I hadn't noticed any threads on this but has anyone heard of Miata front and rear subframes "fitted" to the 2nd gen body? Obviously anything's possible with money and time-just wanted to know if it had been done.

 

not sure why you wanna go with it.. i think the miata might have a smaller width?

just mod the fc subframe
http://www.ziptied.com/forums/index....2422#msg132422

 

I think the word you're looking for is "grafting"

 

An a-arm suspension TENDS to be superior to a strut-based suspension. This isn't the first time someone thought about doing this. I'm just wondering if someone has done it.

88 RX7 = front/rear track (inches): 57.1/56.7
95 Miata=front/rear track (inches): 55.39/56.18
07'MX-5= front /rear track (inches): 58.7/ 58.9

....negligible differences in track. Any decent fabrication specialist could make the pickup point corrections (subframe, diff, shaft, etc).

 

Yes, you're right, Topless. Thanks for the correction!

 

The subframes are vastly different, I'd wager that you wouldn't even be able to get it in even close to the right position. The rear suspension on the FC isn't bad, there's lots of camber gain. The front could possibly done similiar to this: http://www.agentfortyseven.com/racing/suspension.html

 

Thanks, Black. I had a feeling you'd respond. Seriously, I'm just pondering the idea. While the subframes are quite different, I noticed that the 07 MX5 rear sub would come relatively close (overall height issues).

The MX5 subframes have a great deal more adjustment than the 2nd gens' set-up. Adding the MX5 front subframe removes the inherit issues with excessive lowering of the 2nd gens' suspension

Finally, the costs of getting all the parts from AWR needed to dial in the original suspension are MORE THAN it would cost me to fabb up the MX5 suspension (if you don't include normal labor rates). Oh, I'd do this myself.

 

tony @ awr had a used set front and rear for sale

 

Seriously? Seriously? Did you SERIOUSLY just ask if a miata subframe would convert your Mac-struts to A-arm suspensions?

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Tony for already putting you in my hall of shame thread.

By the way the answer is
-Unless you have a plamsa cutter, mig welder, tig welder, tubing bender, notcher, band-saw, frame table, alighnment tools etc etc AND A ******* CLUE the answer is NO. DO you have all those tools? Have you thought about what it would take to properly build that piece that Black posted about? I've built a metric shitton of stuff in my time, own almost all of those tools and I wouldn't even think about that. Not for nothing but if you think that fitting a miata part into an FC is going to be easier than starting from scratch than you are in WAY WAY WAY over your head in terms of fabrication

-Ted

 

i'll admit i've thought about doing sometyhing along the lines of miata suspention or custom double A-Arm suspetion but realy its way over my head in the reml of farication now my dad might could pull it off if he had time but there realy itsn;t a point the easy/cheap way to ake a fast FC is simple. T2 swap,FMIC,coilovers. thats it if you want something different i guess you should find a different place cause most people here hate different they are drones with fast cars thats all. now if you have the skills time and equipment i say go for it.

 

the 89-05 miata and the fd's dont have the upper arm on the subframe, so swapping those in, just doesnt make sense, because it doesnt get you very far.

the NC miata/rx8 does have everything on the subframe, so it MIGHT be an idea.

really have to question if the gains are worth the effort.

 

Wow, Ted! Um, I can understand your cynicism as everyone and their mother comes up with some type of harebrain idea that just isn’t feasible. Seriously, though, I was just WONDERING if anyone’s done this. That was all, initially.
Let me give you a little background on what I have at my disposal. I am a member of a Mazda factory-backed time attack/drift team. We campaign three MX-5 in Formula D team drift. While competition is not our primary focus this year, we are pursuing such avenues for the ’09 season. The items you list as tools needed to complete the project (minus the frame jig) are within our shop. The “brainpower” to think this through a available as well.
AWR (Tony) built the vehicles for Mazda. He is a wonderful person to have in your court as he is a wealth of knowledge. I enjoy taking time to pick his brain and will be asking him about the feasibility of doing this as he likes to think of the” what ifs” (when he has time). By the way, I’m already looking at getting his suspension pieces for the 2nd gen for the ‘09 T.A. season.
We have great contacts at Mazdaspeed that provide us with spares for our vehicles. Getting my hands on MX-5 subframes (actually have the front) is not an issue. In fact, my contact at Mazdaspeed was the one that started talking of mixing and matching!
Again, I just wanted to know if anyone has actually attempted this as we have some very talented people on these boards and they may have figured out an advantage to doing this project.

 

Well I was at my parents house this weekend and happened to be under my dad's Miata ('92) and there's no way that those subframes will work without a hell of a lot of cutting and fabrication. It'll be easier to do something entirely custom.

 

True, Black. I was checking out the MX-5 subframes (latest gen). As j9fd3s alluded to, the newest generation has the upper and lower arms located on the subframe.

 

Have you considered getting yourself an FD if you want a RX-7 with suspension as good as a Miata?

Seriously, get a blown up one for a reasonable cost and for a little work get it running.

 

Blue, in addition to the TII, I have an FD 93 R1. I'm trying to show the 3rd gen some love by not doing any more track sessions. I just can't bare the thought of smashing it up at a track day.

I bought the Turbo II to have fun with and not worry about the consequences

 

Sorry double post

 

The Miata suspension bolts to the subframes too, and that's what causes the issues. In the front, the subframe looks similiar, but it is much taller on the sides, to go up to where the upper arms bolt to it. On the FC this area is filled with strut towers and such. On the rear, the Miata subframe is essentially a box. On the FC the subframe bolts right to the front, so there's not really the proper structure to bolt a subframe of that shape to on an FC, nevermind the wrong shape.

Seriously, go custom, it'll be easier in the long run. Use FD uprights or something at least it'll give you a good starting point.