2006 Mazda MX-5 NC 2.0 Sport
Discussion
geraintthomas said:
Nothing to report, but still have this 'clunk' over bumps, more notably coming down from a speed bulb (where it extends and contracts, as if there's a gap). Still not figured it out.
Brake pad clonking about? Does it do the same if you are on/off the brake as you go over said humps?
Couldn't find any loose areas on the bonnet catch, and it's quite a substantial clonk for it to be a brake pad. For instance, I thought the strut brace was loose and moving.
It sounds like there's a gap between the nuts and the strut, which hit each other over a bump. But everything is tight...
I may jack up the front wheels so that the suspension is compressed and then tighten the nuts on top, but I can't see that making a huge difference.
It sounds like there's a gap between the nuts and the strut, which hit each other over a bump. But everything is tight...
I may jack up the front wheels so that the suspension is compressed and then tighten the nuts on top, but I can't see that making a huge difference.
After all that, it was the ballasts for my headlights rattling around. Problem solved.
I'm very much looking forward to the tracks opening back up as I really want to start upgrading the car. The brakes are first on the list as the rears have a small lip. I'm going to treat it to MTEC grooved discs with EBC 'green stuff' pads. I'm not sure about braided hoses as I quite like the pedal feel as it is, so a better bite on the pads would do just fine.
Suspension would be next, get it a little lower and a little stiffer than it is, especially since this Sport model has the standard suspension on by error of the previous owner's local garage. This, mixed with good brakes should give the car a much better feel.
Lastly, tyres. The reason why I don't want to put them on first is that I have three different makes on the car currently, and I'm willing to ride out the tread until they need replacing. Track driving the car will wear them down quicker, so it's good to have some cheaper throwaway tyres for the time being. After that I'll most likely go for Toyo's all round as they're a good happy medium, rather than throwing Michellin's at it only to get chewed up on track. Unless someone has suggestions? I've always gone for Falken's, but fancy a change.
Very much looking forward to the brake upgrade though.
I'm very much looking forward to the tracks opening back up as I really want to start upgrading the car. The brakes are first on the list as the rears have a small lip. I'm going to treat it to MTEC grooved discs with EBC 'green stuff' pads. I'm not sure about braided hoses as I quite like the pedal feel as it is, so a better bite on the pads would do just fine.
Suspension would be next, get it a little lower and a little stiffer than it is, especially since this Sport model has the standard suspension on by error of the previous owner's local garage. This, mixed with good brakes should give the car a much better feel.
Lastly, tyres. The reason why I don't want to put them on first is that I have three different makes on the car currently, and I'm willing to ride out the tread until they need replacing. Track driving the car will wear them down quicker, so it's good to have some cheaper throwaway tyres for the time being. After that I'll most likely go for Toyo's all round as they're a good happy medium, rather than throwing Michellin's at it only to get chewed up on track. Unless someone has suggestions? I've always gone for Falken's, but fancy a change.
Very much looking forward to the brake upgrade though.
Glad you’ve found the rattle, these things can be very frustrating to track down.
I didn’t notice any tangible difference in pedal feel with braided lines, so you’re right to skip them for now.
Definitely flush through a better fluid like Motul RBF600 or ATE TYP200 whilst you’re doing the brakes. They don’t cost much.
I don’t think the NC needs grooved discs for track days, and they’ll probably accelerate your pad wear a little, but if you like the look that’s a good enough reason to get them
I didn’t notice any tangible difference in pedal feel with braided lines, so you’re right to skip them for now.
Definitely flush through a better fluid like Motul RBF600 or ATE TYP200 whilst you’re doing the brakes. They don’t cost much.
I don’t think the NC needs grooved discs for track days, and they’ll probably accelerate your pad wear a little, but if you like the look that’s a good enough reason to get them
I really wouldn't recommend greenstuff pads especially for track use. There's a few horror stories of them on track. Much better options out there for a fast road/track pad from the likes of pagid, ferodo or mintex. As said above better to spend more on new fluid and pads than bother with grooved discs.
You know what, I didn't even think about the accelerated pad wear, I suppose it acts as a cheese grater on them. Would have thought they'd help with water/heat displacement on the track but if not then I'm happy to skip these.
