Miata clunking noise

[ryan j]

While I was working the course today, I noticed that alot of Miatas make a clunking noise in the corners. It was very noticable on the back stretch with the fast slalom. The first time I heard it, I was thinking that someone forgot to take something out of the trunk, but several others made the same noise.
The noise sounds to solid to be the exhaust moving around.

[phile]

While I was working the course today, I noticed that alot of Miatas make a clunking noise in the corners. It was very noticable on the back stretch with the fast slalom. The first time I heard it, I was thinking that someone forgot to take something out of the trunk, but several others made the same noise.
The noise sounds too solid to be the exhaust moving around.

I am told this is the sound of the stock front-sway-bar end links. I certainly hope this is correct, because these parts were already destined to travel to the trash bin over the winter.

[DCM]

We bought MAZMIAT.
There is a sound like a noisy wheel bearing, coming from the I think, the right rear.
It's not loose, nor has it gotten any worse. and most importantly,
Ma doesn't'seem to mind............

The biggest problem we had with this car is the ignition switch. first the shop where I tok it, thought it was the module. Seems that all those heavy keys Ma hangs on her key chain will damage the switch.
Beware!

[rdub]

Mine clunks like mad,it is sorta normal.
I just ignore it.

[Rex Jr]

I've never noticed any clunking sounds in my '91, I hope mine wasn't one of the ones that was audible from where you were standing.

[Chin]

I've never noticed any clunking sounds in my '91, I hope mine wasn't one of the ones that was audible from where you were standing.

I don't recall one that didn't....but it did sound like links to me. I can't imagine there is too much to worry about, though.

Christian Banks
#202 DSP
'00 Impreza 2.5RS (...with no endlink clunks)

[the tick]

I had a couple alignment adjuster that were seized (i.e. the nuts wouldn't come off the bolts, but the bolts weren't tight either). The alignmnet would shift with a disturbing "BANG" at every turn that had any kind of a bump in it (VF.....WHAT bumps right?). It was co-drove, so you might have seen it a few times and it's definately louder than normal.

[1/2mv^2]

There's a few things that could cause a clunk - I think they've all been mentioned here.

1) The alignment bolts were not (over) torqued, and have come loose, and the alignment is shifting in the turns. They really should be overtorqued when used competetively.

2) If you have an aftermarket rear sway, it can move laterally in the mounts and contact part of the suspension. This can be prevented by putting a couple of hose clamps around the bar to keep it from sliding side to side.

3) Some aftermarket exhausts don't fit all that well, and will contact the frame rails. Mine does, but only after I installed a JR header. With the stock header, everything was perfect.

4) Broken engine mounts - this could cause the engine to shift a bit and contact something. The whole drivetrain is held on by only 4 rubber bits.

5) finally, and I've had this happen too many times, there could be a screwdriver, ratchet, or wrench in the "wiper tray" bit between the engine bay and the windshield......... heh..

[EWAustin]

I'm not especially familiar with Miatas, but the noise that I heard sounded very similar to my friend's 2-way Differential during gentle cornering as it switched between locked and slipping.

[phile]

I'm not especially familiar with Miatas, but the noise that I heard sounded very similar to my friend's 2-way Differential during gentle cornering as it switched between locked and slipping.
Are you talking about a Detroit Locker or something? Not something I'd recommend for autocross. They have a nasty reputation for breaking halfshafts on Spridgets. :x I wouldn't want one on any autocross car. Too upsetting. :o

Miata cars seem to work very well with the TorSen diffs. I am not aware of them making clunking noises, by I am no TorSen expert.

Oh, yeah: Autocross folks don't DO "gentle cornering". :burnout:

[ITSrotary]

Just an FYI,

I wouldn't accept any noise as "normal" and ignore it. I'd try to verify the source. In all likelihood it is the swaybar link(s) but I've actually broken a front link twice on my '95 Miata. The only time it made a lot of noise was when that happened.

Steve

[esper]

I have pillowball endlinks and a 22mm swaybar in the back of my car and they were clunking link crazy on the rougher turning sections at VF.

It was reassuring that they were the only thing clunking though.

[chuck b]

thanks for pointing this out ryanj

my car was doing a lot of clunking in the front end at particular parts of the course. I think Valleyfair has a tendancy to exaggerate the suspension violence due to the uneven pavement.

