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Thread: How to get a stiffer Miata

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    How to get a stiffer Miata

    I have just bought me a -91 mx5, and I wonder if anyone have ideas how to get it stiffer? I dont want to mount a rollbar. So what do you recomend?

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    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power BoBo's Avatar
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    FM frame rail or full butterfly brace. Also a hardtop would nice, it makes everything quiet and reduces vibrations a lot.
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    I agree with "BoBo" the frame rails / butterfly brace work perfect, a good inexpensive start also would be a rear cockpit brace that was standard equipment on NA8's.





    Last edited by atank; 11-11-2014 at 09:04 AM.

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    Sell it and buy a sedan.


    Door bars, bolted down hardtop, fender braces, harness bar, frame rails.

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    Actually the factory hardtop will tighten up the Miata quite nicely. It also cuts down on road noise, and keeps the car cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter

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    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power treeafodo's Avatar
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    I'm not sure if you'd want to do this or not since you don't want to install a roll bar, but you could stitch weld the chassis. It wouldn't change the appearance of the car at all.
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    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    Sell it and buy a sedan.


    Door bars, bolted down hardtop, fender braces, harness bar, frame rails.
    I would even argue "in that order". After a test drive in an nb with door bars I remember discussing with KFJ about the very "German" character it gave the miata. Depending on how you "use" the interior, they may not be invasive at all.

    Id also add the strut tower brace such as the FM one. It is good/easy to install/affordable. It is very localized in that it stiffens only the front but it is certainly profound in its effect on steering feel and the reduced shimmy associated with worn out stock nas. In contrast the same part installed on the nb had a far less dramatic improvement.

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    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! TimTim's Avatar
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    Forgot to mention, it's a little off-the-beaten-path, but the seam running along the entire door sill (both sides of the car) is easily accessible and can be spot welded with a fairly conservative harbor freight unit. Certainly more of the "diy" route. This is supposed to be one of the best "effort/payoff" portions of the car to spot/seam/stitch weld as it strengthens the central "tub" of the car

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    If a strut tower brace is used, a 3 point one would work better than a 2 pt.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kung fu jesus View Post
    If a strut tower brace is used, a 3 point one would work better than a 2 pt.
    But isn't the point where the brace attached to on the firewall area thin metal?

    From Flyin' Miata's website:
    Some also "triangulate" to the thin metal at the top of the firewall, but there`s no structure to tie into there.
    I was just curious because both make sense.

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    The early NA's benefit the most from stiffening the chassis. Mazda sacrificed some rigidity for the sake of lightness and maybe cost in the early NA's. The simplest and probably cheapest of these braces is the rear subframe brace. This brace was added by Mazda starting with '93 models. I would add this brace first out of general principle because it just belongs.

    Another vote for frame rails here. Installation is more complicated but they have the additional benefit of protecting the factory rails from bumps and scrapes and also provide a solid jacking point. This is important because if the frame rails get misshapen, your already floppy Miata can feel even floppier.

    Front fender braces are also a more complicated install but will help keep the front end from twisting and will help reduce cowl shake.

    While not a direct stiffening component, 20+ year old Miatas will benefit from new bushings to allow suspension components to operate more precisely.

    An early NA can pretty much benefit from every single bar or brace ever made but after the items I've mentioned I think you have to consider cost and the additional weight penalty vs. benefit.

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    Carbing Three Point.........






    Carbing Rear Brace installed, with spare tire re-locator:







    Vintage Fujita Engineering Cockpit Brace...................






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    4,000 rpm - entering the fun zone etikoner's Avatar
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    Damn, that's some nice monkey bars you have there, haha.

    I installed a 99 sport STB (Shock tower bar) on my car, and the front end of my car had reduced NVH.

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    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! Ciotti's Avatar
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    I've had my Carbing STB on and off and on and off my 99 NB and I haven't felt any difference in turn in, NVH, or anything else for that matter which makes sense because none of the load from the suspension goes into the strut towers where it attaches.
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    1999 STR Miata: Tein Flex Racing Beat header, exhaust, 1.125" sway bar, and braces Carbing STB KAAZ diff 949 15x9's 225 Rivals

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