Miata Mailing List: January 1999, Message #30

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There's been a lot of talk here lately about removing the front tie-down
hooks on a '99, so I dug back into the archives (June '98) to find my
detailed message on how I did it on a non-ABS car:

"Here's how I removed the front tie-down hooks on my '99; the rear
tie-downs are welded on and are, for all practical purposes, not
removable.

The job took me about 45 minutes, including the time it took to figure
out the right combination of tools. I'm  sure I could do the job again
in less than 30 minutes. As always, YMMV.

First, if you have ham-sized hands, forget it. The working space is very

tight. Second, if you lack patience for tedious jobs, learn to love your

M2's tie-down hooks. Third, if you're as prone to dropping tools as I
am, lay a couple layers of towel on the bottom of the grill opening to
protect the paint when gravity rips a wrench from your faltering grip.
And fourth, be prepared for all your blood to rush to your elbows and
make your arms ache because of the length of time you have to keep your
arms in strange positions.  Also, keep your car on the ground; jacking
up the front end will just make this task more difficult.  ;-)

Each of the tow hooks has three bolts—two in front and one in back; all
are 14 mm. Fortunately, none of the bolts are torqued to very high
values, so they're easy to break loose. However, the threads are fine
enough so that removing the bolts with your fingers is out of the
question until they're almost all of the way out. And, since the
threaded portion of the bolts is about 7/8" , you may feel like you're
unscrewing each one for close to forever.

The two front bolts are easy to reach, but they're a real pain to turn
out because the room for swinging the wrench is so limited. Start with
the "inside" bolt on each side. I used a Craftsman 14mm open-end wrench
and a Craftsman 14mm box-end wrench, alternating between the two when I
couldn't swing one of the wrenches far enough to turn it over, grab the
bolt and swing it again. (I never actually measured how far I could move

the wrench on each swing, but sometimes it felt like it was only 1" to 1

1/2"—a quarter turn or less.) You'll know when each bolt is ready to
come out (the last thread or two), because it will finally turn with
very little resistance. Grab it with your fingers if you can, so it
doesn't fall and damage something. Otherwise, the lock washer and the
larger washer will keep the bolt from falling off your wrench when you
carefully pull them both out.

The rear bolt on each side is even easier to remove—if you have the
right combination of tools. I used a Craftsman 1/4" ratchet attached to
a 6" extension, a 3" extension, a universal joint, a 1/4" to 3/8" drive
adapter and a 3/8" drive 14mm socket. (I don't know if anyone makes a
1/4" drive 14mm socket, but I don't have one. And it didn't really
matter anyway, because my 3/8" drive wouldn't fit through the nooks and
crannies.) You can fish your socket wrench assembly up from underneath
the car on both sides through holes behind the black air dam and near
the ends of the radiator. Using a universal joint will allow you to
angle the socket assembly toward each bolt and still get a square fit on

the bolt with the socket. (If your universal joint is loose and keeps
flopping over, you can run a strip of tape lightly around the center of
it to limit its movement.) Once you've grabbed the bolts on either side,

it's easy to turn them out. Remember to hold the tie-down hook with your

other hand so it doesn't crash down and damage whatever's underneath it
when the bolt is free.

Stop cussing! You're done—although you might want to prime, paint or
rustproof the threaded holes in the car's frame that now are open and
exposed to the elements. Then bandage up your skinned knuckles, admire
the look of your car without the orthodontia, and take it for a drive to

remind yourself just how much you love it.

Caution One: This job is more tedious than difficult, so expect it to
take longer than you imagined—especially if you've performed the same
operation on an M1.
Caution Two: The fins on the radiator are sharp and easily bent, so if
you're going to slip and hit something with your hand, slip in a
direction away from the radiator!  <G>
Caution Three: Unless you have 14mm tools, don't try this job. 9/16"
wrenches and sockets are, IMHO, too sloppy and may round off the
bolts—besides limiting your swing distances even further because of the
loose fit on the head of the bolt.
Caution Four: If your Miata has air-conditioning, watch out for the a/c
plumbing on the passenger side. (I don't know about ABS-equipped cars or

Sport models with the front air dams, since I haven't seen either of
these variations yet.)
Caution Five: The techniques described here worked for me, but I can't
guarantee they'll work for you; once again, YMMV!"

Bob D.