Lowering Question...Kind of Concluded From Other...Also, STRUTS????
 

Hey, you guys, wouldn't the simplest solution to lowering your Protege without having any problems just be to buy cambers? I thought that is what they were for was to straighten your tires when your car is lowered. Wouldn't that be the best solution? I'm sorry I just don't understand all of that technical stuff that you guys were talking about in that previous thread. Another question.....What are you guys' opinions on the best perfrmance struts for the buck? I saw two or three types for sale on corksport.com, but other than those and the KYB GR-2, I can't find any that actually fit a 1999 Mazda Protege.
THANKS A BUNCH
-James

I'm a little confused about what exactly you're asking. Are you talking about installing a camber kit to correct the alignment, or lowering the car using camber plates? More detail, please.

BTW all struts designed for the BJ-chassis Protege will work on any model, 1999 to 2003. You just need the correct swaybar endlinks for the struts.

Clarification
 

What I meant was, that, in another post on the forum someone posted about protege alignment after lowering it and it turned into a huge technical conversation. Wouldn't the solution just be to buy cambers, or are there other solutions to this problem? Sorry for the confusion.
-James

I had no problem. :)

ok.....
 

so, how do you know if your camber is more than negative one degree? can you tell just by looking at the way your tires hit the ground? If I lowered my 1999 Mazda Protege ES 1.8L 1" or 1-1/4" do you think I would need cambers? Is the only bad thing about too much negative camber irregular tire wear? or is there more to it? will it mess up a suspension too?
THANKS AGAIN
-James

You CANNOT accurately estimate camber just by looking at the tires. Generally, you can spot BIG camber problems (like 3+ degrees) but small camber changes are usually invisible to the naked eye.

To check camber, you should take the car to a good alignment shop. It can be checked at home with gauges available from racing supply stores (such as the SmartCamber or Longacre gauges) but you have to be skilled to get accurate results from these things because camber measurements are affected by irregularities in the surface on which the car is parked. Good shops have optical equipment that will give perfect results if used properly. :)

However, you car probably won't need to buy any parts to correct the camber. BJ Proteges don't gain much negative camber when they're lowered (unlike a Honda or a Miata) and there is already *some* camber adjustment built into the suspension (unlike most Hondas and other sport compacts). Most owners on this list who have lowered their cars have been able to correct the camber to less than -1.5 degrees without buying any new parts. -1.5 degrees will generally not cause big tire wear problems, and can actually IMPROVE tire wear if you drive aggressively because it counteracts the natural tendency of McPherson strut cars (like ours) to wear down the outside edge of the tires when driven hard. :D

"BJ" Proteges? What is BJ? ALRIGHT!!! This is awesome, because I have been wanting to lower my car forever but I thought I would have to put out hella money to buy the springs and then a camber kit on top of that, but since I don't have to buy the camber kit too I ust might have to lower my car. Will lower help gain performance too? I heard that on launches you bounce a lot more. But at least I would look cool. Would all this work even though I don't have one of those MacPherson Strut Bars. Is it better to have a strut bar when you have a lowered car? And, one more thing...if I got new struts would I still have the camber adjustment options like stock? Any recommended struts? I am leaning towards Eibach Springs, but are they really any different from others?
THANKS
-James
PS...You've been a bunch of help! Sorry for all the Q's, but you have really helped me.

OK, I'll try and make this quick...

1) Lowering will usually improve handling, assuming that you don't lower the car too far, the springs are stiff enough to keep the car off the bumpstops, and your struts are stiff enough to handle the stiffer springs.
2) The ride will be more bouncy IF you cheap out and reuse the stock struts. IMHO using stock struts with lowering springs is a bad idea, although some people disagree with this (this has already been beaten to death in earler topics). However, you've got to remove the struts to replace the springs, so if you're going to get struts, this is the easiest time to do it. :)
3) You do not need a strut bar to lower the car. Strut bars aid steering precision a little bit, but they are by no means necessary. Springs, shocks and sway bars have a MUCH larger effect on handling than strut bars.
4) Yes, if you get aftermarket struts, you will still be able to adjust the camber. You can also get a little extra camber adjustment by installing camber bolts available for ~$3 each from Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development (you will need 4 of them).