Removing a Miata Harddog Rollbar
Unfortunately, I didn’t actually take pictures as I installed my Harddog rollbar. However, I had to essentially remove it to upgrade my fuel pump to a DW200, as part of my K24 Swap. It seemed easier to make a separate article for this part of the job. Removing a Miata Harddog rollbar is a little annoying, but relatively straightforward.
Carpet Removal
All of these buttons
All of these tabs must be removed
Remove all of these tabs from the carpet covering the package shelf. I use one of these cheap fastener removal tools
Carpet removed from package shelf
With all of the clips removed, the carpet should pull out easily.
Rear Fender Liner Removal
First bolt for fender liner
Second bolt for fender liner
The fender liner on both sides needs to come out to get to the roll bar bolts. Remove two bolts per side as shown, and the liner will drop out.
Pull Back More Carpets
Remove this weird bolt
And then this plastic tab
The fender liner exposed the side of the roll bar bolts under the car. Now you need to also get at the inside. To start, undo this weird clip bolt thing, as well as the plastic clip next to it. With those removed, this plastic cover will pull off. Do this on both sides.
Pull this bolt as well
Remove this bolt as well, again on both sides.
Panel will come right out
This panel should come right out. You guessed it, both sides.
Pop the cover off with a flathead
The seatbelt bolt should now be accessible from the bottom and top
Then you can go ahead and pop this bolt cover off of the bolt holding the seatbelt reel to the roll bar. With the plastic cover removed, the nut on the bottom should now be accessible. Again, both sides.
Order to reinstall this hardware
Just in case you forget, this is the order of bolts and washer when you reinstall this hardware. And hopefully you reinstall it on… drumroll… both sides.
Carpet should be easy to pull back and expose this area
With that panel out of the way, you can now pull back the carpet. Ignore the missing fuel tank cover; I was doing a fuel pump replacement when I took these pictures. You do not have to remove that to get to the roll bar.
Remove larger Package Shelf Cover
These bolts need to go
This panel is now removable
With the carpet out of the way, you can now remove these bronze-colored bolts. These hold this cover in place. I have no idea what it’s actually called.
The rest of the roll bar is now exposed
This opens up the trunk and the remaining roll bar bolts.
Undo the Seatbelt Reel
This bolt is hard to access
There’s a rather irritating bolt with a 17mm head on it holding the seatbelt reel here. It also holds the roll bar. I couldn’t reach it with my ratcheting 17mm wrench
Hardtop latch, if you have it
If you have hardtop latches, those need to go too. On both sides.
Undo the Upper Rollbar Bolts
Driver’s side bolts are behind the gas filler cover, if you have it installed
Passenger side is more easily accessed
Upper bolts come through into the fender here
There are twelve total bolts for the rollbar. This section covers six of them, three per side. They go from the top of the fender through into the trunk area. Here is the top view of each side, as well as the fender view on one side. You either need long arms or a helper to hold a wrench on the bolt while you undo the nut in the fender.
Undo the Lower Rollbar Bolts
Lower bolts go right behind the seats here
Fender view of these bolts
The lower bolts are very similar. These are easier to do without help. They go from the front of the fender to just behind the car seats.
And Done
Its free and can now be removed from the car
You have now completed removing a Miata Harddog rollbar. The bar should simply pull free of the car. I have it merely loosened here, because I was replacing the fuel pump as mentioned earlier.