THSCC Forums

On the way back from L'burg I noticed a slight popping from the LF suspension on slight steering inputs and over road irregularities. I drove it today and the popping is getting worse. I have the front end lifted and the left wheel off the hub. I turned the steering wheel and hear what I'm thinking is normal steering rack sound--no popping. I jacked up the suspension on the lh side until the car lifted off the jackstand and heard no definitive popping either. I cannot tug on anything and get a popping either.

I did change my sway bar settings at the TNT and may not have tightened the end link enough. I will lower the car and tighten it up some more, but does anyone else have any ideas?

TIA,
Doug

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'99 Mk IV Jetta VR6 now claimed by the better half.

'90 Miata A-package, Floats like a butterfly and buzzes like a BEE with loudspeakers.

I have a similar pop/clank when braking and sometimes when transitioning. Nothing is blatantly loose underneath although I know that the D-style alignment bolts like to slip.

Any of the more experienced Miata people know what causes this?

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)

The notorious "NA Miata Clunk". Mine had it before I swapped in the Konis. I never did figure out what it was. Mine was really loud and couldn't be duplicated on the street.

One of the solutions is to put to stops on the rear swaybar to limit it's side-to-side travel. Easily done with some rubber hose and four hose clamps. Some say the bar slides left or right causing the rear endlinks to bind. The "pop" (so they say) is when they unbind.

I did the rear swaybar fix and I still had the noise. After installing the Konis the noise in no more.

BTW Kevin, PM me about the HLA noise. Yours seemed to last all day.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Recheck that all your lugnuts are torqued properly, could be a loose wheel. Also check the ball joints.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Broken sway bar bracket?

Slightly lose wheel bearing causing the noise directly or causing brake pad kickback and subsequent noises as the wheel loads shift as you move the steering or hit bumps?

Do Miata wheels ever crack?

Also, almost any slightly lose metal to metal connection can make that kind of noise. L'burg is a tough site so even a Miata might have broken or worn something enough for a slight amount of loseness.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Do you have an aftermarket front subframe brace? If so, check the bolts on the brace.

The broken sway bar bracket Dick mentions is also a real possibility - pretty common in Miatas.

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Tom Freeman
'98 M3/4/5 | '93 Spec3 325i | '12 TSX sport wagon | '03 Tahoe
Team Silver Bullets '91 240SX

If you can hear it on the street it is the alignment bolts. If it is only when autocrossing it is probably the sway bar, and I always just dealt with hearing that.

How to fix the alignment bolts:

Get under there, and torque the ever-holy crap out of the alignment bolts. I mean like use a second wrench as a cheater, grab the bottom and pull until your veins pop out tight. The ones that go away from me I use my foot. REALLY REALLY REALLY tight.

MazdaSpeed sells better bolt that directly replace the original ones, but you will still need to torque the heck out of them.

You should definitely upgrade to the H style bolts. They pay for themselves in alignment costs. Mazda comp sells them. Sway bar bushing brackets are also suspect, both front and rear especially with bigger than OEM bars.

I had a pop last year on left turns only. Turned out my right side motor mount was cracked and the pop was the motor moving in the mount. My tire wall faux pas at VIR finished off the motor mount and I replaced it. Mazda comp is your friend here too.

Update: it was loose sway end links. The FM replacement nuts are ny-lok nuts and I didn't have a small tq wrench with me Sunday, so I just hand-tightened the nuts. Apparently that wasn't enough. When I lowered the car and crawled under to tighten them they were pretty loose again. I guess I'll have to break out the manual and set proper tq.

On a side note, I sent in my Mazdaspeed application w/ results from last season about a month ago and haven't heard back from them. I'd like to try the different alignment bolts, and want to get new inner shift boots, but don't want to pay retail prices. How long does it take for them to process the app?

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'99 Mk IV Jetta VR6 now claimed by the better half.

'90 Miata A-package, Floats like a butterfly and buzzes like a BEE with loudspeakers.

Give them a call and ask. I bet it's processed, and if it's not, I bet they'll go find it for you and let you order the bolts.

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Diane (Hall) Bundas
1992 Spec Miata #48 - 1997 Chevy Tahoe - 2007 Honda Civic Coupe

We had to call them twice to get ours through. I'll be glad to order anything you need in the meantime Doug. Shoot me a PM.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Mine took almost two months.

--Kevin H.

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2003 WRX (again!)

Doug,
I have the FM bars too and while FM makes pretty solid stuff I've never been happy with Nylocks in a "reuse" application. Since the deformation of the nylon causes the grip when you reuse them they don't work as well since the nylon has been previously deformed. I'd suggest getting a small bottle of blue Loctite and using that as a thread locker. It's easy removed with hand tools (the green and red version require heat and are probably overkill for this application) and is great at preventing vibrations from loosening a nut.
Frank