Another P5 on a College Budget....Meet Ozzie
- Thread starter esnave09
- Start date
Haha It went great until I found out that I had left out the spring pad (the rubber ring that goes on the bottom of the spring to quiet it). Sad thing is that I had already taken out and reinstalled the new struts up front once already yesterday and found it when I was cleaning up. I didn't bother with the rears yet because I can't figure out how to take off the inside plastic wall to get to the rears. I did a little poking around at work tonight (super slow 12 hour shifts suck, but on top of that I was inside, not delivering), but didn't get far.
So I get to basically redo all 4 strut assemblies as well as the rear end links tomorrow between 4ish and 9. I'm calling in another set of hands so I can get it done faster (hopefully) but now that I know exactly what I'm doing up front and I shouldn't have to deal with rusted in bolts on the fronts anymore, I should be fine. I just need to get someone to figure out the rear plastic crap....
Also, I had bought lowering springs to put in, but seeing as I had to take out my springs anyways to get the rubber pads and such, I decided not to install the lowering springs and stick with the stocks. I feel like I would regret dropping my car almost 2 inches up front right before winters. So now I am planning on getting some Eibachs for this summer when I get summer rims and tires. We'll see how that goes though....
So I get to basically redo all 4 strut assemblies as well as the rear end links tomorrow between 4ish and 9. I'm calling in another set of hands so I can get it done faster (hopefully) but now that I know exactly what I'm doing up front and I shouldn't have to deal with rusted in bolts on the fronts anymore, I should be fine. I just need to get someone to figure out the rear plastic crap....
Also, I had bought lowering springs to put in, but seeing as I had to take out my springs anyways to get the rubber pads and such, I decided not to install the lowering springs and stick with the stocks. I feel like I would regret dropping my car almost 2 inches up front right before winters. So now I am planning on getting some Eibachs for this summer when I get summer rims and tires. We'll see how that goes though....
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
Take the tray out of the bottom of the trunk then fold the seats forward and then take the top portion off of the sides (that the cargo cover sits on). Then pull the panels away from the side of the car. They'll popoff. There might be a few clips that pop off the plastic but you can go ahead and put them back in there. Start at the back of the car and fold the panels toward the front of the car in order to clear the rear seat latching point. I'm back from college at 6:30 this evening. I can take pics of how to take things apart if need be
Okay I might be done with it by the time you get the pics up, but I will try the best I can with what I've been given! Hopefully I can get it all done tonight and not have to go back in the morning. I've been running on little sleep for the last few nights and it's starting to take it's toll on me, so hopefully it's finished tonight so I can sleep before I take it in for an alignment tomorrow.
On the plus side, I noticed going to and from work that the ride is a lot more controlled than it was! That's what I like instead of the constant fluttering and crashing. And I'm kindof glad that I kept the stock springs on there, cuz it looks like the lack of 3 controlled struts wasn't keeping the ride height as low as it is stock (which is why I wanted lowering springs).
On the plus side, I noticed going to and from work that the ride is a lot more controlled than it was! That's what I like instead of the constant fluttering and crashing. And I'm kindof glad that I kept the stock springs on there, cuz it looks like the lack of 3 controlled struts wasn't keeping the ride height as low as it is stock (which is why I wanted lowering springs).
Also, I decided to get a Cadillac 4-note horn setup, and I'm really excited. The only problem is that I have to buy snow tires ASAP since one of my tires now is suprisingly bald. So that's where my paycheck tomorrow is going, and I'm not delivering until next week. So the horns are going to have to wait for a while....
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
Okay. Well, best of luck. If you can change the suspension out, you can change take off the interior panels. LOL. If I was closer, I'd come over and give you a hand. Heh. But yeah, I know what you mean about no sleep. I've managed to keep 7 hours avg. but it's still not enough. GTA5 was a bad decision to buy...
Odd regarding the ride height but that's great that it works for you!
Odd regarding the ride height but that's great that it works for you!
Thanks! I know what ya mean there. I could definitely use the help from a fellow P5 owner! haha And yeah, my friend bought GTA 5 and when he beat it he decided to leave it at my apartment for my roommate to play. I've managed to stay away from it though....for now. That's why I was gonna wait until winter break to get it.
A frustrated and sombering update....
I managed to finish up the front struts correctly. That's about the extent of the good news.
Now the bad news. I found that the end link bolt/allen key design on the rears is terrible and had rusted nice and tight. It was so bad that the only thing that happened when trying to remove them was the nut got loose and spun the bolt with it. After struggling with this, me and my friend decided that we should cut he end link and then we ended up grinding the remaining bolt, getting nowhere. So unfortunately I'm stuck with end links and a sway bar that is rattling like crazy over bumps and sounds terrible! Additionally, I basically decided to replace the sway bar, along with the end links that I already attempted to replace.
So in summary, my suspension is a never-ending project, seeing as I was supposed to order tires and get an alignment tomorrow. I am too exhausted to think about ordering more than that though, cuz I have had almost nothing to eat today and I'm very tired. So gimme a break guys. And Ozzie, please be nice to me in the future....
