Hat1018's build thread
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That is a magic tool. That and some wax and grease remover/paint pre-cleaner and all the residue was gone bye-bye! I ended up with a dark strip where the molding and 2.3 emblems were. Looks bad but I am sure that in time it will even out. It better on my wife is gonna shoot me.
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- 2008 Mazda 3 2.3L Black Mica
Well I plan to maybe work on the rear suspension tonight. Have to borrow a few things from my father-in law, ramps and a floor jack mine has decided to take a healthy crap. Oh well it was a handed down hand me down any way no big loss. I will see how it goes.
Alright, I installed the rear sway bar and springs. Sorry no pics, batteries are dead in the camera. Anyway I didn't think it was bad at all.
The first thing I can suggest is to soak all of the nuts and bolts with PB Blaster a few times leading up to when you are ready to work on it.
To get started jack up the car and get your jack stands under it. Don't be stupid use 2 that is why they are sold in pairs! My dad can tell you a story of a Mazda B2200 falling on him while he was working on it.
Remove chassis bracing plate (4 bolts 14mm), then remove the end links from sway bar. You will need a 14mm wrench to turn the nut (racheting would be best) and a 5mm allen wrench to keep the stud from turning. The stud on the end links is 10mm and the hole in a speed3 rear bar is 12mm. You have 2 options here, have a machinist make you some bushings or buy speed3 end links (but you may have to drill out the control arm). I had bushings made up $8. Remove the 4 bolts that attach the sway bar brackets (also 14mm) ratchet and a deep socket worked well for me.
Now the real fun starts. Use a floor jack under the rear lower control arm and remove the bolt at the wheel end of the control arm (17mm). I had to use the jack to keep the arm and spindle assembly lined up to get the bolt out. Lower the jack slowly until it is free. Pull down on the control arm and remove the spring. Reverse the process to install. Be sure to seat the springs into their mounts. The bolt in the lower control arm is a bit of a pain to reinstall. Again use the floor jack to help get things in line, be patient.
When you have both springs swapped, the sway bar installed and the chassis brace on double check that things are tight and go wash your hands, you're done. I ended up with about a 1/2" drop in the back.
The first thing I can suggest is to soak all of the nuts and bolts with PB Blaster a few times leading up to when you are ready to work on it.
To get started jack up the car and get your jack stands under it. Don't be stupid use 2 that is why they are sold in pairs! My dad can tell you a story of a Mazda B2200 falling on him while he was working on it.
Remove chassis bracing plate (4 bolts 14mm), then remove the end links from sway bar. You will need a 14mm wrench to turn the nut (racheting would be best) and a 5mm allen wrench to keep the stud from turning. The stud on the end links is 10mm and the hole in a speed3 rear bar is 12mm. You have 2 options here, have a machinist make you some bushings or buy speed3 end links (but you may have to drill out the control arm). I had bushings made up $8. Remove the 4 bolts that attach the sway bar brackets (also 14mm) ratchet and a deep socket worked well for me.
Now the real fun starts. Use a floor jack under the rear lower control arm and remove the bolt at the wheel end of the control arm (17mm). I had to use the jack to keep the arm and spindle assembly lined up to get the bolt out. Lower the jack slowly until it is free. Pull down on the control arm and remove the spring. Reverse the process to install. Be sure to seat the springs into their mounts. The bolt in the lower control arm is a bit of a pain to reinstall. Again use the floor jack to help get things in line, be patient.
When you have both springs swapped, the sway bar installed and the chassis brace on double check that things are tight and go wash your hands, you're done. I ended up with about a 1/2" drop in the back.
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I noticed the other day while doing some brake work that the rear sway bar is drifting from side to side. I had to cut off the OEM keepers, they were not in the right spot and I could not get them to move. I have started a thread to see what I can get to solve this issue.
Pro-Tip: 2 piece Shaft collar http://www.mcmaster.com/#shaft-collars/=d04u17
I really wouldn't use the front springs from a MS3, the 6spd transmission weighs close to a @75lbs. more then the 5spd, that is why the spring is stiffer, you are going to screw up handling big time considering the fact if you really want to reduce understeer the last thing you want to do is stiffen the front suspension up
I really wouldn't use the front springs from a MS3, the 6spd transmission weighs close to a @75lbs. more then the 5spd, that is why the spring is stiffer, you are going to screw up handling big time considering the fact if you really want to reduce understeer the last thing you want to do is stiffen the front suspension up
Thanks for the link. Too late I have already put the front springs/struts in. The suspension seems more steady/compliant. I am going to hold off for now on the front bar. It looks as though the front is higher, I have to measure to make sure. If in fact it is I already have a good idea how lower it.
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Any idea what an auto trans weighs?
After installing speed3 strut/spring assembly the ride height was un-changed. Maybe, maybe an eighth of an inch higher. I have a good idea how to remedy that.
Well people, the bushings that I had made up for the stock endlinks to fit into the speed3 rear bar are too small for the bar and too large for the stud of the endlink. Thus I have developed a clunk/rattle. So I have removed the rear bar and 1 endlink and will be taking them with me to my machinist buddy to have new bushings made. Since you were wondering, yes I did take the car for a test drive without a rear swaybar. Now I have a greater appreciation for upgrading mine.
