How-To: Kill Clunk Cheap!!

[Bakrauf]

I ordered 2 as well SHipping $13.00. MY clunk was getting pretty bad. I would rather fix it myself. Thanks for the how to.

 

[daedalus]

I put mine on tonight with pics here:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123620970

 

[evolv]

I put mine on tonight with pics here:
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123620970

I did a bunch of checking on the Energy Suspension bushings and found our that the black ones are made a little different and apparently will last longer then the red ones. Also, stay away from the ones that have a greese nipple.

It will be interesting to see how long yours last. Could you post when the squeek comes back and also when the bushings need replacing.

 

[daedalus]

Irony is a b****. I just bought a AWR 22mm Rear Sway bar kit today, so the brand new bushings will probably have about 1 1/2 miles on them by the time they are taken off and replaced.

 

[TampaSport20]

Mazda went through 5 sets of bushings trying to figure out how to prevent them from tearing apart. If polyurathane was the answer I'm sure they would have used them.

They were just going thru the stock parts bin, not DEVELOPING something new....

name one piece of poly Mazda puts on a car stock..THey are more concerned with NVH than performance...Poly is expensive and tends to squeak...

 

[Murray]

for those still under warranty... why not just bring it in to the dealer?

Because after 25 attempts, the dealer usually starts hassling you. Diamond Mazda wouldn't swap mine on the MP3 the very last time I tried (right before installing the Delsing kit). I never even bothered with the MSP (which was clunking when I bought it), I just installed the Delsing braackets.

polyurathane won't wear out like soft rubber mazda uses. it should last the life if your car if you grease it every year.

It will last longer but isn't a permanent fix. The location of the mount is wrong, which causes the bushings to wear prematurely. The only permanent fix is to move the mount point out toward the wheels, as Racing Beat originally intended. When the new bracket kits are made, that will be the way to go.

 

[evolv]

Another option. I am real close to producing a rear sway bar bracket similar to the Delsing bracket, but better. I started a tread and would be interested in some feed back.

take a look

http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123621848

 

[peepsalot]

Could some sort of solid bearing be used instead of bushings, so it could never wear out? Their only purpose is to let the bar rotate a bit, right?

 

[TampaSport20]

Could some sort of solid bearing be used instead of bushings, so it could never wear out? Their only purpose is to let the bar rotate a bit, right?

They allow some flex too....solid metal would make it pretty friggin harsh and scrape the hell out of the bar

 

[peepsalot]

I don't know, it seems like the flex is supposed to come from the torsion of the swaybar itself, not the deformation of it's bushings. How would it scrape the bar?

 

[TampaSport20]

I don't know, it seems like the flex is supposed to come from the torsion of the swaybar itself, not the deformation of it's bushings. How would it scrape the bar?

true on the flex part, but the rubber helps "soften" it a bit...doesnt help handling, so much as it helps NVH

there is just a little side to side "play" in the bar, plus it does rotate within the bushing with the suspension movement...metal on metal = bad

 

[peepsalot]

I just figured from the bar clamp stops(whatever you call them) to the sides of the bushings that the bar was not designed to move side to side.

 

[TampaSport20]

I just figured from the bar clamp stops(whatever you call them) to the sides of the bushings that the bar was not designed to move side to side.

they do...but there is still a little bit of play in there..

 

[Mallard]

Could some sort of solid bearing be used instead of bushings, so it could never wear out? Their only purpose is to let the bar rotate a bit, right?

You would never be able to get a bearing on the bar. If the bar were a straight rod it would work, but it has flares and bends that you would never be able to get a bearing by.

 

[peepsalot]

Yeah I was thinking about that. If there was a kind of bearing that could be split open or something.

 

[TampaSport20]

Yeah I was thinking about that. If there was a kind of bearing that could be split open or something.

If you realy wanted to do it it could be hinged...it would stay closed with the bracket

 

[lcruz64]

I would love to hear the sound something like that will play while driving.

 

[Stormtrooper77]

You could put the bushing of all bushings in there and the thing will still clunk, clang, squeak, break, shatter, you name it. The only solution so far is to move the bushings from the stock location.

 

[TampaSport20]

You could put the bushing of all bushings in there and the thing will still clunk, clang, squeak, break, shatter, you name it. The only solution so far is to move the bushings from the stock location.

why couldnt you then just move the little rubber "stoppers" over and redrill and tap new holes for the brackets on the crossmember ???

 

[evolv]

why couldnt you then just move the little rubber "stoppers" over and redrill and tap new holes for the brackets on the crossmember ???

Because the cross member curves up and away from the sway bar localtion.