I managed to finish up the front struts correctly. That's about the extent of the good news.
Now the bad news. I found that the end link bolt/allen key design on the rears is terrible and had rusted nice and tight. It was so bad that the only thing that happened when trying to remove them was the nut got loose and spun the bolt with it. After struggling with this, me and my friend decided that we should cut he end link and then we ended up grinding the remaining bolt, getting nowhere. So unfortunately I'm stuck with end links and a sway bar that is rattling like crazy over bumps and sounds terrible! Additionally, I basically decided to replace the sway bar, along with the end links that I already attempted to replace.
So in summary, my suspension is a never-ending project, seeing as I was supposed to order tires and get an alignment tomorrow. I am too exhausted to think about ordering more than that though, cuz I have had almost nothing to eat today and I'm very tired. So gimme a break guys. And Ozzie, please be nice to me in the future....
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
Fret not. You can get it all squared away. I know the feeling when you think it'll go great only to run into a snag. Take a break and think about other things. Ozzie will thank you once you fix him. Trust me on that 
Seems that Mazda wanted some way to piss us off one way or another. The MS3 (and probably regular 3) had the same concept on the front endlinks. Only fix is either hacking it off or taking an impact to the bolt/ allen key combo... My fronts were okay. I had a shop do the rears so didn't have to think about that... (Would've warned you otherwise)
Seems that Mazda wanted some way to piss us off one way or another. The MS3 (and probably regular 3) had the same concept on the front endlinks. Only fix is either hacking it off or taking an impact to the bolt/ allen key combo... My fronts were okay. I had a shop do the rears so didn't have to think about that... (Would've warned you otherwise)Yeah, I always seem to run into snags. I managed to get the front ones done, but the rears of course were ridiculously rusted, as is to be expected with a MN car, but this was extreme. And we did take an impact socket to it. And I hate bolts like that to begin with, but add in rust and a it's a volatile combo with me. Grrrr......
But it will get done eventually. And Ozzie will be very happy, as will I.
But it will get done eventually. And Ozzie will be very happy, as will I.
Quick update before I leave for the weekend. I took Ozzie in to the Tires Plus right after they opened and had them cut off the end links and the stuck bolts. $20 was probably a little steep, but worth it considering the emergency. So I was able to finish up the struts and get it in for an alignment. I also got offered a job at Tires Plus while I was there, though that's not related.
Anyways, so initial report is that there's still some clunks from the passenger side (front and rear) going over bumps. But the ride is a lot more controlled, which I like. Also, when the shop did my alignment my steering straightened out so that my wheel isn't turned left when I'm going straight! Whoop whoop! Also, I got a 3 year alignment agreement so that I could take it in 2-3 times a year and not get charged every time for an alignment. This will come in handy when I need to rotate my tires, which I plan on ordering on Monday.
I think that's all for now. On a brighter note, I plan on staying out of the shop next week, considering I was in there 4 of the last 6 days it was open. Bleh.
Anyways, so initial report is that there's still some clunks from the passenger side (front and rear) going over bumps. But the ride is a lot more controlled, which I like. Also, when the shop did my alignment my steering straightened out so that my wheel isn't turned left when I'm going straight! Whoop whoop! Also, I got a 3 year alignment agreement so that I could take it in 2-3 times a year and not get charged every time for an alignment. This will come in handy when I need to rotate my tires, which I plan on ordering on Monday.
I think that's all for now. On a brighter note, I plan on staying out of the shop next week, considering I was in there 4 of the last 6 days it was open. Bleh.
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
I found out the top nipple on my front endlinks rubbed against the bottom of the shock perch... Just a heads up. So I only have the bottom lube nipples in right now... No harm done, just figured I'd let you know in case you run into that problem.
Yeah someone told me I might wanna replace my bushings when I did my sway bar, since it looked like I would be replacing it instead of cutting off the bolts. And I ended up not putting in the nipples at all, so we'll see what happens with that. Are they really necessary?
Quick mid-weekend update though, I noticed on the ride out of town that I have a weird noise. It's from the front driver's side corner, and at highway speeds (65+) it's a squeak over bumps and such, but below those speeds it's a clunk. Is that something I'll need to have looked at, or will that also be a bad bushing?
