Factory alignment specs and range

[dbooksta]

What are factory alignment specs for the first-gen "Grand Touring Sport," which has 18" wheels?

And what is the range of negative camber I should be able to add with the stock parts?

(I want to reduce the plowing and scrubbing of the front tires in tight turns....)

[jd42]

QUOTE (dbooksta @ Nov 11 2009, 09:04 AM)

What are factory alignment specs for the first-gen "Grand Touring Sport," which has 18" wheels?[/b]

This thread from the MS6 section has a great deal of discussion about alignment specs:
http://forum.mazda6club.com/index.php?showtopic=72653
There is some good reading there, and much of the information applies to the regular Mazda 6 as well. There is also a link in the first post to an alignment sheet scan showing the factory specs.

I also have a copy of the alignment section from the factory service manual available here:
http://www.4shared.com/file/105145465/b99d...heel_align.html

QUOTE (dbooksta @ Nov 11 2009, 09:04 AM)

And what is the range of negative camber I should be able to add with the stock parts?[/b]

On the rear, you should be able to achieve more negative camber than desirable with the factory adjustment. I doubt anyone would want rear camber less than -2.0 degrees (probably more like -1.5 degrees for most street driven cars).

The front suspension has no factory camber adjustment. You can add that capability with SPC adjustable ball joints. Lowering the suspension will also reduce the camber slightly (i.e. more negative).

There is also an Australian company called Fulcrum Suspension that is supposed to offer a set of eccentric upper control arm bushings that will add camber and caster adjustment: http://www.fulcrumsuspensions.com.au/
I haven't heard of anyone trying their product yet.

[dbooksta]

Thanks for the info! Are the MS6 specs and discussion equally applicable to a "regular" 6 model?

[jd42]

QUOTE (dbooksta @ Nov 11 2009, 10:24 AM)

Thanks for the info! Are the MS6 specs and discussion equally applicable to a "regular" 6 model?[/b]

I believe the official factory specs are virtually the same for all the Mazda 6 models. (The MS6 has some slight differences in nominal values of caster and rear camber.)

The heart of the discussion in the thread I linked above is that the factory alignment specs allow too much variation in the values, and that tighter specs should really be used for a good alignment. The wide specs make completing an alignment easy for the techs. If you want to ensure good performance and tire life, more restrictive specs are the way to go.