Noise coming from the front right wheel.

[Ali]

After I pass 20mph my right wheel starts making a noise that sounds almost like a loose timing belt. Could it be the hub bearings that are messed up? Let me know if you guys have had the same problem ! Thanks

[— kung fu jesus —]

Does is sound like a bobble?

Lift the front off the ground.

Grab the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock and try to wiggle it L to R. If it does, it's the tie rod end.

Then grab the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock. Try to wiggle it from top to bottom. If it does, it's the hub.

Back to the "bobble" question...if you hear a bobble over bumps and cracks at speed, check your lower ball joint. When they go south, they make that sound.

Also check your upper shock mounts. Lay a wrench on the two mounting nuts and the shock center nut. No need to go Gorilla tight on those, but just check they are tight.

[Andy]

Out of curiosity does you speedo shake like Michael J. Fox? It could be your speedo cable. When they are older they start to get very noisy.

[Pyr0monk3y]

Does is sound like a bobble?

Lift the front off the ground.

Grab the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock and try to wiggle it L to R. If it does, it's the tie rod end.

Then grab the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock. Try to wiggle it from top to bottom. If it does, it's the hub.

Back to the "bobble" question...if you hear a bobble over bumps and cracks at speed, check your lower ball joint. When they go south, they make that sound.

Also check your upper shock mounts. Lay a wrench on the two mounting nuts and the shock center nut. No need to go Gorilla tight on those, but just check they are tight.

Wiggling at 12 and 6 is the procedure for checking ball joints. It's difficult to check hubs. They don't usually have play in them. If they do you'll find it by pushing and pulling on the wheel.

Wheel bearings are a weak point on miatas. After a while the grease seals will fail and water will infiltrate. After that they go pretty quick. Most track cars have their wheel bearings replaced on a schedule and they are repacked with high-temp grease like amsoil or redline.
They are so easy to change that if they haven't been done in a 3 years or 100k I would just go ahead and do them. One sure fire sign to know they are on their way to the grave is if you notice little specks of grease that have been slung all over the inside of your wheel or suspension components. This means the grease seal is breached and your bearing is now vulnerable to sand and water. Also, when they really start to die, they will growl louder and louder depending on your speed. If a right side bearing is bad, turning left will usually make it louder.

A quick, easy and free thing to check for is if there are any small stones stuck in the tread of your tires. Those suckers make a lot of noise.