Quick mid-weekend update though, I noticed on the ride out of town that I have a weird noise. It's from the front driver's side corner, and at highway speeds (65+) it's a squeak over bumps and such, but below those speeds it's a clunk. Is that something I'll need to have looked at, or will that also be a bad bushing?
kosteniuks17
Member
- :
- Mazda Protege5 2003
I remember mine used to do that when going over bumps below 10 mph. People on here said that it might be your front sway bar bushings, but after i put on suspension with springs and new endlinks the clunk went away. I would say a cheap first fix would be just get the bushings on the front replaced. And you said you have suspension on the way right? I would say your good after you get it all in, make sure to get some new end links while your at it. I used to hate that noise so much, it made me cringe inside. BTW if your lowering it at all with the new setup I would advise against the ford escape links, heard people having troubles with them after a drop causing it to hold it up higher or something. I would just get some good aftermarket links. Make sure to lithium grease the bushings good on both front and back.
kosteniuks17
Member
- :
- Mazda Protege5 2003
Oops my bad you installed your struts already haha, did you put on new endlinks I saw you cut one of them off? BTW did you just get struts or struts, springs, mounts combo? I would say its either one of three things from reading on the internet for the clunk, old springs, bad endlinks, or torn motor mounts. You could prob just do all of them seeing its prob time and im sure itll get done. BTW the very back motor mount is like impossible to replace without taking a ton apart. So if your ordering them individually I would just order the three except the rear.
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I got new struts, mounts, and endlinks all around. I was gonna put in new springs but the ones I got were gonna drop my car too much for my liking (with winter coming). And of course I found out the lowering after I bought them, although they were cheap so it's not a huge hit to the pocketbook. I will be putting them up for sale soon. But I really hope it's not my motor mounts, although it sounds like it's right in front of me, and looking at the mount on that side it's super rusty so I think I might be replacing it soon. And the clunking has continued, so I don't know what I'm gonna do about that. I was thinking that it might be the springs needing to settle in, but a 400 mile roadtrip later it's still not gone, which sucks. But it certainly sounds a lot better!
So I think I'll plan on sway bar bushings and possibly new motor mounts. Right after I get tires....
So I think I'll plan on sway bar bushings and possibly new motor mounts. Right after I get tires....
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
Just grease the endlinks and take the nipples off. If you used lithium grease (or grease in general) it shouldn't wash out. As far as the bump, I know I didn't tighten down my endlinks all the way at first and developed a clunk when I turned the wheel from side to side. Not sure if I've ended up creating the potential for an issue later on, but I tightened the bolts down a little bit higher than the spec the package gave me.
RE the rear motor mount, I'm with kosteniuks17 on it being a PITA. I think either you snake around down there and try to get it off that way or you could try taking the intake mani off and the bracket that holds it up. I'd say just get a good front motor mount and good sides and you should be okay for a few hundred thousand miles
Ah so I should make sure that mine are nice and tight?
On a different note, with the clunking in the back, I was driving around town today with nothing in the car but me, and I think it's sounds like something is loose in the top of the strut tower, like I didn't completely tighten down the seatbelt or something (the only thing I can think of right now that would sound like that, hoping for the best), so I will try and take a look at that tomorrow. I really hope that's all it is, cuz I really don't feel like going into the shop again until at least next week. I need a break.
And on another different note, I need some recommendations for winter tires. I was thinking first about upsizing the sidewall to 55 height for two reasons. First, it would smooth out the ride over the rough winter roads a bit and second, it gives a lot more choices for selection (21 vs 4 on Tire Rack) as well as a lot of times making the tires cheaper. Does anyone think this is a bad idea for any reason? I'm pretty sure I won't get any rubbing or anything, but has anyone had experience with doing this? I plan on keeping the 16s on the car, so I know my speedo will be off, but I just picked up a Garmin that'll tell me how fast I'm going.
Additionally, I need some recommendations for specific tires. I was looking at these tires, because they were cheap and from the reviews I've read they're good winter tires that will still have good handling in the dry, although not as much on snow/ice as some more dedicated snow/ice tires. It will be a huge upgrade over the bald all seasons that I have now, but I'm wondering if I should get studless snow/ice tires instead. The Dunlops will be more flexible season-wise, so that's what I was leaning towards. Anybody have differing opinions?
On a different note, with the clunking in the back, I was driving around town today with nothing in the car but me, and I think it's sounds like something is loose in the top of the strut tower, like I didn't completely tighten down the seatbelt or something (the only thing I can think of right now that would sound like that, hoping for the best), so I will try and take a look at that tomorrow. I really hope that's all it is, cuz I really don't feel like going into the shop again until at least next week. I need a break.
And on another different note, I need some recommendations for winter tires. I was thinking first about upsizing the sidewall to 55 height for two reasons. First, it would smooth out the ride over the rough winter roads a bit and second, it gives a lot more choices for selection (21 vs 4 on Tire Rack) as well as a lot of times making the tires cheaper. Does anyone think this is a bad idea for any reason? I'm pretty sure I won't get any rubbing or anything, but has anyone had experience with doing this? I plan on keeping the 16s on the car, so I know my speedo will be off, but I just picked up a Garmin that'll tell me how fast I'm going.
Additionally, I need some recommendations for specific tires. I was looking at these tires, because they were cheap and from the reviews I've read they're good winter tires that will still have good handling in the dry, although not as much on snow/ice as some more dedicated snow/ice tires. It will be a huge upgrade over the bald all seasons that I have now, but I'm wondering if I should get studless snow/ice tires instead. The Dunlops will be more flexible season-wise, so that's what I was leaning towards. Anybody have differing opinions?
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