Hood tension wires/springs NA soft top

WhiteX · Postby **WhiteX** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:12 pm

I was looking around inside my soft top and noticed that a tensioning wire, that keeps the hood tensioned above the window, is broken. There is a spring behind the rear pillar attached to the wire. I can feel remains of the wire along the fold at the edge of the hood.

Anyone know of any way of repairing/replacing? A pointer to diagrams may help!

My MX5 is a 1997 NA8.

Thanks.

russs · Postby **russs** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:03 pm

Im doing the same job right now.

http://www.miata.net/garage/top/

You should be able to replace the cables with the top in place.

If you open the top half-way see if you can peel back the fabric from the passenger or drivers side near the front to reveal the rivet that holds the plastic connector that is on the front end of the tension cable.

This rivet would need to be drilled out in order to replace the cable. also try to peel back the fabric at the part of the frame that would be in contact with the rear of the window (window, not windshield).

Here you should find the cable connected to a tension spring and the other end of the spring screwed to the frame.

Make note of the path that the cable takes around the top hinges as you have to put the new cable in the same way.

If you have access to these two points then you can replace the cable without having to remove the top.

The only other step in the process is that you will have to fish the cable through the top itself. This should not be too difficult to do. You could tape the new cable to the old cable and pull the new cable through as you remove the old one.

Mazda part number for the soft top tension cable and spring is NA01-R1-215. (US Source)

russs · Postby **russs** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:05 pm

message me. maybe we can fix both at the same time

WhiteX · Postby **WhiteX** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 2:08 pm

Thanks Russ - I've pm'd you (I hope).

Postby **Okibi** » Sun Jan 22, 2006 2:36 am

I got some from http://www.mx5parts.co.uk, i think they're made my IL Motorsport so MX-5 Mania could get them in too.

WhiteX · Postby **WhiteX** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 12:49 pm

Thank you Okibi. I had just picked up availability at mx5parts.co.uk . A number of reviews there describe fitting issues with hole alignment. (http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info. ... cts_id/451) What is your experience?

For anyone else following this thread now or in the future, there's some fitting hints and tips on http://home.freeuk.com/jrknight/seroadsters/newroof.htm

Straighten out a coat hanger and fashion a small loop on the end, making sure there are no sharp edges. Use the coat hanger to pull the side cable through the sewn-in channel on the new top, taking care not to snag anything on the top material. Be sure the spring and cable are threaded through the hole in the top frame the same as they were before disassembly. By moving the top frame up or down, line up the screw hole with the cable end and screw the cable back onto the top frame. This will require a bit of pulling as you are working against the tension of the spring. I found the best way was to tape the screw to the screwdriver, put it through the end of the spring and pull down. It also helps to block up the drainholes behind the seatbelt towers with some paper or rags. Screws, nuts etc. invariably get lost in this area. If they drop down the drain holes, they don't necessarily fall through onto the drive. More often than not, the plastic baffle in the drain catches them. If this happens, you need a telescopic magnet to fetch them out.