Restore your Miata's suspension, wheel bearings, and tie rods to like‑new condition.
Based on: Project NA Miata: Complete Suspension Refresh by 1A Auto: Repair Tips & Secrets Only Mechanics Know
▶ Watch the source video on YouTube
What if your 30-year-old Miata could ride exactly the way it did the day it rolled off the line in 1990? That question is worth asking — because if your NA Miata has cracked bushings, ripped ball joint boots, and rust-crusted control arm bolts, it absolutely does not feel that way right now.
Here's what's really going on under your car: the NA Miata uses a double-wishbone suspension setup front and rear — one of the best suspension designs ever put on a street car. But that precision geometry only works when every component is in good shape. Worn ball joints introduce slop. Compressed springs kill your handling balance. Cracked bushings turn every corner into a guessing game. And degraded tie rods mean your alignment is a moving target no matter how many times you get it set. Your Miata was engineered to be brilliant. Old, tired parts are robbing you of that.
Now picture this: fresh struts, new springs, tight ball joints, solid bushings, and properly installed inner and outer tie rods — all torqued down at proper ride height so nothing binds. Your Miata tracking arrow-straight, turning in exactly where you point it, absorbing bumps the way Mazda intended. That's not a fantasy. That's what this job delivers when it's done right.
The team at 1A Auto has been teaching real-world repair skills to everyday car owners for years, and their Project NA Miata build is one of the most thorough suspension walkthroughs you'll find anywhere. They cover not just the how, but the why — like why you must tighten control arm bolts at ride height instead of on the lift, why the eccentric bolt marks matter, and why counting tie rod revolutions before removal is the difference between a quick alignment and a nightmare.
This checklist captures every single actionable step from that video — from bagging and labeling your hardware before you even pull the first bolt, all the way through wheel bearing replacement, inner and outer tie rod installation, and getting to the alignment shop when you're done. No guessing, no rewinding the video, no missed steps.
If you own an NA Miata and you're ready to give it the suspension refresh it deserves, this checklist is your game plan. Print it out, grab your bags and marker, and let's get started.
Every checklist item comes with actionable notes to guide you — things like "Don't forget to do this before you start," "Avoid this common mistake," or "Set a reminder for 30 days out." Nothing vague, just clear next steps.
+ 32 more action items inside...
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