Now that's very interesting about green stuff. I used to have them on previous cars and thought they were great. Out of curiosity, what kind of stories are there? And when you say mintex, do you mean the standard OEM replacement pads or some sort of fast road version that I'm unaware of?
Now that's very interesting about green stuff. I used to have them on previous cars and thought they were great. Out of curiosity, what kind of stories are there? And when you say mintex, do you mean the standard OEM replacement pads or some sort of fast road version that I'm unaware of?
There's plenty of info out there on greenstuff failures on track if you Google it. I personally found them OK on the road if not a bit wooden feeling, however when you switch to a proper set of pads you soon realise the greenstuff are crap.
There's plenty of upgraded mintex options over stock such as 1144, 1155, f4r etc. With the popularity of these cars as track cars there should be loads of feedback out there on tried and tested brake upgrades on the mx5 boards.
There's plenty of upgraded mintex options over stock such as 1144, 1155, f4r etc. With the popularity of these cars as track cars there should be loads of feedback out there on tried and tested brake upgrades on the mx5 boards.
Dont bother with fancyslotted/grooved/hooked discs.
Plain discs of a decent brand (Brembo castings are the best I've found).
Greenstuff no good for track use, you'll cook them. Yellowstuff are good, there are quality control issues going back years however nowadays I find them very good. Ferodo or Mintex other options.
I'd buy a set of tyres before doing any of it though. Doing a trackday on 3 types of rubbish tyre will be miserable.
Plain discs of a decent brand (Brembo castings are the best I've found).
Greenstuff no good for track use, you'll cook them. Yellowstuff are good, there are quality control issues going back years however nowadays I find them very good. Ferodo or Mintex other options.
I'd buy a set of tyres before doing any of it though. Doing a trackday on 3 types of rubbish tyre will be miserable.
sdh2903 said:
. With the popularity of these cars as track cars there should be loads of feedback out there on tried and tested brake upgrades on the mx5 boards.
The entry level/budget answers you'll most often get will be Rodders Magical Mystery Pads, or EBC Yellowstuff. See here: https://bofiracing.co.uk/brakes/brake-pads/?_make=...
snotrag said:
Dont bother with fancyslotted/grooved/hooked discs.
Plain discs of a decent brand (Brembo castings are the best I've found).
Greenstuff no good for track use, you'll cook them. Yellowstuff are good, there are quality control issues going back years however nowadays I find them very good. Ferodo or Mintex other options.
I'd buy a set of tyres before doing any of it though. Doing a trackday on 3 types of rubbish tyre will be miserable.
Great info, thanks for that. I can't find many options for the NC, looks like it's quite limited. There are YellowStuff pads available, so I could go down that route.Plain discs of a decent brand (Brembo castings are the best I've found).
Greenstuff no good for track use, you'll cook them. Yellowstuff are good, there are quality control issues going back years however nowadays I find them very good. Ferodo or Mintex other options.
I'd buy a set of tyres before doing any of it though. Doing a trackday on 3 types of rubbish tyre will be miserable.
Silly question, but would it actually be that miserable on these tyres? I've not done a track day in my own car before and just want to have some fun and get used to the whole track day experience before upgrading parts of the car (that need upgrading). I've gone on quite a few spirited drives on some welsh mountain roads on the current tyres and haven't found them to be miserable. Of course they could be better, I absolutely need to get a fresh set, but for my first track day when I may be scrubbing the hell out of them... you're certain they'll make that much of a difference to me?
Thought I'd just clarify my brake needs. The stopping power is fantastic currently, and for track I'm only after two things; a tad better bite than standard, and a pad that won't cook itself. I'll only be tracking it a few times here and there, maybe once every couple of months.
These are the pads I've found that are available for the MX-5 NC, price low to high:
- EBC Ultimax
- Mintex OE replacement
- Cosworth Streetmaster
- Brembo OE replacement
- Black Diamond Predator
- EBC GreenStuff
- Tarox Strada
- EBC RedStuff
- EBC Yellow Stuff
- Ferodo DS2500
- PBS ProRace
These are the pads I've found that are available for the MX-5 NC, price low to high:
- EBC Ultimax
- Mintex OE replacement
- Cosworth Streetmaster
- Brembo OE replacement
- Black Diamond Predator
- EBC GreenStuff
- Tarox Strada
- EBC RedStuff
- EBC Yellow Stuff
- Ferodo DS2500
- PBS ProRace
sdh2903 said:
There's a lot to be said of doing a first trackday on lesser grip tyres to explore limits at lower speeds etc. However with 3 different brands isn't a good idea imo.
