MX5 Drift Set up!

[mint]

Ok i know.. Another MX5 thread, To be honest im surprised how many threads are popping up, and how much more common there getting.. I know of many mates here who wants these now.

ANYWAY - This thread is steered towards Muppet, Chris and other members who actually drift their 5's.

Right now im rocking a standard Mark 1 1.8 Eunos with HSD Coilovers, Rear harness bar and a front strut bar. My brakes are brand new EBC Yellow stuff all round and discs installed the other day with a new caliper on the rear. Also I have a cat back and lightened flywheel.

I have a track day on the 6th of May at knockhill and a drift day on the 22nd. So iv got some time to do some things when im home from France.

My clutch is dead atm, Got a new one sitting here waiting to go in. My handbrake dosnt work anymore, plan on fixing this shortly, However before it didnt really do anything.. i tried to make it lock but no joy.. this could be due to my rear brakes being DEAD!

I cant rock the rear watanabes due to the width and lack of power, they just dont loose traction! So now.. questions.

1. Is it worth getting a decat and an induction filter to increase the power a little before the skid day?

2. Increase the rear camber using the oem parts and install a rear ARB?

3. Install a hydro handbrake? I want real lock like I had in Japan again on the PS13 for early entries and try let the clutch last a little.

4. Is it actually 'worth' removing the Aircon, Power Steering and ABS before I go drifting? Non of them actually work at the moment anyway...

5. Any other tips or advice for me to do / look into before then so I can ensure I have a good set up before hand?


I know its down to driver preference but I would prefer some advice from experienced mx5 drivers who drift theirs. MX5nutz dosnt seem to be the place for me when it comes to skidding...

Oh yeah also forgot to mention I will have adjustable tie rods for more angle by then too.

Many thanks.

 

[cefiro_drifta]

dude tbh you wont need much of a handbrake for initiations any due to the speed you'll loose , just do a bit of a fscandi flick/weight transfer and power/clutch kick it and she'll be grand

dont think an de-cat and air filter will release any noticeable power gains so i would just throw 50-60 psi in the rears and that shoud help with breaking traction and might even help the handbrake work better

if they dont work then u may as well take them out as its extra weight mroe than anything else. Removing wont give any power increase but in a car that small and light the 5-10 kg's you save will help but i would have left the PAS if it worked

 

[cefiro_drifta]

oh and i havent had mine on track but on have done alot fo private land days.

 

[ringer]

I cant rock the rear watanabes due to the width and lack of power, they just dont loose traction!

Lies Go faster!! And I mean literally 15-20mph faster than you would in an S-Body.

1. Is it worth getting a decat and an induction filter to increase the power a little before the skid day?

Decats worth it. MK2 AFM is a better mod than a filter for now.


2. Increase the rear camber using the oem parts and install a rear ARB?

2 degrees of camber, max.



3. Install a hydro handbrake? I want real lock like I had in Japan again on the PS13 for early entries and try let the clutch last a little.

I never had a problem with any MX5 handbrake, but can't hurt.

4. Is it actually 'worth' removing the Aircon, Power Steering and ABS before I go drifting? Non of them actually work at the moment anyway...

Keep the power steering, and replace the fluid as it boils quick in a '5. Aircon etc is very heavy, and once removed allows you to control the 2nd fan.

5. Any other tips or advice for me to do / look into before then so I can ensure I have a good set up before hand?

Go faster than you would normally go.

Hope thats some use dude!!

 

[mint]

It is - Thanks guys! Yeah I figured that my entrys will need to be alot faster than the s15 entries due to having to carry the momentium up sort thing.. In the wet its nil issue with the IMPUL's on the back, I can have her out and let it slide all day long.. in the dry, the snap back is a killer and i havent had really any experience due to the clutch issues.

This is great information though guys!

Also 50psi in the Watanabe's will be alright??? Wow that seems like alot!

 

[cefiro_drifta]

in the skyline i dont go out with anything less than 40-45 in mine and if they grippy tyres i stick 50 in them

i got 7x15 with 195/50 on my mx and i have 45 in them all the time ( its my daily 80 miles a day car )

in an s body u go in slowish, plant the throttle and come out faster

in an mx u fly in foot planted and then come out slower with said foot still planted

 

[mazdachris]

Yeah never ever lift. Even if you feel like the car is starting to understeer, just hold you line and keep your foot in. It'll sort itself out. Just go maximum attack the whole time. It takes a really aggressive approach and when you start out you'll feel like you're going to spin the whole time, but if you're not aggressive enough you'll feel like it has too much grip at the rear and you'll just understeer.

 

[Captain Muppet]

are popping up, and how much more common there getting.. I know of many mates here wh

ANYWAY - This thread is steered towards Muppet, Chris and other members who actually drift their 5's.

I have a track day on the 6th of May at knockhill and a drift day on the 22nd. So iv got some time to do some things when im home from France.

My clutch is dead atm, Got a new one sitting here waiting to go in. My handbrake dosnt work anymore, plan on fixing this shortly, However before it didnt really do anything.. i tried to make it lock but no joy.. this could be due to my rear brakes being DEAD!

