57 replies to this topic

[Brandon]

What's been the general consensus on the legality of these hubs?

 

http://www.mazdamoto...d=10001&langId=

 

I haven't seen anything submitted to the CRB for approvals/denials but......

 

 

[Jim Drago]

Brandon

They are the same hubs we have been selling for years. They are legal.  The balls are same material, just better quality ( more round ). No way to distinguish by looking with naked eye, no spec on the balls that came in the hubs originally. The hubs that came on the car aren't even the same, they have been changed several times since 1990 

Jim

[Brandon]

Thanks Jim.  I misunderstood the picture they show there as I've never seen a rear hub/bearing separated from the upright before.  

Thought they were using a bearing "cartridge" for the front instead of the balls!

[Jim Drago]

gotcha.  

[Alberto]

Are these from AWR like many of the other MazdaSpeed parts or another supplier?

Just curious.

[Jim Drago]

Are these from AWR like many of the other MazdaSpeed parts or another supplier?
Just curious.

Yes, from AWR

[Bench Racer]

9.1.8.C. Spec Miata Class Authorized Modifications

 

If the factory manual or these rules provide only a partial specification or

 

no specification at all, the Mazda parts may not be modified beyond what

is allowed in these rules. Compliance of such parts will be determined

by comparison to new parts delivered by Mazda. Other approved parts

with only a partial specification or no specification available in these rules

may not be modified. Compliance of such parts will be determined by

comparison to new parts from the supplier.

 

PARTS SPOTLIGHT: MIATA HEAVY DUTY FRONT HUBS

“We start with a stock hub and have a company disassemble them and take out the OEM grease,
says Mike Allen, MAZDASPEED specialist at Mazda North American Operations.
We remove the ball bearings and replace them with a much better, more precise,
more round ball bearing, which gives a lot better life and a lot better wear.
The grease we put back in is a high-quality, synthetic lube that tends to stay in the hub
a lot better. But really it’s the ball bearings that really improve the durability of that
front hub. “The more precise the ball bearing is, the more you can have consistent sphericity
and it’s more of an even load distribution. If you have one of those bearings that is
slightly larger than the others, it’s going to be taking most of the force.”

 

David Dewhurst

My e-mail is not functioning.

[Jim Drago]

As I said, these hubs are 100% legal for competition in SM.  

[bmarshall1]

Brandon

They are the same hubs we have been selling for years. They are legal.  The balls are same material, just better quality ( more round ). No way to distinguish by looking with naked eye, no spec on the balls that came in the hubs originally. The hubs that came on the car aren't even the same, they have been changed several times since 1990 

Jim

 

 

Jim,

 

How would you say the MazdaSpeed hub package compare to yours?  In your post above the verbiage to me sounds like they are the same hubs from the same mfg but not sure about the bearings, or... are you stating it's the same hub only but your perform your own magic on the internals, or your and AWR's processes are the exactly same, or your's are the AWR hubs.  I am not trying to get any proprietary info, just trying to figure out what I am getting for my money, if this crosses the boundaries please let me know and I will edit my post.

 

I'm in the market for new hubs and looking for the value and reliability (so far it's East Street)

[Jim Drago]

I have never seen the AWR hubs, just read the description.  

There is no magic or secret  in what any of us do..  You can do it yourself. 

 

Buy quality hubs or start with used OEM

use higher quality balls

find a grease that works best

We masssage the seals to reduce drag, I dont think AWR does taht but I dont know. 

 

We sell a bunch as most dont want to fool with it or reinvent the wheel. We also buy the hubs for less than anyone else as we buy them 100 at a time. 

[bmarshall1]

I have never seen the AWR hubs, just read the description.  

There is no magic or secret  in what any of us do..  You can do it yourself. 

 

Buy quality hubs or start with used OEM

use higher quality balls

find a grease that works best

We masssage the seals to reduce drag, I dont think AWR does taht but I dont know. 

 

We sell a bunch as most dont want to fool with it or reinvent the wheel. We also buy the hubs for less than anyone else as we buy them 100 at a time. 

Jim,

 

Thanks for the quick response, I'll be gettign some on order soon.

 

What about ther rear bearings> do you have or recommend anything particular there?

[Jim Drago]

We do the same thing in rears, but only sell in assembled rear knuckles

[Bench Racer]

Within post #7 are two facts.
Fact #1, Rule 9.1.8.C. Spec Miata Class Authorized Modifications.
Fact #2, MazdaSpeed uses improved bearings in the Miata heavy duty front hubs.
MazdaSpeed admittedly uses improved through more better, precise, rounder ball bearings which the rule specifies is not allowed.
Will someone please specify the over riding fact rule which allows, better, precise, rounder ball bearings to be used within the hubs. I sure don't want to be using hubs that do not meet rule 9.1.8.C. Post the fact rule and I STFU.
David Dewhurst
My e-mail is not functioning.