Don't bother with toyo Road tyres for track days either. There an OK medium price range road tyre.
With the track days, I'm talking once every 2-3 months. It's not going to be a lot, and I'm conscious of going overkill when it'll be 90% road, 10% track use (if that).Don't bother with toyo Road tyres for track days either. There an OK medium price range road tyre.
geraintthomas said:
With the track days, I'm talking once every 2-3 months. It's not going to be a lot, and I'm conscious of going overkill when it'll be 90% road, 10% track use (if that).
Id just go for a good set of road tyres then. Michelin ps4 or goodyear asy 5s will be great for both road and track. I'd resisted commenting on EBC pads. I've read some horror stories and I've seen photos of them detaching from the backing plate prematurely so I've always avoided them. As a result I've got no direct experience. I think they had some issue with quality at one point, but things might have changed.
I think experiences with brake pads and tyres vary massively based on driving style/expectations and the car involved. I've always got on really well with Stoptech Sport pads and get many trackdays out of them. I recommended them to a friend with a 350z. He took a new set down to the backing plates by 3pm during a track day at Bedford and ended up on a recovery truck as he hadn't bought any spares along. Admittedly the Nissan is a much heavier car but I wouldn't have expected that level of wear. I'm cautious to recommend anything to anyone now!
Don't get too bogged down in it all though. The first couple of days I did in my NC were on the mismatched road tyres it came with and Brembo or Pagid road pads. I had lots of fun. I never stayed out for too many laps in the early days, it's mentally quite intense at times. The road pads juddered a lot as the pads deposited heavily on the hot discs, but they never faded. I'd use a set of road pads per trackday though, so a decent pad ends up being a lot cheaper in the long run. It's similar with tyres. Half the fun for me has been adding better parts incrementally and seeing how they change things on track, you appreciate the grip that a better tyre provides a lot more if you can remember how the car handled previously and by then you've built up a bit more experience to carry more speed. The other school of thought is that you want the best brakes and tyres from day one to keep you out of trouble. That's equally valid.
Another option for your brake pad list, I think there's a discount code for Bofi in the NC Europe group:
https://bofiracing.co.uk/roddisons-front-brake-pad...
I think experiences with brake pads and tyres vary massively based on driving style/expectations and the car involved. I've always got on really well with Stoptech Sport pads and get many trackdays out of them. I recommended them to a friend with a 350z. He took a new set down to the backing plates by 3pm during a track day at Bedford and ended up on a recovery truck as he hadn't bought any spares along. Admittedly the Nissan is a much heavier car but I wouldn't have expected that level of wear. I'm cautious to recommend anything to anyone now!
Don't get too bogged down in it all though. The first couple of days I did in my NC were on the mismatched road tyres it came with and Brembo or Pagid road pads. I had lots of fun. I never stayed out for too many laps in the early days, it's mentally quite intense at times. The road pads juddered a lot as the pads deposited heavily on the hot discs, but they never faded. I'd use a set of road pads per trackday though, so a decent pad ends up being a lot cheaper in the long run. It's similar with tyres. Half the fun for me has been adding better parts incrementally and seeing how they change things on track, you appreciate the grip that a better tyre provides a lot more if you can remember how the car handled previously and by then you've built up a bit more experience to carry more speed. The other school of thought is that you want the best brakes and tyres from day one to keep you out of trouble. That's equally valid.
Another option for your brake pad list, I think there's a discount code for Bofi in the NC Europe group:
https://bofiracing.co.uk/roddisons-front-brake-pad...
geraintthomas said:
Thought I'd just clarify my brake needs. The stopping power is fantastic currently, and for track I'm only after two things; a tad better bite than standard, and a pad that won't cook itself. I'll only be tracking it a few times here and there, maybe once every couple of months.
