Gutted entire suspension this week

[lakersfan1]

My wife's 2009 Sport started getting a loud clunk in the front driver's corner a few months ago when hitting potholes. Then, a clunking noise in the rear driver's side over every little bump. Then, two weeks ago, every time it hit a bump on the freeway, the back end shot up literally into the air. That was the last straw. Searched on here and found every single suspension problem this car is prone to breaking .... which apparently was most of the car.
KYB struts and shocks all around.
Then, a Progress adjustable sway bar in the rear with polyurethane bushings.
Trailing arm bushings .... ripped out the rubber and put in Energy Suspension polyurethane bushings.
While I was in the back, I replaced the cheap rotors that the Mazda dealership put on this March that were complete crap. Everyday they'd rust and I'd have to drive 5 miles to get the surface rust off. Thanks Mazda. Put Centric rotors on, and refreshed the fairly new Mazda pads with a little sand paper.
Well, might as well replace the sway bar links too. New Moog links in the rear.
To the front, kept the stock sway bar but replaced the bushings with 23mm Energy Suspension polyurethane. Rotors turned out to be solid rust in back and in the vanes and the pads were 2/3 gone, so Autozone Duralast Gold pads and rotors cause I didn't have time to order something nice in the mail. While I was at Autozone, figured I should put new front sway bar links on too, right? OK!
Oh, and I couldn't just go in and do the work, right? So I broke out the Dremel and got all the crap off the brake calipers and painted them all silver.
There was also more rust than I expected on a two year old car that only went through one winter of salt. So, I had to clean a lot of metal pieces and put naval jelly on to stop rust. Pretty much all these rusted parts said "FoMoCo" on them even though it's made in Japan.(fuoops)
Then, I decided to do a drain and fill on the auto tranny with some Amsoil ATF.
Alot of work, and it's not even my car (though I pay for it). My wife better not break anything for another two years.

 

[ljmattox]

How was it replacing the front sway bar bushings? I haven't looked...but others have posted it's a real PITA. I'm just hearing the beginning of a "clunk" when cold, 48k miles on the clock...I may be doing the same soon.

 

[flcruising]

Dang dude, you went all out. Were your sway bar bushing and end links shot, or were you just on a roll? I greased both from and rear sway bar bushing last year and it's been a quiet ride ever since. So the new Centric rotors aren't developing surface rust? Let us know how the urethane parts work out for you. I'm not a fan myself because they are stiffer, which means they are noisier and require lube.

FYI - FoMoCo is on the engine (and maybe tranny - can't remember?) as well.

 

[lakersfan1]

i havent had any problems with the black energy suspension bushings ever. They are impregnated with a little lubricant in the urethane . So as long as ive used enough energy grease in installaqtion ive had them go indefinitely without regreasing in on other cars.
The rear trailing bushings firm up the ride but with kyb the ride is still plenty compliant. If i had put on monotubes like i wanted i fear the ride woulde have been too stiff for my wife.
The end links were still servicable ... Just a little loose but no play .... But i didnt want them to fail in the middle of winter when its prohibitively cold out.
Getting at the front sway bars was tricky logistically but once i had a plan of action it was easy. Had to get a 3-8" drive 14 mm and small 12" breaker bar to toque enough to break the bolts loose. You also have to access from the middle underside of the car and cant see what you are doing. You have to visualize what you are doing by feel.

 

[xxxmonoxidechil]

man. your wifes going to have the best handling van in the neighborhood!

where are your from anyways? your probably pretty close to me.

 

[lakersfan1]

You sure I didn't meet you before. Your screen name sounds familiar. MX-3 or Probe boards maybe?

 

[Robotazky]

That's an MX3 GS in your avatar. I have one. That is one of the coolest cars made in the last 30 years. Please divulge some details. Mine is a '93 and has 250K on the odometer and still is running like a fine-tuned race car.

 

[xxxmonoxidechil]

probably probe board. been a mod on PT for like a decade, and ran chipoc the local probe club. lol

 

[lakersfan1]

probably probe board. been a mod on PT for like a decade, and ran chipoc the local probe club. lol

I went to a ChiPOC get together in 05 or 06 at a guy's house in NW Indiana once. I seem to remember someone from Rockford being there. Or I think I also went to a get together at the Hooters in Schaumburg.

