-trimming work is done and your wheel is sent back to you.
You still have all the safety and functionality of the airbag with one of these wheels as all your controls are just reattached to it.
I fitted one of these covers to my car, it adds a slight increase in width and I like the feel of the alcantara style I went for. No problem when sweaty palms but you cant use leather gloves on it as it will slip, I use polyester gloves in winter.
You can sew it on, on the car, but a lot harder, I took the wheel off to do it.
I would get the tracking done as others have said, my car came with the original make tyres which gave me no confidence. I now have michelin pilot sport 5 on and the car is much better, wet or dry. Once you get the car sorted, I am sure you will be happy with the drive.
For more feel I’m pretty sure there’s a way of reducing the electrical assistance. Sorry, but I don’t have a link.
Or go 10mm wider and grippier next time you need tyres.
For more precision and feel start with poly bushes on the front. 50 durometer - or up to 90 if you can live with more NVH. The next step is to lower the car and uprate the suspension. I recommend MeisterR CRDs for this as, as well as being more comfortable than the standard suspension they also reduce roll, squat, dip and ride height. Get a fast road alignment done after you do these. Hey presto, you now have a sports car instead of a sporty car designed to suit Americans driving it in a straight line.
Let me clarify this - Royal provide a new steering wheel rim . It is attached to the original centre hub and not only does the airbag remain in situ , so do all the steering wheel controls . Put another way , all they do is swap the rim so don’t worry about airbag etc , as nothing has changed .
Feel - what little there was of it - is the same , and perhaps subjectively improved.
I too wouldn’t lose the airbag or wheel controls - if I had gone down that route it would have been a Momo Prototipo.
The airbag module first needs to be removed, in order to remove the original steering wheel and swap it for an improved Royal Steering Wheels version. Yes, everything goes back as it was before - but there is obviously disturbance to the airbag during this procedure.
‘WazWii’ doesn’t want to disturb anything involving the airbag, which is understandable but there’s a safe, documented procedure to follow.
For what it’s worth, I have an alcantara steering wheel on another car (as OEM), and after 54K miles, pushing 7 years, it still looks as good as new. All it takes is a bit of, big word this, effort. Not effort for a week until the novelty wears off, but just being consistent. I wash my hands before I go out in it (hardly the hardest thing in the world to do), and always have done, and every few months, use a clean microfiber with a water/autoglym interior cleaner mix, and clean/rub in. And once every few weeks use a clothes brush to brush it over, which takes all of a massive 30 seconds to do so, to brush dust/‘skin’ off.
Thing is, this takes some sort of effort. Not exactly hard work. But ‘effort’ nevertheless. If one is the type who walks nowhere, parks as close to a supermarket store enterance that they’re almost in it, not due to ailments, but due to the ‘effort’ required to do otherwise, then don’t bother, the novelty will wear off and the ‘effort’ will be too much. If one thinks washing their hands before driving, and cleaning the wheel every few months and doing this consistently, is hardly the hardest work in the world, it should be fine.
Looks really good that. Where did you get the TRD badge from? Do you just stick it on top?
I am getting the Koni’s. And alignment will be done with those Konis (and springs). Tyres to follow because the Bridgestones are not worn out yet. I have been told the poly bushes would make my car too extreme for the road but this I think was with them all changed.
Your right with your words. It does feel like that in stock form. That around corners it is not with you so you can only really drive fast on the straights. Pretty much spot-on.
I wonder if Royal Steering Wheels would take the longer route and just trim the steering wheel rim whilst in my car? I would not mind as long as there is not a mess and damage to the interior. I would pay a little more for this. Might be worth asking them?
Alcantara or leather I don’t mind. Maybe alcantara looks better but the most important issue for me is how it holds up to sweat from hands. Maybe leather is better for that? I guess it depends on how wet the alcantara gets.
The TRD badge is one of those ones you get on ebay or aliexpress as a set of 4, its just stuck on with cushioned double sided tape.
I think you are worrying far too much about disturbing the air bag, its just a case of releasing it from the wheel and then unplugging it. No risk to doing this. I am sure anyone working on the wheel will remove it as you couldnt work on the wheel with the airbag there anyway.
The koni adjustable shocks have a good reputation. I take it you will add lowering springs rather than keeping standard height springs?
I am not engineering led but there are going to be new springs. They come as a package. I ‘assume’ they will lower the car. I want to get the brakes done too but at the moment my brakes have not worn out. So those can get done with the tyres at a later date I think. I hope changing those two items later will not affect the alignment which will be adjusted before.
Does TRD stand for Toyota Racing Development? I wonder if you can get these badges for the outside to replace the Mazda logos?
I was looking at new anti-roll bars too but again was told I don’t need them for the road. I wonder though if they also would improve the steering wheel feel.
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