My Miata is currently useless around corners

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion) 07/30/2017 at 23:00 • Filed to: None

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When applying power in a turn, I’m getting a lot of tire chatter and wheel hop. This is new, and not pleasant. Sounds like there’s a rattle coming from my passenger side rear wheel area. Any ideas? Wheel bearing? Is my LSD on it’s last leg?

My tires are absolutely beat from a year of dd’ing, and lots of offroading, but still provide a good amount of grip. I guess the tires could have something to do with this issue, but I would have expected everything to have changed gradually over time and not just one day go from gobs of grip and occasional powerslides to wheel hop. Any advices would be appreciated

Like I said, pretty beat. Drifting, autox, roadtrips and dd’ing year round will do that to a 200tw tire.

Ps: the rear lip spoiler got partially torn off offroading and I keep meaning to reattach/replace it... but it’s been so nice I’ve been using my free days to go drive instead

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:08

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It’s probably the tires

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:11

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Rear shocks? Tires certainly aren’t helping.

Nibby > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:12

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hey those tires are in great shape, should get at least 30,000 more miles out of them

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:13

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Could have blown a shock? It’s hard to tell on a car as stiff as yours, the bounce test is very difficult. But if it’s thunking over bumps ad there is oil staining at the shock head that’s a sign.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:13

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If not the tires, my next guess would be shocks or sway bar bushings.

Die-Trying > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:28

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that oily stuff on that inner fender might be an indicator.... you might jack up the rear end, and give the wheels a good shake to see if it is something loose/ broken ...... but that oily inner fender COULD be a blown shock........

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/30/2017 at 23:35

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Didn’t even notice the oil until you pointed it out. Yeah, one rear shock has had a leak for at least 6 months, possibly the entirety of my Miata ownership so that’s probably it. Guess the car was light enough that it wasn’t particularly noticeable until it got really bad...

Guess I can’t keep procrastinating on the coilover install!

AestheticsInMotion > Die-Trying 07/30/2017 at 23:36

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Hopefully! I was actually told I had a blow shock when I had my parking brake fixed six months ago, but everything was still perfectly functional so I... Well. Kinda forgot about it!

AestheticsInMotion > Nibby 07/30/2017 at 23:38

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I’m guessing that’s sarcasm, but despite owning 4 vehicles I’ve yet to change tires other than when swapping wheel sizes so I’m still not very good determining what’s going on from looking at tire wear...

AestheticsInMotion > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 07/30/2017 at 23:40

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Yeah, I’m thinking shocks. Suspension is the one thing I haven’t touched and everything seems to be original

AestheticsInMotion > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 07/30/2017 at 23:42

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As the tires have worn down they’ve started approaching stock-like levels of flickability, which has been fun. I’m at that awkward point where I don’t want to buy new summer tires only to buy winter tires in 2.5 months, but I don’t know if if can keep using these till October...

Nibby > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:44

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those are completely shot, REPLACE ASAP

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:46

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Welcome to the blown shock club, both my front shocks are toasted.

AestheticsInMotion > Nibby 07/30/2017 at 23:49

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At least 205/15's are cheap... Okay! Operation suspension replacement/new tires is priority uno!

Nibby > AestheticsInMotion 07/30/2017 at 23:49

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good boy

AestheticsInMotion > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 07/30/2017 at 23:50

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So if they’re both gone that basically balances out and gets you back to neutral right? Kinda like with my front brakes?

/s

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 00:03

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you could always get a set of used tires from a local junkyard to tide you over

(im also gonna side with mister squirrel up there.. your shocks might be shot)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 00:16

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Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 00:34

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I should probably do tires, shocks and alignment here soon on the 4Runner. But that’ll be a while. I finally bothered to get new wipers after saying I would for a year.

sony1492 > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 00:35

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Lift up the back and see if you have any play, such as bad ball joints or bearings. Also slim chance but (if toe is adjustable) maybe the bolt came loose and is allowing toe changes mid corner.

Ive had a welded diff and when it was in the process of breaking(the welds broke but the spider gears would still catch each other) I would get odd slides mid corner.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 03:08

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Those are very worn, to put it very mildly. Now you know!

...also, your shocks are probably trashed. Been there.

OPPOsaurus WRX > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 08:03

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i’m gunna go with shock mount. Mine broke hitting a pothole, I bet if you were offroading recently, you broke one too.

Needmoargarage > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 10:11

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If there aren’t any bad noises like a wheel bearing, my guess is a bad strut. Basically you just have a spring bouncing up and down when that corner is unloaded. Been there in a Miata...it wasn’t pleasant.

Frank Grimes > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 13:49

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I thinkk the same is happening to me I have LSD and Vmaxx coilovers and flyin miata sway bars on old as heck all season tires and still I get chirps.

Captain of the Enterprise > AestheticsInMotion 07/31/2017 at 18:48

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Is that stock ride height?