 

[lakersfan1]

That's an MX3 GS in your avatar. I have one. That is one of the coolest cars made in the last 30 years. Please divulge some details. Mine is a '93 and has 250K on the odometer and still is running like a fine-tuned race car.

I had to sell it in 08. Started having minor suspension problems but didn't have time to work on it when I was in the Army. I rebuilt a KL block. Put Japanese-spec pistons, chromemoly piston rings, and exhaust cam in. Light porting of the heads. Cold air intake. Magnaflow cat. Custom cat-back with a 36" long resonator and Magnaflow muffler. Intake manifold off a 2002 Mazda 626 V6. I used a custom chipped computer with K8 timing, fuel map, and rev limiter with custom VRIS points for the 626 manifold. Put Energy Suspension bushings all in the rear, and Nyloil bushings in the front control arms and shifter rods. I miss that car. 200HP V6 ripping to 8,000 RPM in a 2500 lb car was better than sex.

 

[mpvue]

we've got a '09 sport also that just started clunking, about 32K miles. I'm doing the brakes soon, but after reading about your issues it looks like I'll be doing struts soon also.

 

[xxxmonoxidechil]

I went to a ChiPOC get together in 05 or 06 at a guy's house in NW Indiana once. I seem to remember someone from Rockford being there. Or I think I also went to a get together at the Hooters in Schaumburg.

yup. there was actually a group of us that came out for that. if it was in NW ind, then that would have been the BBQ. i think i was driving my blue tiburon mostly back then. i kinda miss those old days.

 

[07MZ5SA]

lakersfan1:
Mine too had the clunk in the rear when go over speed bumps. The new KYB shocks fixed the problem.
Later, front develop the same clunk as rear. I replaced both with KYB strut but made no difference.
Are you saying new strut and sway bushings fixed the front clunk?

 

[lakersfan1]

There's no noise at all anymore anywhere.

 

[Wishmaster]

I've gotta do my front sway bar bushings (have done front shocks and endlinks)... but have put it off so far do to a labour quote of $250 and what that I've heard it's a lot of work.

For some reason I can't seem to find through search the DIY how-to (that I thought I had found previously)... anyone have the link, a how-to, or some basic instructions?

Also does $250 in labour sound like too much??
Thanks!

 

[Wishmaster]

lakersfan1:
Mine too had the clunk in the rear when go over speed bumps. The new KYB shocks fixed the problem.
Later, front develop the same clunk as rear. I replaced both with KYB strut but made no difference.
Are you saying new strut and sway bushings fixed the front clunk?

It's probably your front bushings... I've done all that lakersfan1 has done except my front bushings... but need to do it soon, they are very worn and clunk constantly.

 

[lakersfan1]

I've gotta do my front sway bar bushings (have done front shocks and endlinks)... but have put it off so far do to a labour quote of $250 and what that I've heard it's a lot of work.

For some reason I can't seem to find through search the DIY how-to (that I thought I had found previously)... anyone have the link, a how-to, or some basic instructions?

Also does $250 in labour sound like too much??
Thanks!

It's not alot of labor to just change the bushings. You just have to do it blind by feel to do it the easy way. Took me less than a half-hour once I got a tool in there with enough leverage to break the bolt. Otherwise, you're talking about dropping the subframe, which is too much a PITA.

 

[foxhound1979]

Anyone got a part number from Energy for their urethane bushings ?

 

[lakersfan1]

I used 9.5127G. Had to use the stock bracket, though, which is narrower than the Energy bushing. The bar has tabs on the end to keep the bar centered that won't allow wider bracket. The Energy bushings are offset inward in this configuration, but it's snug and works out fine with the old brackets.

 

[Silentnoise713]

How did you decide to go with ES bushings vs Moog? I Am trying to find part numbers for MS3 bar but can't seem to narrow down a good source. Dish u use universal or model specific? Thx.