I'm so close to finishing my 302 Miata and had a set back today. I've hade exhaust rattle under heavy acceleration and I thought the exhaust was to tight to the drivers side control arm. I took it back to Midas to have them look at it and when they were driving it into the bay the drivers side axle pulled out from the diff (lucky I wasn't driving it).

The two bolts that bolt up the diff at the bushings are really loose and the entire diff has dropped which explains the axle popping out. I used the original Miata bushings and the divers side bushing is completely torn up. I did not torque these bushings to any spec and I'm thinking that's where I screwed up. Also, I just have the nut on the bushing bolt with no washers and that does not seem right.


So I'm going to go with the poly bushings and will have to search on how to fit these to Martins diff kit.

Where did I screw up?

Thanks,
Erik

 

Post some pictures of what you have, & I am sure we can point you in the right direction.

 

Sounds like you are talking about the 2 upper bushings not the lower ones by where the drive shat bolts on right? Just want to make sure you have all 4 bolts in! Yes replace any old bushings and tbone is right if you can post some pix it would help.

 

Thanks for the replies. Attached are two pics of the drivers and passenger side upper bushings.

 

Buy me Flyin' Miata : Chassis : Bushings : Polyurethane differential bushings

 

Thanks for link for the bushings.

I still don't understand how the upper bushings are to stay in place and not slid through the diff mounting tube.

 

It has been a while since I installed my poly bushings, but I think there was some sort of a plate that bolted to the sub-frame & captured the bushing.

 

I forgot to install the bottom differential mounts and the top mount started to slip through the hanger. Installed new bushings from 949 Racing and now the Miata drives great!