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[Johnny D]

 

Steel bushings for NC MX-5 lower control arms allow for more negative camber

 

Part No.: 0000-04-5407
Racer Price: $63.67

 

Negative camber is good, but more negative camber is better. That’s the thinking of some racers, anyway. At the very least, you need enough to maximize the contact patch under hard cornering load.

 

But enough camber isn’t always easily accessible. Depending on how the rules for a particular class of racing or autocross play out, getting the right settings can be difficult. That’s especially true of cars that have been bounced off a few curbs during years of racing, or led a hard life on the street before becoming race cars. But where tools like camber plates are sometimes disallowed, alternate bushings are often permitted by the rules. And offset bushings, where the hole is off-center, can help get that extra camber.

 

Mazda Motorsports has recently updated its offset lower control arm bushings for the NC (third-generation) MX-5. Lack of inventory of the old ones, plus a general push to update many parts in the catalog (see the new Miata timing wheel, for example), has led to some improvements over the old design originally made for the MX-5 Cup cars.

 

 

“It’s a camber-gain offset bushing for the lower ball joint on the front control arms for an NC MX-5,” explains Mazda Motorsports Specialist for Technical Development Josh Smith. “It’s a steel, press-in bushing that replaces the factory bushing in the upright on the NC chassis.”

 

The old one did that job just fine. But Mazda Motorsports saw some areas where improvements could be made, so rather than just having more of the old design made, the decision was made to update.

 

“We added the Mazda logo as well as some alignment marks for easy visual reference,” Smith explains. “You’re trying to move the location of the ball joint further out to gain camber. The alignment marks and logo really assist in getting it right for installation, for correct orientation. They’re on the factory 10-degree taper, so they accept the OE ball joint in the lower control arm. You reuse all the factory hardware, so it’s a simple, straightforward replacement.”

 

The machined steel bushings can get an additional 2.5 degrees of camber, up to 4.5 degrees total, depending on the condition of the car. In SCCA Touring 4, where these bushings are legal, the maximum allowable camber is 3.5 degrees, so the bushings should be able to get you there. Log on to the parts store or call (800) 435-2508 to order yours.

 

https://www.mazdamot...ffset-bushings/