Spot the deliberate(?) mistake

Technical Area Steering & Suspension
1
  1. My model of MX-5 is: __NC
  2. I’m based near: __Newquay, Cornwall
  3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __Alignment after changing springs and shocks

Last Friday I took my 2006 NC 2.0 hardtop to the only Hunter 3d alignment centre in Cornwall.
I wanted an alignment done after I swapped out the original standard springs and shocks for the Bilstein B12 Pro-Kit of 30mm lowering springs + B8 shocks.

Here’s what my alignment was when I went in.

MX5_Hunter alignment_280122_before
MX5_Hunter alignment_280122_before480×640 73.3 KB

Here’s what I asked for.
Front = Caster +5 degrees. Camber -1.7 to -2.0 degrees. Toe 0.04 degrees toe-in.
Rear = Camber -1.5 degrees. Toe 0.04 degrees toe-in.

Here’s what my alignment was when I drove out.

MX5_Hunter alignment_280122_after
MX5_Hunter alignment_280122_after1920×2560 413 KB

After about 150 miles of mixed road driving since then, my view is:
• The car feels more nervous and more fidgety over anything less than perfectly smooth tarmac (and there’s virtually none of that in Cornwall),
• Outright grip might be better but I’m not confident going through bends at 40mph+ due to the more nervous feel of the steering and a sensation of yawing round the front-rear axis.

What’s gone wrong here do you think?

2

a bit of toe in at the front would make it less nervous

3

The rears are toe out not toe in aren’t they?

4

Back of the net @Roadster_Robbie !! :soccer: :goal_net: :trophy:

That’s what I’m going to ask them to correct. But - to Richard’s point - could the actual values also need tweeking based on my feedback? I’m thinking I might be happier with a degree more positive caster.

5

Question, have you done the first measurement before or after you took the stock suspension out?

6

After @ckleanth

7

then TBH there is not much point comparing it to how it used to drive. It would have been useful to had it measured before taking the shocks out and lowering it so you have a known common base. Then once the old stuff was swapped you would have a record of the differences.

8

IMO you also have too much camber on the front reducing the contact patch that will also have a dramatic effect on braking