Definitely fix the brakes before the track day. With good brakes and decent tyres you can seriously scare the fast cars through corners.

I cant rock the rear watanabes due to the width and lack of power, they just dont loose traction! So now.. questions.

1. Is it worth getting a decat and an induction filter to increase the power a little before the skid day?

I decatted mine with a hammer. I couldn't really tell if it made a difference. I fitted a proper de-cat pipe when I went turbo, so again, hard to tell if it made any difference.

2. Increase the rear camber using the oem parts and install a rear ARB?

My rear camber is quite small, and adjusted to give maximum footprint when drifting so I get even tyre wear, and good grip while drifting.

I thought they all had a rear ARB? Mine has the stock one.

3. Install a hydro handbrake? I want real lock like I had in Japan again on the PS13 for early entries and try let the clutch last a little.

In BDC I used the wand for the entry at Llandow. Nowhere else. JamieK didn't even use it there as he used hero-death-crash flicks instead. The wand does nothing that being more awesome can't fix. That said: my hydro is amazing, and dead handy for the odd correction mid-drift. My standard handbrake is rubbish, despite rebuilt calipers and new discs and pads, but if you combine it with some weight shift and a flick it does the job.

Wand = slow. Slow car = don't use wand.

4. Is it actually 'worth' removing the Aircon, Power Steering and ABS before I go drifting? Non of them actually work at the moment anyway...

Dec removed the AC from mine back when he had it. He regretted it - it gets damn hot in there, and a cool driver drives better. Try getting someone else to randomly put 10kg in the boot and see if you can tell the difference in how the car drives. If you can maybe it's worth removing weight from your car.

5. Any other tips or advice for me to do / look into before then so I can ensure I have a good set up before hand?

I've run up to 60psi in the rears depending on how grippy it is, but my real focus is front grip - get that good and never understeer and you can turn in fast enough to get the back end out just on inertia. Look after the front and use more speed until the back starts sliding. Before I got a turbo I'd spin a lot - you have to be commited.

Drive the course slowly, note how much lock it takes to get round the corners. If when you go in faster you find you need more lock it's because you are sliding the front - this is bad. Be gentle with the steering and it'll be less snappy when it goes.

I know its down to driver preference but I would prefer some advice from experienced mx5 drivers who drift theirs. MX5nutz dosnt seem to be the place for me when it comes to skidding...

Oh yeah also forgot to mention I will have adjustable tie rods for more angle by then too.

Many thanks.

More angle is always good.

I've nearly always been a gear lower than the guys in Nissans. They say Norfolk is a 3rd gear track, in an MX5 it's 2nd. Same thing everywhere else.

Use the revs, use all the revs.

 

[Doldy]

What diff are you running? Hopefully either Torsen LS or a Welded..

My 1.8 drifts like a bitch, goes so easily in the dry on any surface, i have a 5Zigen exhaust and de-cat. Running 8J wheels with 195's stretched on.. Savage camber though and 40psi in the rears.. Running the Torsen Diff at the moment...

 

[Cowpatmatt]

dont worry about the handbrake. i never use mine apart from parking.
All you want in a good locking diff, coilovers and balls of steel. done me fine so far. will be testing out my new drift spec steering knuckles at norfolk soon for mega angle entries.

 

[mint]

This all sounds really promising.. it does sound though that my way of drifting is going to have to change.. alot.. as above, with the 15 you take it easy clutch it then power through, Im interested in how its going to be flat out all the time..

It'll be like being in Migeul's 86 all over again... well, without the awsumness of course.

I really appreciate all the replies guys. Thanks alot, its alot to take into consideration and I know where to work on the car now.

many thanks.

 

[the hat]

mint give me a shout when im finally home from offshore and ill happily give you a hand to get it all ready and if your doing the clutch watch the bolts on the frontpipe as there a real pain for snapping

 

[Doldy]

:-)

Matt, any pics of these Drift Spec Steering Knuckles? Pweeeease!!

 

[Paz]

Just drill another hole for the outer tie rod ball joint further inboard on the knuckle.

 

[twail]

If your used to drving a nissan then theres going to be a big difference.

You just have to go at everything twice as fast and keep your foot welded to the floor! You'll be grand then!

 

[Captain Muppet]

What diff are you running? Hopefully either Torsen LS or a Welded..

Me? Welded.

 

[scottyj]

I can't add much to this as there's awesome advice here..

The first time I went to norfolk I was trying to go in and clutch kick into the slide and power out and I suffered loads of understeer... Bladey told me to go faster and clutch kick more and as I got used to it, it got better and better...

The worst bit is overcoming the understeer imo, but as soon as you start going in flat out and flicking it in its all good, its all in the speed and weight transfer

 

[Darryl@TunerUK]

Great thread - lots of tips.

 

[Cowpatmatt]

:-)

Matt, any pics of these Drift Spec Steering Knuckles? Pweeeease!!

Here you go. Yes i do know its the wrong wheel on the front but it was just for test picture.

 

[Cowpatmatt]

Also when drifting the mx5 compared to the nissan you will find that a different drift/racing line will be needed as you have to make the most of the weight shifting. Look for vids of Drift squid as he has the same technique as me but in his s13.