I've searched for a couple of days and have found nothing.
Heres the problem lately my car has been shaking like crazy.
Here are the symptoms
I have from what I can understand a pinging sound that seems to be coming from my bell housing sounds like a rock bouncing around inj there, and when I let go of the gas it feels like my drive shaft is about to shake its way off, atleast I think it's the drive shaft, I feel the vibrations all the way up my shift ****.
Could there be something loose somewhere that causing the driveshaft to vibrate like that.
Now keep in mind that I am guessing that its the drive shaft vibrating, and the pinging sound is coming from the bell housing.
When I let go of the gas as the car slows down the vibration gets worst, the faster I go the smoother it gets. I only here the sound and feel the vibration when the car is rolling, at idle she's quite.....
Any and all help appreciated.

 

Sounds like you've had a U-joint let go. Get under the car with a flash light and rotate the drive shaft back and forth with the car in gear and see if you have any movement at all.

 

Well just got in from the garage, I lifted the car's rear end, got under with a light, I had my lady spin the tires as I inspected both u joints on the drive shaft, They appear to bee fine, and look strong.
I placed the car in 1st gear, I again went under the car and tried to spin the driveshaft, I could not and heard no noise.
I could spin the wheels in gear, by turning the tires but not fast enough for the noise to happen.
I placed it in neutral, and spun the driveshaft from underneath heard nothing, spun well and no noise.
I had my lady spin the tirs as I was under the car,and once she started to pick up speed.
I heard a loud PING sound like some on just tap the driveshaft with a thin piece of metal PING PING stop ping again nothing steady very random.
What ever this problem is is making my car shake so fast that a vibration occurs in the car, I feel it in my shift ****( the vibration).
I am concerned the vibration is strong, the faster I go the vibration goes away or gets very suttle, and I as I slow down it gets strong and more intence...
HELP

 

Really sounds like a u-joint bearing that's letting the driveshaft run out of balance.

Try sliding the shaft laterally across the u-joint bearings; it should not be able to move in line with the crosses.

Vibrations that vary with rear-wheel speed but not engine speed are from mid-trans back. Especially if they happen with the wheels up.

 

Clutch disc spring is loose and rattling around inside its housing.

 

+1 on the clutch spring. Sounds like a clutch getting ready to fail and a spring flopping around in there. Have you noticed clutch slippage in 4th gear when you floor it? Thats usually the first sign.

To check the drive shaft just get under there and grab it near each end and try to wiggle it against the ujoints in both directions. Any movement is a sign of a problem. There can't be any slop there at all or it will show up as vibrations in your driveline.

 

If it's a clutch spring, wouldn't vibration vary in relation to engine speed, not wheel speed?

(Not arguing - - just want to understand the rationale.)

 

The spring on the clutch was my first thought. Now as far as vibration would the spring missing cause it to vibrate.
One of you said the clutch is about to fail ...in what aspect do you mean.....
I am almost sure the u joints are good I have no play no noise, the u joints have NO PLay at all

 

in that case then it has something to do with the inside of the bell housing and not the U-joints, the only way to be sure is to drop the tranny and check see what's wrong, if you said it was around the bell housing then it's probably a spring, or a pilot bearing or throw out bearing, for either one you still NEED to take the tranny off and check. you said it stops/diminishes the faster you go, so i don't think it's the pilot bearing since that would increase the rattle/shake/noise...it's still something you wanna look into checking ASAP before you do any more damage.

 

Maybe a clutch bolt or 2 came off. Have you removed the inspection plates and looked down in there? You can also remove the starter and see part of the clutch and flywheel.

 

The pilot bearing only turns when the input and output shafts are not turning at the same speed; in other words, when the clutch is disengaged.

If the vibration happens when your foot is off the clutch, it's got nothing to do with the pilot bearing.

 

Well tommorow after work I will be bringing the tranny down to see if I can get to the root of this, I am picking up a clutch tommorow as well, so regardless of the problem since the tranny is down I will be replacing the pressure plate, clutch and throw out bearing.
I will take pics and keep you all posted.
Peace

 

Well I have some good news and some bad news
first the good news.... I have a new clucth, pressure palte and throwout bearing
The bad news, my car is still shaking like crazy.......
I dropped the tranny and the clutch looked just as good as the new one I bought.
The shaking is controlled or suttle but very fast with my foot on the gas,once I ket go of the gas she starts shaking.
I pride myself on having common sence, and everything feels like it would be the drive shaft.
I checked the ujoints numerous times, and had other friends of mine look at it. Now keep in mind we are not experts at driveshaft......
Please help as the vibration is gonna eventually shake all the screws of my dash.....

 

This probably doesnt help at all but I had this exact same problem. When I would let off, the vibration would occur and when in the gas the vibration would go away. I figured out what it was when my wheel came off and passed me on the highway.

