Im socking the 2 17mm bolts at the bottom of my catridge in penetrating oil right now before I take them off and put on RB spring and Tokico HP shocks.

My hanyes manual says there is a marking triangle I need to make note of, but I can't seem to find it.

Do I need to remember where this is to install my new springs & shocks?

 

I got my shocks off and am confused about my spring compressor.

 

LOL, did you get the right compressor?

The triangle is on the rubber part of the upper mount - clean off the dirt and dust and you'll see it in the ridge outside of where that big nut is in the center that holds onto the strut cartridge. To get max caster and camber point it in and back (toward engine and firewall)

 

 

That's my strut catridge thing, and the spring compressor i rented

 

Are you sure? On my car the arrow points away from the offset part of the strut top. So for max caster and camber the arrow is pointing out and forward. I did think that was weird at the time because I could have sworn my old car had it the way you said.

 

The FSM shows the settings for the arrows and what degrees each one is.

I don't recognise that compressor. Take it back and get the other style.

 

I just took my front strut assemblies to a shop to get the struts and springs put on.

After i took my rear springs out I noticed the seat was in horrible condition, so I have to wait for my new ones to come from mazdatrix.

 

um.. you should probably not worry about the arrow since you should get your car aligned after replacting the struts.. and they will set it where it needs to be.. since that is how you adjust the camber and caster..

 

According to my logic - you can see the mount is more backward and inward in the position I described than in any other - I am correct.
I've never agreed with the FSM illustration as it is, as far as I can tell, because the two pictures with their letter designations are conflicting. Figure 10-36 in my 83 manual would be the correct one, and 10-37 is flawed.

 

Here, I took a pic to prove I'm not bullshitting. You can clearly see the strut top is set for max camber and caster yet the arrow is pointing the other way. Very strange.

 

Alignment shops wont usually drop the strut to set your camber/castor.Their book will just say,"no adjustment" for that car.The only readily adjustable thing on our cars is toe.
Why they made the strut top eccentric is beyond me since you cant turn it to set camber without disturbing the castor,which might already be OK....and vise-versa.
My arrows are worn off,but both my struts both have the "dome" towards the inner/rear corner.
The FSM calls for the pass side to be to the inner/rear and the drivers side to the inner/front,for standard adjustment.Not for both to be in the logical inner/rear postion.This indicates that the strut tops or perhaps even the struts themselves are dissimilar.
Mine is not in the FSM's recommended postions either and my alignment comes out fine every year,with only the toe needed adjustment.

Heres how the FSM lays it out......
From the drivers seat position,there are 4 bolts that hold each strut top
10 o'clock
2 o'clock
4 o'clock
8 o'clock

With the arrow pointing to each of one of the 4 positions,you get different castor/camber settings.For each strut there are various positions you can choose to change the settings from the factory recomendations of 1.00* camber and 3.50-4.00* castor.(note that SE settings are different with the camber being .35*)

Drivers side....
10 o'clock = +.28* camber and 0* castor
2 o'clock = stock setting,no change
4 o'clock = 0* camber and +.28* castor
8 o'clock = +.28* camber and +.28* castor

Passenger side......
10 o'clock = 0* camber and +.28* castor
2 o'clock = +.28* camber and +.28* castor
4 o'clock = +.28* camber and 0* castor
8 o'clock = stock setting,no change

 

Why put it in any other position when that's what any decent alignment shop will put it in anyway? BTW, caster is adusted via the tension rods.

 

If your alignment was good to begin with, place the arrows in the original position.

I added more caster to mine, when i had manual steering, made parallel parking easier, but the front end tended to rut ride more on the highway.

 

bull **** i just aligned mine.. and any good alignment shop will drop the strut to adjust the camber/caster.. it even says it on the new hunter 400 and 600 . when you drop the strut and turn it that adjust s both camber and caster in one shot.. then you fine tune the caster with the tension rods... luckly i didnt have to mess with that