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Hi, everyone. I'm working on finalizing the redesign of the suspension of my 442.
Please tear it up. Only the front is mapped right now. I'm happy to add more pics and the csv files.

At the bottom of the vsusp page, there is a very long link window that you can click (makes it blue) then right click and copy to paste into a post as a link. The actual link in the post will be very short.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I renamed it, changed the chart, and reduced the tire sidewall comp to 0.375". No other changes. Over a 1/2 inch scrub, excessive camber imho, RC could be more stable/less movement in 3 deg roll.
Davesax36 06252023

What are the donor parts? What chassis size? Keep in mind that the control arm lines shown are actually through the centers of the pivots/balls and not the actual arm angles.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Miata uprights on a 442 chassis. I still have to map the rear subframe. I'm going to use the whole miata rear end for simplicity. I wondered about the camber numbers.
So I HAD too much scrub, or 1/2 inch works better?
It's also probably that I have the steering pickup location wrong since I didn't measure the uprights here, I just grabbed the numbers from the old upright measurement thread here.

A 442 is too wide for an NA miata irs without 2 inch spacer/adapters for the tires to clear the frame in droop and bump. A 442 is 46 inches wide at the rear. An NA miata is about 46 inches between the rear tire bulges at full droop. This would mean a wider rear track and the front track should be wider than the rear. Wheels play a roll also. Vsusp uses backspace instead of offset so you'd need to convert that number. Verify the posted spindle dims. Determine what your irs track width will be, then add an inch or so to the ifs. Track width is the distance between left and right tire tread centers. You could build the 442 a couple inches narrower for clearance or a combination of spacer and narrowing to split the difference.

Imho, scrub should be minimized but some argue it adds feedback, which it does. The wheel, if a spacer/adapter is used, and balljoint locations determine that.

I'm talking about control arm tubing installed angles versus lines on vsusp, not steering.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

Well that sucks. I was sure I'd read on here that an NB miata rear would clear a 442. I guess I could weld back that crossmember I just cut out and put the Ford 8.8 rear end back in. I really wanted to run smaller wheels and tires than seemed possible on those knuckles and uprights. Maybe a solid rear axle on the road isn't such a bad idea after all. It would save me a boatload of time if I just tried to put everything together and worried about finding smaller parts later. The front uprights that came on the car were GM A-body and it had 17" wheels. Looked cool, but huge and the wheels/hubs in the front are 80lbs total each side. I decided that was too much, so I was trying for Miata parts. Maybe 1-1.5" spacers in the rear would make up for the sizing mismatch?

Or this https://www.titanwheelaccessories.com/products/32mm-1-25-titan-wheel-spacers-for-mazda-miata-scion-xb-toyota-mr2-celica-4x100-54-1-hubcentric-12x1-5-studs-set-of-4?variant=42337212367006

I bought the frame as a roller.

For IFS in 5x4.5, you could use 80s crown vic/lincoln towncar, pinto/mustang II, or fox mustang with an adapter to fit a ubj and use a 80s ford full size (for the width) 7.5 axle (for the weight).

I had a gm A-body with 14" wheels (5x4-3/4). Maybe nothing was cut off converting to big brakes. A less desirable light duty gm axle could be swapped for the 8.8 for less weight and parasitic loss. The s10 is an obvious choice for the spindles. That is what came on the early stalkers.

For 5x100/4x100, you could fit fiero/chevette spindles. The rotors/bolt patterns swap out. A 13 inch wheel fits.

Press-in balljoints are fine. No need to convert to something else. Just need to make a seat from pipe or steel strip rolled into a tight enough circle. Oem arms were often had the joints tack welded along the edge to ensure they didn't slip and the tacks can always be cut later to replace the joint.

If the work was done right before you, no need to do much to fit reasonable sized wheels and tires. What is the 8.8 from? Did the 17 inch tires clear? What rim offset is stamped inside? What is the axle width from wms to wms (wheel matting surface).

What drivetrain do you plan to use? A 442 seems a little big for an miata donor. You can cut it down the middle to narrow it and reqork the steering rack. Pics?

EDIT: just saw the pic. That looks pretty good and a great head start! You could fit 15 or maybe 14 inch rims to those spindles and axle. You could swap the axle (since it is out anyway) for a 7.5 and/or narrower for narrower wheels so the fenders won't stick out as far. That's setup for a v8 to clear the bonnet. I suggest a nose big enough for a 22x19 universal aluminum racing radiator from speedway motors.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

The rear end is supposed to be out of a '98 mustang
I've got a k24 with an S2000 transmission to go with my miata parts.
Everything cleared fine that I could tell, and they are stock mustang GT wheels.

This was apparently built with an R1 engine by a guy who was like 6'4". I think it was on here for sale at some point and went to New Hampshire before it came back down here to Tennessee. It weighs 786lb as seen in the photo with QA1 shocks all around and one seat in it (that I need to replace or something because it's TINY and I'm not).

I'll update with more answers and measurements when I get out of this funk I've gotten myself in trying to figure out how to swap in the miata rear subframe. That diff rides so low and matching pinion angles with the S2000 trans was giving me a hard time.


I am going to seriously consider putting back in the one tube I just cut out of the back, throwing the solid axle back in, and seeing what I can get done. Otherwise, I gotta go to pull-a-part and look for a '97 cougar that has a 7.5 IRS (I think). I will continue to search for wheels and things in 5x4.5(114.3), but guidance matching bolt patterns is welcomed and appreciated.

OK. So I'm going to continue Vodouing the rear end of this thing. I'll work on the front arms and measurements to iron out Ackerman issues, but with a wheelbase that's <2" shorter than a miata, I think those numbers might work themselves out or at least be close enough to not ruin anything. I'll make a drawing to test things out as well.

I'd look at raising the engine with the trans as low as practical to point the output shaft at the pinion, then rotate the diff as needed to set the angles. The driveshaft joints don't have to be opposite angles, just equal. The pinion and output do not need to be parallel.

_________________
Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

This is what I'm planning. I've got a plan for raising the diff nose a bit to match the angle of the trans output. I think I can get them both to match at about 2 degrees front to back. Still researching how the angles add up from vertical and horizontal offset of trans/diff.

THANK YOU for being patient and helping me. I just want to have a safe vehicle that's fun to drive... And I want to finish something.