[Johnny D]

Within post #7 are two facts.
Fact #1, Rule 9.1.8.C. Spec Miata Class Authorized Modifications.
Fact #2, MazdaSpeed uses improved bearings in the Miata heavy duty front hubs.
MazdaSpeed admittedly uses improved through more better, precise, rounder ball bearings which the rule specifies is not allowed.
Will someone please specify the over riding fact rule which allows, better, precise, rounder ball bearings to be used within the hubs. I sure don't want to be using hubs that do not meet rule 9.1.8.C. Post the fact rule and I STFU.
David Dewhurst
My e-mail is not functioning.

 

Oh dear, I'm scared, because I've gotten my ball bearings checked in tech so often.

J~

[James York]

Within post #7 are two facts.
Fact #1, Rule 9.1.8.C. Spec Miata Class Authorized Modifications.
Fact #2, MazdaSpeed uses improved bearings in the Miata heavy duty front hubs.
MazdaSpeed admittedly uses improved through more better, precise, rounder ball bearings which the rule specifies is not allowed.
Will someone please specify the over riding fact rule which allows, better, precise, rounder ball bearings to be used within the hubs. I sure don't want to be using hubs that do not meet rule 9.1.8.C. Post the fact rule and I STFU.
David Dewhurst
My e-mail is not functioning.

You need a real life.

[Bench Racer]

 

Will someone please specify the over riding fact rule which allows, better, precise, rounder ball bearings to be used within the hubs.
David Dewhurst
My e-mail is now functioning.

Johnny, James, yes, your comments definently specify the rule that allows the improved ball berings. You know and I know that if OEM ball bearings are measure and the MazdaSpeed ball bearing are measured the MazdaSpeed ball bearings will not meet rule 9.1.8.C.
David Dewhurst

[Duncan]

 
Johnny, James, yes, your comments definently specify the rule that allows the improved ball berings. You know and I know that if OEM ball bearings are measure and the MazdaSpeed ball bearing are measured the MazdaSpeed ball bearings will not meet rule 9.1.8.C.
David Dewhurst

 

Spell out for me how you would go about measuring this to determine compliance?

 

Duncan

[Jim Drago]

 
Johnny, James, yes, your comments definently specify the rule that allows the improved ball berings. You know and I know that if OEM ball bearings are measure and the MazdaSpeed ball bearing are measured the MazdaSpeed ball bearings will not meet rule 9.1.8.C.
David Dewhurst

Yes they will.  There is NO ONE on this forum or the SCCA who will be able to measure or even distinguish one from the other.  Besides that, the quality of the replacement hubs being sold now even by Mazda is NOT the same quality of the bearings  when the cars were sold new. The balls being replaced are being brought to origional OE quality.  No WAY THESE ARE NOT COMPLIANT, even to the biggest sticklers of the rules.  

 

You are welcome to protest my car at the Sprints.. I'll bet $500 you lose.  I want $0.00 for the bond.. so if you win it costs you nothing and you win $500.00.  When you lose, you'll be down $600.00 

[James York]

 
...... You know and I know that if OEM ball bearings are measure and the MazdaSpeed ball bearing are measured the MazdaSpeed ball bearings will not meet rule 9.1.8.C......
David Dewhurst

 

Really?  Ok you are so smart, tell me what specification would be in violation.  Do you think the SCCA or Mazda has a specification on the standard deviation of "roundness"

 

But please, protest somebody's hubs if you know so much more than the rest of us.

[huttshipcrazy]

Within post #7 are two facts.
Fact #1, Rule 9.1.8.C. Spec Miata Class Authorized Modifications.
Fact #2, MazdaSpeed uses improved bearings in the Miata heavy duty front hubs.
MazdaSpeed admittedly uses improved through more better, precise, rounder ball bearings which the rule specifies is not allowed.
Will someone please specify the over riding fact rule which allows, better, precise, rounder ball bearings to be used within the hubs. I sure don't want to be using hubs that do not meet rule 9.1.8.C. Post the fact rule and I STFU.
David Dewhurst
My e-mail is not functioning.

 

 

So we can either listen to the the guy that has been on the CRB for several years, won two National Championships and been through more tear downs than the next few competitors combined or We can take the advice of a know it all that has done little for this site but complain about TQ on a car that he supposedly owns but has raced once in the last eight years.  That settles it, I am with Bench!