Ah, okay, I think I now understand what the arrow means that's on top of the stock strut! It points to direction of camber/caster, I assume negative but it could be positive. So, if I understand this correctly, if you point the arrow towards the front/inside mounting hole then the camber would be set negative and caster would be set positive. If you point the arrow to the back/inside then you would have negative camber and negative caster. Is this correct or is it the opposite way?

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT EVERYONE: Okay rotorheads, go out and look at the little arrow on top rim of your stock struts and report back here on which way they point! Go! Do it now! please..... Maybe we can get some sort of consensus.

Thanks!

Mine was set to:

right side: front/inner
left side: rear/inner

 

i had mine all screwy when i put new struts and lowering springs in. i'm not sure if the caster 0's or goes negative with it forward. it depends on the geometry that mazda incorperated. i will check this once i take it in for an alignment.

 

From this page:
http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm

If the top of the strut is leaning toward the rear of the car, then the caster is positive, if it's leaning toward the front, it is negative.

 

yes, i know. but who said that the tower is in direct alignment with the hub.

 

ummm....Mazda FSM!


as per the 80 FSM....

Caster....RH side....4 degrees 30' (+/- 30')
LH side....4 degrees 0' (+/- 30')
max difference in caster between sides...+/- 40'

Camber....1 deg. 10' (+/- 30')
max diff..........+/- 30'

toe in 0~0.24in

 

Work at a tire shop or have a friend at one. That's the best place to get your alignment done at.

After hours, a lotta guys do side work. Either then or during a non busy period, I have free range on the alignment rack. Drive on, jack up, clamp the sensors on the wheels, and set the computer. Follow the hand guided instrustions and I have specs, what my car currently reads, what to do to adjust it (Fully illustrated!)

Alignment racks are fun, although there are several cars I hate aligning. Anything made by Mopar with cab foreward design, IE: Chrysler M300, Dodge Intrepid, etc. are a bitch and a half.

 

OH GOD.... WHY in the world did Chrysler do that? The 1st-gen models have about 4 different things making them a pain to adjust (inaccessible, rust up easily, dual locknut adjuster, coarse threads so it's VERY touchy) and the 2nd-gen models, while tons more nicerful to adjust, they love to rust up and break the adjuster as soon as you touch it.

I had free rein over the alignment racks... It ruled. I'd put my car up there and quantify the relationship between ride height and camber on my cars, try different settings, etc.