Funky rear end movement

[b.wallach]

I've been driving the car for some time now and found some scary parts that I'd like to ask about.
I was driving about 65mph on a road, came up to a 45mph rated corner and not knowing the road I slowed down to about 55mph. As I went into the corner I let off the gas a bit (I usually try to keep a neutral power or put on a little) but the turn came up fast. The rear end swung out something fierce and scared the heck out of me. I also noticed this adding a bit of power around a corner. What is recommended for entering a sharper corner at a close to max speed? I've always added power on other cars that brought the car into it with max control. I've owned and raced the Dat. Z cars and driven a few rear engine cars and had good control over them at all speeds but this miata has me shaking my head about what to do with it.
I thought being a pretty evenly balanced car you could keep a even speed with no trouble even at it's max speed. I'm thinking of adding bracing to the car to stiffen it up as it seemed a lot like car flex and was a new experience. I don't have any track to take the car on to really get to know it's limits and don't want to find out the hard way on a road with other cars on it.
I think it could use some better tires also and am really really considering going for a set of larger sway bars. The shocks are still in great shape and there is no tracking problems with the car.
Any inputs would be nice but only very experienced drivers with this car should reply that have owned the car for 5 years or more.

[Mindcore]

I'll take a stab at it, haven't owned a Miata, but driven them many times, and have lots of race experience.

The Miata is very well balanced, which at moderate speeds is about as good as it gets, but.. when you're pushing it, it makes car control all that more important. Figure that it's perfectly balanced in the center, it stands to reason that any slight modification to that neutrailty will cause it to change.

As you mention, it is better to keep some power on the rear wheels during a turn, it will keep the weight over the back tires and keep the rear end in check.

You mention letting off the gas, if this was prior to the turn no problem, if you started that during the turn, you've loaded the car in the front giving good tracking, but poor rear traction which can come around on you.

All that being said, it's not your first time, so I would check a few things.

Make sure your alignment is proper, if one wheel is off a little it can catch a rut ever so slightly and upset the car, as well if it's not tracking straight can remove some of that predictability you were expecting.

Miata's are incredible in stock form, but for serious driving, larger swaybars are huge improvement. Not sure what year you have, but keep in mind they got heavier as they got newer.

To answer your question, what is recommended for entering a turn at max speed? well something has to give. You only have so much traction available, based on your slip angle you can either have traction, turn, or drift. When ever you enter a turn at what you consider max speed, you need to assess how much slip there may be, and hope you have enough road to make the turn, there's really nothing more to it than that.

And lastly yes, tires will make a difference, even if you have tread, if they are older, and have hardened they won't have the same traction as they once did. Plus, some tires are just better than others. You have to have a compromise though.

I use Toyo RA-1's on my car, and they stick like glue, but they have no warning whatsoever.. when they let go, they let go, and if you didn't see it coming before it happened, it's too late. Others like Potenza RE-01's have great drip, and are obviously a street tire, they'll make some noise before it's too late.

Hope that helps.. I'll let a real Miata guy have the floor now

[b.wallach]

I know what your saying, I should have thought it through more. The Miata is more touchy that the prev. car's I've owned and much lighter. It's reacts faster and more pronounced than the 240z's I'm used to. It's a older 95 year. I put poly bushings on the sway bars front and back to help the stock bar but I think I should go for a better set and the tires while good are older. I'm considering going to 15in rims and tires. Just for a better selection. I don't race it and really don't over do it but did get caught in a corner or two where I messed up and let off the gas as I came into it. And once hit the gas as I was playing with the handling trying to learn the car when I got it. It's just that I never had the reaction I got in other cars except a 66 corvair I used to do mountain runs on. Had that one built up pretty good and was about as good as my Z car was once I learned the car. Loved it. Almost hit a cow in idaho on a mountain road and was going fast. Had to hit the gas hard to make the curve and move the front end more to get by the darn thing. Almost did a flying corvair lesson but there was just enough between the cows behind and the roads drop off point. That car was very unforgiving letting off the gas, it would spin easy. Lots of rear end weight that liked to go faster than the rest of the car if I screwed the corner. I got used to using a lot of gas around turns with that car but the miata doesn't like that either, you have to be very used to this car I've been finding. Know the road, slam the brakes before and power out of the corner seems to be great with it.
One thing, would adding the aftermarket braces for the underside frame help this out also? I just feel a flex from front to rear that may add to how sharp it came on.
Great car to drive but it's a new learning experience.