I noticed that while i was driving i heard a thud when switching from first to second gear. well, while i was driving i put a little too much gas in and heard a thud while switching into first. i noticed that going 30mph the car was loud and making a funny vibration. and when i switch gears it sounds like metal is scraping some times. or like i'm dragging something.... HELP!!!!!

 

Ah! It sounds like the classic case of dragging something. I'd look under the car to see what it is. I hope this helps.

 

i tried that and i didn't see anything, for some reason the car rides smooth until 30mph even at high rpm it rides smooth. even if i have the clutch down it rumbles at 30 is it's not transmission nor engine but i don't know what it is

 

U joints are gone, maybe the rear end, its one of those

 

U joint is my guess... Replace both of them..

 

Ya but even still u joints don't make clunk noises when you change gears. It should just make your car feel really stiff or you might hear creaking noises. Or you might notice stearing is well to say the least shitty. But you could have possibly ground a gear and that clunk noise is it trying to catch up.

 

inspect the motor and transmission mounts

 

That really does sound like a U-joint problem. Lee Lyons your thinking of ball joints... If you dont do your own work a local shop can get the whole thing done well under $100 even less if you already have the parts, because they might not have them right away. There is a slight chance that it could be the rear end, but id change the u-joints first and go from there.

 

metallic_rock's car had this happen to his. He'd shift and you'd hear a clunk, and it would vibrate at higher speeds.

One of the bolts on his driveshaft was different size, and was throwing off the balance. make sure all the bolts are in place and everything. Make sure it isnt broken .

 

SAme thing happened to me once..

Turned out, I just hit some little kid on a goped.

 

It only hapens when you shift gears? Just don't shift, 7's can go up to 12000-25000 RPM's right?
The smoke and sounds are normal at thost high RPM's.

 

i took it for another drive and it shakes at 30 mph and when i switch gears, as i let out the clutch i hear a rattling. i'm affriad its the transmission! ****!

 

Ok, please listen to me, or theres no real sense in this post. You need to replace the U-joints on the drive shaft no matter what, they're now brand new and they're prolly all toasted. Thats where your play is coming from. The axle still spins even if you let the clutch in. It'll only take a little time to get it done, and after that if theres still a problem, you can get your tranny and rear end looked at.

 

I had the same problem with mine this past summer and it was indeed the U-joints. It's easy enough to check and be sure... Just climb under there and wiggle the driveshaft and watch the play in the joints.

 

yeah, definatly a u-joint. when mine went it did the same thing, even the "clunk" when shifting. I think that is just the joints slaming into the holes they are in on the driveshaft. Just get some new u-joints, they are like $40 from mazda.

 

What year is it? The 81's and up have a non replaceable u-joint on the drive shaft. You have to replace the whole shaft, its like 300 bucks from mazda.

My reccomendation is to go to mazdatrix and buy one of their driveshafts. They are better construction than the origionals, cost less (about $220) and have replaceable u-joints. I have one on my car now and it kicks ***!

 

I have an 82 and I replaced the u-joints on it. I think I have a mazdatrix driveshaft though...

 

U joints are cheap and easy to install.

Just consider replacing them as the first step in he diagnosis.

 

yeah i have an order form from victoria someting or other they have u-joints seperate for my 82

 

woops, its 83 and up not 81, my bad

 

right now my car has the exact same problem. Its an 85-GSL SE. So im going to have to replace the whole shaft because the Ujoints dont come seperate for that model?? Also I need a new rear end for my car(found one for 150). She shakes and rumbles when i drive...mmm the vibrations. lol.

 

I agree. What happens when u-joints are bad (lose, wobbly) is when the load is taken off the drivetrain (shifting) the slack is allowing the units to wobble around again, causing the clunk or vibration.

 

 

Like EVERYONE said, its the driveshaft/U-joints. I would goto a wrecking yard if you dont have much money, otherwise do what horn said, and get the mazdatrix.

 

twas the u joints for the rumbling got it fixed but for some reason the fire wall was missing a bold and that was the rattling, i have some rumbling from my back end too(car not my actual ***). might be because i need to new tires...thanks for the help