The Peak-to-Peak Miata Club gets a lot of questions about wheel alignment on the MX5 Miata. Automotive wheel alignment is the adjustment of a vehicle’s suspension to ensure the wheels are set to the correct angles for optimal handling, tire wear, and safety. The key alignment angles are camber (tilt of the wheels inward or outward), toe (direction the wheels point relative to each other), and caster (tilt of the steering axis). Proper alignment helps the car drive straight, prevents uneven tire wear, and improves fuel efficiency.
Wheel alignment is crucial for the MX-5 Miata, especially since it’s a lightweight, rear-wheel-drive sports car that thrives on precise handling. The Miata benefits from a more performance-oriented alignment compared to standard factory settings, depending on how you drive it. If your Miata feels twitchy, pulls to one side, or wears tires unevenly, it’s a sign you need an alignment check. Regular adjustments help keep the MX5’s famously sharp handling at its best!
What Sort of an Alignment is Right for My Car? The depends on how you use your car. If you drive a stock car as a daily driver and don’t race or do any high-performance driving, a standard alignment is probably right for you. A more aggressive alignment potentially improves track performance, but may make it too aggressive and risk hindering comfort, tire wear or safety.
Almost Any Shop Can Align your Miata: The Miata is simple to work on and an alignment is generally inexpensive and easy for shops to perform. Most shops can perform a great alignment by following the stock specifications for your car, as outlined in their guidelines. A company’s guidelines often require ONLY using the alignment specifications provided by the manufacturer. Often techs are not allowed to alter these specs, nor do they have the skill.
Specialty Alignments: Specialty alignments are often recommended for cars with modified suspension and cars used for High Performance Driving such as Auto Cross, HDPE or Track. A specialty alignment can help your car come alive, but if too extreme, it could also make it a handful or even less safe on the road.
There are many shops that can provide custom alignments, though they will be more expensive. Many in the club have been very happy with custom alignments from 3R Racing, a local specialist. 3R’s extensive racing experience makes them alignment, suspension and racing set-up experts. They generally interview the owner about driving habits and styles and desires and make recommendations from mild changes to extreme workovers – it all depends on your driving style, skill level and desires.
Another option is bringing specific alignment specifications you would like on your car. Many shops are willing to perform an alignment to your specifications but generally will not accept any responsibility or warranty. A few alignment specifications and notes from Miata owners are noted below, as well as links to respected Miata racing specialists.
Ultimately, the best alignment or suspension modification is the one that suits your driving style. It is highly recommended to do extensive research before making modifications to your car.
DISCLAIMER: This article was prepared by a club member and a matter of opinion. Altering the alignment or making modifications to your car is your decision and neither the Peak-to-Peak Miata club or any of it’s members accepts any responsibility for modifications you choose to make on your car. - Peak to Peak Miata Club, Feb 2025
Some General Alignment Suggestions
These alignment recommendations generally apply to all generations of the Mazda MX-5 Miata (NA, NB, NC & ND). However, slight adjustments might be necessary based on model-specific suspension geometry, other car modifications and intended use. For any Miata, an aggressive track alignment will improve handling but may cause faster tire wear. If it's a daily driver, a more balanced alignment is best! 🚗💨
✅ Street/Spirited Driving:
Front Camber: -1.0° to -1.5°
Rear Camber: -1.5° to -2.0°
Front Toe: 0 to slight toe-out (0.0° to -0.05° per side)
Rear Toe: Slight toe-in (+0.05° to +0.10° per side)
Caster: As much positive as possible (typically +5.0° to +7.0°)
✅ Track/Autocross Performance:
Front Camber: -2.0° to -3.0°
Rear Camber: -2.0° to -2.5°
Front Toe: 0 to slight toe-out (-0.05° to -0.10° per side)
Rear Toe: Slight toe-in (+0.05° to +0.10° per side)
Caster: Maximum positive available
Generation-Specific Notes:
🔹 NA (1989-1997) & NB (1999-2005):
Fully adjustable double-wishbone suspension, making it easy to dial in aggressive camber settings.
Often benefits from more negative camber in performance setups due to soft stock suspension.
🔹 NC (2006-2015):
Multi-link rear suspension can be a bit trickier to align but follows similar principles.
More sensitive to toe settings—too much toe-out can make it twitchy at high speeds.
🔹 ND (2016-Present) & NE (Upcoming):
Limited front camber adjustment without aftermarket camber bolts or control arms.
Slightly less aggressive camber settings work well due to the lightweight chassis and modern suspension geometry.
Resources:
I might have missed it, but for performance driving (and even if you only have 1 person in the car most of the time) having the shop let you sit in the car during alignment will compensate for your weight, which for such a small car is a significant percentage of the entire vehicle concentrated on one side!