Engine mounts
 

Recently i've been hearing thumping from the front left corner while turning hard rights. I was suspecting rubbing so i lifted the car up to little over 12.5 from the center to fender and that didn't make a difference. I've checked everything i can think of and everything seems solid. I can move the engine by hand and am noticing lot of movement while cranking. I suspect the mounts are shot but I don't know what bad mounts sound like.

Where do you guys get mounts? So far all I can find is stockers and the 220 buck awrs...

http://949racing.com/mazda-motor-mount.aspx

http://trackspeedengineering.com/sto...311287c632bf42

Cheaper than the other two:

http://www.corksport.com/mazdaspeed-...-97-miata.html

or the AWR Engine Mounts if you want to massage your gums as your drive. Got mine (duro "95") from MiataRoadster. Not something I'd suggest for anything driven without frequent checkups (bolts/nuts do come loose).

Has anyone tried these mounts from IL Motorsport?
http://www.rspeed.net/R_Speed_Compet...nab-77038a.htm

How much worse is NVH with stiffer mounts? I'm trying to keep my car comfortable for highway trips. I'm most interested in the Mazdaspeed mounts.

Pretty sure you can buy the inserts for the AWR mounts. I've heard even the 70 durometer ones are still quite stiff though. I'd bet they'd be much better than the 95 in terms of comfort and vibrating things loose. Just by design they should limit a lot more movement, no need for 95 durometer.

Goodwin sells those mounts cheaper than AWR.

Goodwin sells them for 220-210 depending on the model.

Wait, what? You've got noises while the left front corner is loaded, and you're buying motor mounts?

Check the wheel bearings, friend. ;)

while your engine mounts are probably shot, the noise is something else. might be also exhaust hitting... things.

Lifted the wheel, i was unable to note any popping or anything like that while playing around with it. Any tests? No marble sounds either.

Grab the wheel at 12 and 6 and try to wiggle the wheel/tire up and down. If there's any play that isn't the tire deflecting, it's on its way out.

Also check the rears - less common but still prone to failure.

No play in any corner Savington.

Check your shock mounts and the swaybar end links. Sounds like you still probably need mounts though. FM has the Mazda speed ones. http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?...umber=04-70155. I would not use the poly mounts, no matter how soft if you are going to do anything but tow it to the track and back home.

I also found play in my ball joints on the upper A arms. Might be worth a check.

These aren't mazda competition mounts. They are just from the mazdaspeed models (04-05) while, stiffer, they aren't as stiff as the mazda competitions.

OP, I have the regular mazdaspeeds in my relatively stock 99. I hate noisy/rattle-y cars and I wish I had gotten the mazda comps.

you sure don't want MMR mounts

I just remembered I once had a loud clunk up front when turning to the right I think it was and found one of the lower control arms had a loose bolt. The stock bushings are not like the poly bushings in that they fit pretty loose on the bolts and work by the bolt being tight and sqeezing the bushing. Jack the car up and use a pry bar and try to move the arms in and out both directions. If you find one loose just tighten the bolt and nut. If it is a lower arm you well have to have it aligned.

^ I second this. Had it happen before.

BTW- remember there is a difference between Mazdaspeed and MazdaComp engine mounts. I did a whole thread about this already lol. MazdaComp have the raised nub painted silver and the MazdaSPEED has a silver stripe on the metal end plate. The MazdaComp is stiffer than the Mazdaspeed which is stiffer than stock.

IIRC bbundy put the AWR @ 70 dur in his car and said it's still "race car only". Damn.