Maybe its something with the rearend??? You checked the clutch and d/shaft so I guess work your way back?????

 

It wouldn't explain the noise, but maybe there is a problem with one of the wheels/tires (loss of balance weights, ply separation, etc.).

Maybe you could put the car on blocks (rear in the air), run the engine, and put into gear. Maybe you could better isolate the problem.

My car has an aftermarket driveshaft (larger) and it had the problem of the front u-joint hitting the heat shield. Made an awful noise/vibration. It would come and go depending on going up/down hills, accel/decel.

What mazdatrix says:

http://www.mazdatrix.com/g2.htm

 

check that the fly wheel is tight 300 lbs

 

I had recently put in a new used third member about a month ago, this problem started about a week and a half ago, if that helps....
I really dont think it's the third member, but I could be wrong.....
It has been running smooth with no noise.......

 

It's time to get systematic about your troubleshooting. Here are some tests that might help isolate the problem to a specific part of the drivetrain:

Your last msg mentioned that the vibration is much worse when decelerating (foot off gas.) Is this true with clutch IN, clutch OUT, or BOTH (in/out/both)

If you coast your car down a hill with the clutch in, shifter in neutral and engine at idle, do you feel the vibration? (yes/no)

If you coast your car down a hill with the clutch in, shifter in gear and engine at idle, do you feel the vibration? (yes/no)

Do you feel the vibration with the clutch pedal depressed? (yes/no)

Do you feel the vibration only at certain ROAD speeds? (yes/no)

Do you feel the vibration only at certain PRM ranges? (yes/no)

Do you ever feel the vibration when the car is sitting still, and the clutch is in? (yes/no)

Do you feel the vibration if you CAREFULLY put the rear up on stands (block the front tires) and use the engine & trans to spin the tires? (yes/no)

Do you feel the vibration if you CAREFULLY put the rear up on stands (block the front tires), remove the rear tires, put the lugs back on with washers to hold the brake parts, and use the engine & trans to spin the rearend? (yes/no)

 

Have you checked the transmission mount? The rubber separates from the metal and can cause a pretty severe vibration. It is usually hard to see when its on the car.
Got my last one from rockauto.com for $20 or so. Look under the 12A cars on rock auto, the SE shows a motor mount. The manual tranny mounts are the same for 12A or 13B.

Here's Mazdatrix's listing.
http://www.mazdatrix.com/g3.htm

 

Ok so I finally got a chance to look at my rx7. I have the rear end up in the air, with Jack Stands, and the front is blocked.
I drove the car earlier today and did some diffrent things to see how she reacted.
I am convinced something is up with my driveshaft now.
My car basically begins to vibrate at all speeds above 5 to 10 miles an hour, really really bad beetween 20 and 30. The car shakes regardless of it being in any gear or in neutral.
I did notice though,,, that when she was in gear an I was pressing the gas she would shake as usuall, then when I let go of the gas the vibration was still there but ever so suttle, press the gass again, and instantly vibrate again as usuall.
The vibration would also at times just go away like nothing ever happened, for a few seconds, maybe 2seconds this time 5 seconds the next time. but this did not happen often, but happens.
So my thinking is this...... I had checked my driveshaft earlier, like you guys recommended I felt no play when the car was in gear I could not spin the tires and I could not move the drive shaft left to right , sort of speaking, I do have a lil play back and forth, not much a tinsy bit I will measure later on.
I did recently do some work on my car, that being replacing the third member with a new used one,,, Could it be that I have the wrong third memeber?
Maybe I did not install the driveshaft correctly, I'm sure I did, it only went back one way,, Was I suppose to place the same bolts in there same exact holes I took them out of,, where the drive shaft and the third member connect? PLEASE keep in mind that this problem recently occured and I did the rear end about a month and a half ago.
Maybe my u joints only seem to be bad when theres actuall load on them....
WHAT r you thoughts
Thanks again for the Help
Peace
Cruz

 

I agree. I had bad vibrations like these back in the day. It was a bad transmission mount, along with one bad engine mount. The vibrations were very similar to a bad U-joint (I've suffered that as well.).

 

Well I have to apoligize to you all, you guys where rite from the start
MY U JOINT was bad, I checked as you guys said and i found nothing wrong, just 2 days ago the vibration was so bad I could not drive it so I re inspected it and saw the ujoint was in fact broken.
went out today to get a new u joint put on, PROBLEM solved.
I still am getting a little vibration, but I was only able to afford one u joint the bad one, maybe the other one is going, I am also gonna replace the motor mounts and tranny mounts...
But Ide like to thank you guys for the help
PEACE
CRUZ

 

Good to know you solved the problem;

Front or rear u-joint?

 

It was the front on the yoke.... I still feel a little shaking nothing like before, but now I intend to change out the motor mounts and tranny mounts, and get the rear u joint fixed, hopefully she be nice and smooth then..