Let's see some Mazda3 5-doors

[mobius120487]

idk bout the clips but you have to unscrew it too i think....idk really, very much an amateur

 

[mzballin]

i figured it out-- no screws. thanks

 

[AllyMazda3]

 

[mobius120487]

^^^^^
Very Nice...Very Clean

 

[NTIMD8R]

Just curious, but why did you change to the Mazdaspeed 3 rear sway bar endlinks when you changed the swaybar?

I went with AM links (AWR's) when I did mine, but here's why: OE rear bar = 20mm. Racing Beat rear bar = 27mm. It would tear the OE's to shreds in no time at all.

Just like Rich, I knew I needed some tougher endlinks when I switched from the OE rear sway to the Racing Beat. I'd seen pictures and heard of many incidences where the OE endlinks had failed due to a much stiffer swaybar.

I originally had planned on getting the AWR's too, but I heard that the heim-jointed endlinks (AWR) were very harsh, noisy, and transmitted almost every single bump in the road to the drivers seat. While this is fine for a track-only car, I preferred not to have it in my daily-driver eventhough it would see some track time too. The OE-type endlink joints tended to absorb road harshness much better than the heim-type joints. The problem was finding OE-type jointed endlinks that would be more reliable with a stiffer swaybar than the standard endlinks my 3 came with...

Racing Beat made tougher FRONT endlinks that had the OE-type joints but not REAR ones. I wrote to Racing Beat and they suggested I use OE Mazdaspeed 3 endlinks because they are made for the Mazdaspeed 3 rear swaybar which is thicker than the standard N/A 3 rear sway, and therefore should be "tougher" than the standard endlinks.

I bought some that came off a salvaged MS3 and they've been solid ever since. No problems whatsoever!

 

[SuperProtege5]

Just like Rich, I knew I needed some tougher endlinks when I switched from the OE rear sway to the Racing Beat. I'd seen pictures and heard of many incidences where the OE endlinks had failed due to a much stiffer swaybar.

I originally had planned on getting the AWR's too, but I heard that the heim-jointed endlinks (AWR) were very harsh, noisy, and transmitted almost every single bump in the road to the drivers seat. While this is fine for a track-only car, I preferred not to have it in my daily-driver eventhough it would see some track time too. The OE-type endlink joints tended to absorb road harshness much better than the heim-type joints. The problem was finding OE-type jointed endlinks that would be more reliable with a stiffer swaybar than the standard endlinks my 3 came with...

Racing Beat made tougher FRONT endlinks that had the OE-type joints but not REAR ones. I wrote to Racing Beat and they suggested I use OE Mazdaspeed 3 endlinks because they are made for the Mazdaspeed 3 rear swaybar which is thicker than the standard N/A 3 rear sway, and therefore should be "tougher" than the standard endlinks.

I bought some that came off a salvaged MS3 and they've been solid ever since. No problems whatsoever!

Thanks a whole lot for your input. I always like hearing the explanations from guy like you who are actually driving the cars around AutoX's and track days and such, as these are my eventual goals for my car as well. I shall note in my upgrade list to look for Speed3 endlinks. I'm assuming they bolt up just like the original endlinks, just are beefier correct?

 

[NTIMD8R]

Corrrect, they bolt up just like the original OE N/A 3 endlinks. OE N/A 3 endlinks have black plastic caps around the joint while Speed 3 endlinks are beefier and have white plastic caps.

 

[thejeans]

i havent had any issues with my stock endlinks and ive ran the ms acc. bars for over 50k (a handful of autocrosses and many spirited runs in the mountains)
never had an issue with them, in fact ive busted the sway bar brackets but the endlinks are still holding strong

 

[bbrich57]

If I'm not mistaken, the MS (made by Eibach) is a 25mm rear bar. That could be the difference right there.

I haven't noticed any additional noise or harshness in my AWR's, but perhaps that's just me? Things like that tend not to bother me much anyway. Now a better, more compliant ride would be nice (H&R's.)

And, SP5: I am also running the RB HD front links... on my OE bar. The '04's like mine, came w/thinner links (10mm stud.) By '05 I think it was, Mazda had already upgraded to the 12mm stud.

 

[cali_axela]

^ I don't think any 3's use a 12mm stud for the front endlinks by default. I also have the RB front endlinks and I had to drill out the endlink bracket holes in my MS coilovers (designed for the 07+ MS3) from 10mm to 12mm to get them to work w/ the RB endlinks, just like I had to drill out the front bar holes from 10mm to 12mm (which I'm expecting you had to do as well?)

 

[cali_axela]

BTW Rich, I just picked up a set of wheels almost like yours... 17x8 +45 w/ 235/45/17 Kumhos. Test fit them w/ 10mm spacers (so +35) to make sure my 245/40 v710 will work on them without issues...

 

[bbrich57]

Well then, you may be correct. I did have to drill out everything to accept the 12mm hardware, but I know the shaft was certainly more beefy than the OE link. Perhaps that's what was changed for either '05 or '06??

 

[bbrich57]

GREAT! I LOVE my Kosei's, but watch dem potholes. They will bend, though in my case it took a pretty big one.
If I lived in Michigan or was back in Pa I don't think these would be my wheels of choice. I'd have to have one fixed every other week.

 

[hat1018]

BTW Rich, I just picked up a set of wheels almost like yours... 17x8 +45 w/ 235/45/17 Kumhos. Test fit them w/ 10mm spacers (so +35) to make sure my 245/40 v710 will work on them without issues...

Nice wheels, and stance! Love it!!! what kind of wheel is that any way

 

[thejeans]

If I'm not mistaken, the MS (made by Eibach) is a 25mm rear bar. That could be the difference right there.

I haven't noticed any additional noise or harshness in my AWR's, but perhaps that's just me? Things like that tend not to bother me much anyway. Now a better, more compliant ride would be nice (H&R's.)

And, SP5: I am also running the RB HD front links... on my OE bar. The '04's like mine, came w/thinner links (10mm stud.) By '05 I think it was, Mazda had already upgraded to the 12mm stud.

they are 26mm bars, and my 05 still has 10mm studs im betting they changed it in 06

 

[roy obanion]

Nice wheels, and stance! Love it!!! what kind of wheel is that any way

kosei k1 ts.

 

[MonchieM3S]

yay I'm lowered!

 

[Tungsten6]

Nice Monchie, what did you go with?

And Cali, those fat tires look awesome

 

[cali_axela]

Thanks guys, yep Kosei K1 TS... 17x8 +45 w/ 10mm spacers all around. The 235/45 on there are shot, soon to be replaced w/ 245/40 (and thinner/no spacers depending).

 

[MonchieM3S]

Nice Monchie, what did you go with?

And Cali, those fat tires look awesome

+1 on cali!

I went with Eibach pro kits tungsten.