EOI: (Mini Group Buy) SADfab MR2-S rear hubs for Miata

[greenMachine]

Just a heads up for you blokes, if you are yet to install these. I had a problem with one of the hubs, it had a small dag or something in/on the spline preventing full travel of the shaft, no amount of shoving and tapping would convince the shaft to go more than 2/3rds of the way in. This was fixed with a light filing of the bore and the splines. Given the splines do not get Sadfab's attention, this was clearly a supplier problem.

I have emailed Sean, and will update my post on MTnet.

[Lokiel]

Thanks for the heads-up - I appreciate "gotchas" up front, can save a lot of time and grief if you can prepare for them.

I plan to fit mine AFTER completing the TSE manifold+downpipe install (car's on stands at the moment).

[Luke]

How did this go for you guys? Run it on track yet?
Last comment on miata.net is greenMachine's from last year as per the comment in this thread!!!

I will be doing a rear end rebuild, including, installation of a new LSD diff to replace the SE OEM unit and new diff mounts at the end of this years race season.

So I will also do the bearings and hubs while it's in pieces at the same time as I'm sure mine are all original. That is what I have been told.
I am trying to work out what direction to go in for the rear hubs.
I actually already have bearings as they came as spares with the car. Does the Sadfab MR2 kit use normal MX-5 bearings or are they different as well?

BTW car has 200RWKW's and 190 000km's. All rear end parts are still original as far as I know so I am seriously trying to work out the advantage of going to MR2 hubs when the OEM bits have lasted this long.

[greenMachine]

Luke, mine went in smoothly (after the little de-bugging exercise ), you have to look very closely to see the studs are a different pattern (no lead-in), and the little ring projecting. Everything (calipers, disk) in exactly the same position as factory, so any mod to a stock NB8B/SE that fits factory setups would fit (eg BBK). Sean said he had been checking the splines, but got slack as they found no problems - after my experience they are now checking again, so should be no recurrence. Yes, I think they are stock MX5 bearings, but check, it is a while ago now and my memory has faded.

However Sean has dropped off the radar lately, having bought a new house, moving etc, and production seems to have slowed/stopped. There is a long queue, if you are thinking of ordering.

I would also be looking at the BMW fronts as well, in your situation. They are a slightly less developed solution than Sean's, seems like the cheaper bearing options has not proved track-proof, so the higher quality bearings seem to be the go for us track rats. Don't seem to have been any structural problems with the hub itself, bearing choice seems to be the only issue. The cheapies will be fine on the road, but if it is just a road car you don't need the upgrades anyway.

PM me your phone number, we should talk - now.

[plohl]

Has anyone got a set of these uninstalled that they're willing to part with. Hub failure through the sweeper at Morgan Park was not pleasant.

[Hoolio]

I was thinking about this driving home from the event and I couldn't see any way* for the hub to part company with the CV joint unless one of them broke. So what happened? I'm figuring that the hub broke; the wheel mounting flange departed with the wheel and the central part of the hub remained attached to the CV joint and the bearing intact.

* Well, the other way is for the big nut to come off, but that wouldn't happen suddenly and you would feel it coming lose.

[greenMachine]

Plenty of photos on MT.net, but that description sums it up.

[Luke]

Been doing a bit of digging for standard rear hubs.
Could not find the OEM part number no matter how hard I googled!!!
Good thing I made myself a spreadsheet many years ago , including rear end OEM part numbers.
B01A-33-060A.

Very pricey. Through Amayama who often end up the cheapest for OEM bits, they are $160 each plus $20 shipping for 1.
So lets say at least $340 for the pair shipped.
Would then have to add ARP studs to that as well. About $120 for the 8 of them from what I can find online in Australia. Shipping from USA outweighs the price difference unless I buy other stuff from the same vendor.
So about $460 all up.

SADFab MR2 hubs are only $160USD atm. So about $230.
Add ARP studs for another $80USD.
So $240 USD all up, and I don't have to press in the studs.
So $340 Aussie dollars plus shipping($120USD based on greenmachines post about it) and a little currency conversion loss.
So somewhere around $500-520 at my door depending on the day of the week.

Not sounding to bad at all compared to OEM.
So its looking like a no brainer.

I may get his Delrin differential bushings and rear upper control arms spherical bearings as well while I'm at it.


The only concern I have is GST.
Only bought stuff from overseas through ebay lately who do GST for you so no idea how GST works through other retailers.
So how does this PITA GST thing work now?

[StanTheMan]

If eBay does GST
Whatever the full amount is you divide it by 11. That’s your GST amount .
Countries like Australia & the UK have prices inclusive of GST. Countries like Canada & USA don’t so in those countries gST needs to be added as opposed taken away. If you want to know what you are up for.

Then you have websites which are Dynamic. They can see what country you are from . It might say GST or Vat not included because they can see you’re purchasing outside the zone they trade in.
It might have a disclaimer.
It also then depends if the site is registered for GST in Australia .
A lot of e-commerce also now open in the local domain. They may or may not have a warehouse in AU. But if the have more than 70K of gst eligible products coming into AU they need to register for GST. But I doubt the AU gov. Polices this



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[ManiacLachy]

SADFab is a small outfit, they likely won't be pulled up for GST on imports as long as you're under $1k. I recently had an order from Fab9 that didn't get pulled up, and they're a bit bigger of a company. There's a possibility sure, but it's slim.

Be aware Sean is waaaaay behind on the backlog right now, expect a long wait on any order. His stuff is good, but this is a side gig for him and he's got life stuff on, new house etc.

[greenMachine]

It looks like that backlog is gone.

Shane, Luke, you may get lucky, and order at the right time. I'm guessing that a few people have been put off by the backlog, that might mean a bit of rush of orders when people see the backlog clearing fast.

Luke, pretty sure this is one of those GST lotteries. I never paid GST on mine, or my Bronfab(!) fronts. Clearly there is leakage at the border, my experience is that the odds are good.

[Magpie]

His stuff is good.

Can you remember if these hubs took the standard MX5 rear wheel bearings? I need to order the parts to fit mine in August.

[ManiacLachy]

Search n00b!

From the main topic over at miataturbo.net

The hubs fit all NA/NB miatae with any brake combination(OEM na6, na8, nb, sport, wilwood, stoptech, etc) and use Miata rear wheel bearings. The ARP studs are 1" longer than stock at 2.6" vs 1.6".

[Magpie]

is anyone actually busting rear hubs?

Not that I know of.

[ManiacLachy]

He's a believer now