Miata Mailing List: February 1999, Message #123

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On Feb 1, 1999 miked@reporters.net wrote:
> "for the rear wheel alignment, since it's a front wheel drive car"(??) i
> told the genius at the shop that it was not front wheel drive, that mazda
> does not recommend doing a rear wheel alignment (that's what the dealership
> here told me) and to only do the front. i picked up the car and, sure

Hm.  I don't know why the dealership would recommend against a
rear-wheel alignment, it's certainly something that's possible (the
Miata is very adjustible) and can be of benefit.  It's probably true
that it doesn't need it as often as the front, but...

I'd say that you should take the car to a real alignment shop (somewhere
that knows what a Miata is would be a good start) and get them to do it.
I had my '99 aligned at a performance alignment shop recently, and I've
*never* had a car aligned this well before.  It will track perfectly
straight down the freeway for 20-30 seconds (the longest I've tried),
and the steering wheel is straight.  Cost me $98 ($48 per axle), but
it was well worth it, IMHO.  The Ford dealer never got my previous car
(a Probe GT) to do either of those things.

--Ian
'99 Emerald Mica LP