Mazdaspeed Miata Axle info
 

I hope this is good enough to become a sticky. I searched hard and did not find this info anywhere.

The 2004-2005 mazdaspeed miata was produced in small numbers. There were several things that made the msm stand out from the other miatas of the time. We all think about the turbo or the diff. But one thing most people don't think about is the axles for the diff. Take a look at ebay you will find a sea of msm diffs for sale but no axles. Even here the same issue is present. When you look up axles for a msm you get the whole "fits" msm thing that vendors like to do when they assume it will work. I ordered a set from Oriles and Advanced with the key term "fits" msm and neither fit.

So whats the deal?
There are simply no aftermarket msm axles available. Mazda sold some for a while but has since stopped, they even sold rebuild parts.

Here are the differences. Note: The side going into the diff is the only side with differences.

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...psnqff6kjc.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...psg3rmki2q.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...psd6kzdfri.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t...psayhguj9r.jpg

I have sent a msm axle to the driveshaft shop, they are hoping to start producing axles. I will update you guys when they tell me more.

To contribute to this thread, I give you a cross sectional view of a MSM axle...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4467/...ff6b80a5_b.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4477/...2709c076_b.jpg

In for replacement axles as I may need some one day. I'd always figured there are enough places that make custom half shafts that I could probably get some made but might be a bit expensive for just one set. I think the inner CV joints might be the same as the Honda S2000 as they share the same differentials but never really checked it out. Probably have the same issue with the turbo SE's they sold in Australia and the factory Japanese versions too if they used the same axles which I assume they would have.

Mike @ MFactory hinted that there was something probably aftermarket or off the shelf that might work due to the relationship with the S2000. He didn't really go into much detail because of vendor status.

So I have an update on this. The Driveshaft Shop said they can make these. I am sending them my spare msm diff so they can make it perfect. So hopefully soon we will see the first set.

Update?
 

Any update from the Driveshaft Shop? I'm also looking for replacement mazdaspeed axles.

They have finished heat treating the first batch. Once they are done testing those, we should see them up for sale. I'll post a link when they send it to me. They have been giving me updates periodically.

As far as I understand the guts of the dif are S2000 torsen. If this is correct is there a source for the housings?

Yeah, mazda miata.

The s2k sourced a lot of the diff from Mazda IIRC.

Sub'd

Alright everyone, The Driveshaft Shop now has built axles for the msm diff.

Here is the link:
The Driveshaft Shop | 2004-2005 MazdaSpeed Miata Level 2 400HP axles (Mazdaspeed cars Only)

Ouch!

Did anyone ever buy these? I've got a set of half axles that are starting to make a clunk noise. I can shift them around with my hands and they make a distinct noise when you go from reverse to forward (or vice versa). So I believe they are worn out.

You can rebuild the CV for pennies on the dollar vs buying new axles. More work, obviously.

You got a link to a rebuild kit? I can't say I've been able to find one.

I have seen how the "rebuild the CV joints" are done.
The joints wear at their normal static position (angularity) and are usually OK outside the static range.
The rebuilder installs slightly larger than stock balls in the joint and hand grinds the grooves the balls fit in with a die grinder.
This is why "rebuilt" CV joints have tight and loose areas when you rotate them through their range of travel.
This is done without ANY measuring tools or fancy mills to keep the tolerances correct.
This removes the heat treating from any surface the monkey (rebuilder) grinds on...

Once I saw how this was actually accomplished I stopped installing "rebuilt" axles.
The Chinese figured out how to build entire axles for less than the boot kits cost and this wiped out this industry (for the better).
Chinese axles suck, I far prefer to reboot the original axles as long if the hard parts of the CV joint are undamaged.
Chinese axles have different sized boots than stock and you cannot buy boots for Chinese axles.
This doesn't matter as Chinese axles often have lifetime guarantees.
They also never fit the same as stock and often leak unless you replace the seal they fit into.

In Mudflap's case: It sounds like the joints have worn significantly and he needs new or better ones.
Your joints need to be dissembled, cleaned, and inspected before automatically replacing them.
Look for grooves and divots inside the machined grooves. Reassemble dry and you will be able to "feel" if the joint has play.

I have never seen a "rebuild kit" that could actually rebuild a damaged CV.
Sometimes the dealer sells the outer or inner joint separately.
The dealer cost has dropped dramatically on complete axles due to the cheap Chinese stuff that is available.

The above relates to CV axles in general but doesn't help with an MSM axle due to the limited numbers produced.

It's a tripod, not a porsche style arrangement.

It's not that simple. You have to open it up and see what you actually need, measure, and order the parts you need to bring it back into spec. Probably GKN / loebro parts. One of my dislikes with the DSS product is they have you by the balls on replacement components, because their 32 spline stuff is proprietary/custom made by rockland gear. You can't get it on the shelf anywhere, as it isnt an OE sized part - which is stupid in the world of porsche style cv components being cheap and ubiquitous.

Well I'm probably going to start with disassembling one of them to inspect. But there is no way 400+ hp is going to be help on a poorly rebuilt (by me) old axle. I'll be replacing the whole thing if necessary.

Tripods aren't great for higher hp. Balls are better. 6>3, design improvements notwithstanding. Interested to see what you find inside.