These are the pads I've found that are available for the MX-5 NC, price low to high:
- EBC Ultimax
- Mintex OE replacement
- Cosworth Streetmaster
- Brembo OE replacement
- Black Diamond Predator
- EBC GreenStuff
- Tarox Strada
- EBC RedStuff
- EBC Yellow Stuff
- Ferodo DS2500
- PBS ProRace
I think PBS do a ProTrack pad for the NC too, which is a bit cheaper than the ProRace and possibly better suited to your road miles. More extreme pads tend to be noisy and provide little cold bite which might be undesirable on your commute! The regular eBay 10-20% off coupons often include the Demon Tweeks store who sell PBS pads.These are the pads I've found that are available for the MX-5 NC, price low to high:
- EBC Ultimax
- Mintex OE replacement
- Cosworth Streetmaster
- Brembo OE replacement
- Black Diamond Predator
- EBC GreenStuff
- Tarox Strada
- EBC RedStuff
- EBC Yellow Stuff
- Ferodo DS2500
- PBS ProRace
Thanks for the info, really good to see different opinions there.
Regarding the pads and discs, I'll stick to your recommendations. I know you've done many trackdays now and those pads aren't too bad at all £60-70 ish for front-rear sets. A pad that has a bit more bite than standard that holds up on track is exactly what I need, I'm not after full-on performance at this stage. Mixing a set of front and rear StopTech Sport pads with Brembo discs front and rear comes to £251.84 in total, which is great. If snotrag can vouch for using Brembo discs and Accelebrate can vouch for the StopTech pads, that's good enough for me. I'll add them to the shopping list.
So for fast road and light track use, Brembo discs, StopTech Sport pads, and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 tyres sounds like a great combination so far.
All in favour say aye?
Regarding the pads and discs, I'll stick to your recommendations. I know you've done many trackdays now and those pads aren't too bad at all £60-70 ish for front-rear sets. A pad that has a bit more bite than standard that holds up on track is exactly what I need, I'm not after full-on performance at this stage. Mixing a set of front and rear StopTech Sport pads with Brembo discs front and rear comes to £251.84 in total, which is great. If snotrag can vouch for using Brembo discs and Accelebrate can vouch for the StopTech pads, that's good enough for me. I'll add them to the shopping list.
sdh2903 said:
Id just go for a good set of road tyres then. Michelin ps4 or goodyear asy 5s will be great for both road and track.
Cheers for the recommendations. I've had ps4's on my list for some time, but weighing up the difference between these and the Goodyears you've mentioned with price (£432.94 vs £323.90), the performance difference, and what I'd personally get out of them, the Goodyear would more likely suite what I'm after. When the car is in a good place (brakes, suspension and tyres), and I'm used to track driving, I can move onto improved parts not only to see the benefit from them compared to lesser parts, but also the fact that I'd personally put them to use more.So for fast road and light track use, Brembo discs, StopTech Sport pads, and Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 tyres sounds like a great combination so far.
All in favour say aye?
Kumho PS71 in 215/45/17.
As reccomended by those who race Mk3s, including someone I was about to pay for Michelins.
I am a big proponent of Michelin and Goodyear (I always try and use premium tyres on all cars) however the PS71 specifically is known to work really well on the Mk3 with standard size wheels. for mixed road/track use.
Mine have done 4 trackdays and 6000miles ish and still good. Chunk cheaper than Michelin.
You wont go far wrong with the obvious choices though, just a personal reccomendation. (I haven't checked but they are probably close to the cost of the Goodyears. Note Michelin were 15% off yesterday at Blackcircles)
As reccomended by those who race Mk3s, including someone I was about to pay for Michelins.
I am a big proponent of Michelin and Goodyear (I always try and use premium tyres on all cars) however the PS71 specifically is known to work really well on the Mk3 with standard size wheels. for mixed road/track use.
Mine have done 4 trackdays and 6000miles ish and still good. Chunk cheaper than Michelin.
You wont go far wrong with the obvious choices though, just a personal reccomendation. (I haven't checked but they are probably close to the cost of the Goodyears. Note Michelin were 15% off yesterday at Blackcircles)
Edited by snotrag on Friday 19th February 13:58
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