But i will be checking for the items mentioned earlier on this post. ( I have a stock front bar.)

out

[AlexL]

My car started banging very loudly in the middle of my second run at Nationals this year. I jacked it up and checked what I could in grid, but couldn't spot anything.

After I got home, I found that the bolts for the endlinks on my front bar were tight enough that I couldn't detect any play in them with the car jacked up, but loose enough that I could still put a turn or two on them with a wrench without much effort. The car still makes noise, but not nearly as much as it did before I tightened them down.

[phile]

I wouldn't accept any noise as "normal" and ignore it.
Definitely not a British-car enthusiast.

"They all do that, Sir".

[phile]

I found that the bolts for the endlinks on my front bar were tight enough that I couldn't detect any play in them with the car jacked up, but loose enough that I could still put a turn or two on them with a wrench without much effort.
I can pretty-much guarantee that mine are rusted solid. Unless the PB Blaster I sprayed on them has migrated into the interface. This is the reason I still had the stock bar in for this weekend. My original plan was to change the bar and use the stock links for the last of the season. With limited time and knowing that any sort of complications could take me out for the last weekend of the year, I elected to not even touch a wrench to them. I sprayed all the bolts with PB blaster and put the plastic shroud back on.

So, if the nuts are corroded in place, and the tension on the bolts is not sufficient to prevent movement of the inner bushing in relation to the bolt, that could be the noise right there.

Now I have the off-season to deal with whatever I break in there. I will inspect the bond on the rubber link bushings carefully before I throw them away. I fully expect this noise to abate with the new setup, so I will be able to hear all the other noises.

[Rex Jr]

5) finally, and I've had this happen too many times, there could be a screwdriver, ratchet, or wrench in the "wiper tray" bit between the engine bay and the windshield......... heh..

Come to think of it, I couldn't find my 1/4"-drive 3" extension this morning... :oops:

[EWAustin]

Are you talking about a Detroit Locker or something? Not something I'd recommend for autocross.

This was a fully locking differential (KAAZ I think) on my friend's Nissan Silvia (S14, back in Japan). It was his daily driver/drift car. Only problem was he couldn't drift, so he just lived with nasty wheel hop and chirping tires while taking corners at <15 mph.

(first time on the drift track he understeered straight into a wall. the diff was too agressive for his level of experience :flame: )

[miata#37]

I have some clunking in the front of my miata. I've had the front end up in the air numerous time to make changes and inspect things. I believe my clunk comes from the "Heim-Joint" style end links that I pieced together. When I have the stock bar and end links in, I don't notice any unusual sounds. The surface at VF really tests your suspension, but that's not unusual in autox. Forbes Field was much worse and many parking lots have uneven surfaces from the cars parking on them in the same places all the time.

[Justin (Vision Speedworks)]

I found this under the FAQ section on miata.net :

My suspension 'clunks' when I autocross.

It is very common for the control arms to rattle back and forth in their mounts if the eccentric bolts are not *very* tight. They need to be torqued to about 150-180 ft/lbs to keep this symptom from happening, especially if your control arm bushings are worn out.

Most alignment shops only hand tighten them to about 70-80 ft/lbs. Whenever we get an alignment, we always drive the car home very carefully and then put the car up on ramps and tighten the bolts further with a breaker bar we made (be careful not to move them and mess up your new alignment). If we don't do this then the clank appears on the first hard corner and the nice alignment we just got will be off. (Thanks to Randy Stocker for this tip.)

Editor's Note: Factory spec for alignment bolts is 69-83ft/lb in the front, and 54-70ft/lb in the rear. Use this suggestion at your own risk.

[92MNstanger]

I have come to recognize this as the regular Miata noise. Seriously, I've heard it from the vast majority of miatas all season. I thought it was from coilover springs being too short and not running helper springs.................but I have a mustang, so I have enough of my own problems to worry about.

[Dennis G.]

Yup I also noticed the clunking on several Miatas while working the course. It didn't seem to happen immediately on the weight transition between left and right but some distance later. But I remember thinking "I hear a red, white, and a blue Miata ALL clunking".

[AlexL]

But I remember thinking "I hear a red, white, and a blue Miata ALL clunking".
Well I guess that ruins my theory about it being a problem with the color of my car. :p