Please reply here ( it's about the sway bar clunking noise)

[Newf]

Mazda Canada is already aware of something. Whether it is the squeaking noise, or the clunk noise I'm not sure. the Canadian rep I've been kinda working with says Japan thinks it something to do with the shocks. The really loud squeak during REALLY cold days IS the shocks. It's just too obvious. There's another smaller squeak that seems to be the bushings as well. The Clunking noise most people are referring to is NOT the shocks. It is the bushings, as myself and my dealer have proven this over and over. My problem is NOT temperature related. I've stated it 1000 times. I can lean on my car to sway it left/right, and the noise is there. Rain, snow, cold, warm, don't matter any more. I did recently get them greased to tie me over until the REAL fix. When the car is on the lift in the garage....no noise. Only happens when the car is on the ground under it's own weight.

When you fill this "form" out, are you saying your car squeaks, or has the clunk noise? I'd like to know, because I'm under the impression they are already aware of the squeaking noise, but NOT the clunk. Regardless, I'm complaining about the clunk. I've driven a few cars in the cold with suspension kits, and the little squeaky noise while the car is cold is common, so I don't really care about that, as it goes away as the car warms up anyhow. Suspensions like these were never intended for cold weather. The clunk however, IS ALWAYS THERE....and it's driving me NUUUUTTS....

By the way, if you contribute to getting this fixed, your my new best friend.

Thanks

 

[chitownmp3]

O.k.
This is just my thought and experience.
Ive got a tuned neon also,I had urathane bushing on it. In the cold it made more noises than a 72Vega! Handle great but squicky and noisey. I replaced all my bushings and links with polygraphite bushings. the car is not a noisey and still handles great! A stiff suspensiom like ours on the Mp3 is inharent to noises especially
in the cold. Just mine thoghts!

 

[JcsMP3]

Ok well I know it's not the sqeaking that I am concerned about as that comes with those shocks cause they are stiffer then factory stock shocks.

BTW the noise does get worst in the cold. I back out of my drive way in the winter and it clunks 5 or 6 times. I back out in the summer and I may here 1 or 2. Your car is made of metal, metal contracts and expands in the cold and in the heat... so it is more then likely that this noise will be there more freaquently in different temps... especially when it can be cause from metal sitting in a urathen bushing....

Jc

 

[INiTiAL33]

hmmm did u guys read my other post a while back?? The solution is Lubricating the bushing with CALIPER LUBE. i did mine 4 months ago and its been good till now.
give it a try

 

[hixtrix]

The only question that I have about the caliper lube fix is: Will the lube deteriorate the bushing. I work w/ commercial brake control valves all day, and you have to be very careful w/ what kind of lubricants you use on rubber and plastics. I've seen full out recalls because an assembler used a wrong lubricant on a plastic/rubber o-ring combination. Granted, I am referring to a safety related product that keeps that tractor trailer from plowing into you on the interstate... but these are still my concerns.

 

[trobbins]

This caliper lube is really silcone. I looked it up. The caliper lube is a greasy type of a product and is made to be used where metal and rubber come in contact. You could also use the spray silicone. I used it and it worked like a charm on the rear. I think the caliper lube would stay longer because it is thicker.
This just fixed the squeaks, not the clunk.

Tim

 

[Newf]

Has anyone heard of anything positive on this clunk noise yet? I'm on my 3rd set of bushings, with lube and tape on them. I KNOW the noise is just going to come back. My dealership doesn't seem to know of anything concerning a permanent fix.

Anyone else?

 

[katsmp3]

test

 

[MP3chick665]

Just got mine rear squeak fixed. They wrote it up as rear sway brackets. I don't hear them now back there, but I now here it in the front. So I'll be getting those replaced soon

 

[enry]

test2

 

[freekwonder]

i had my bushings replaced about a month ago and have had no more squeaking or thunking. until my bushing bracket BROKE. then i had major thunking. but now that it is fixed im having no problems

 

[wildman]

I get the squeaking in the morning, 30-40 degrees. tends to go away as i drive. I will have it checked and the tranny next scheduled visit.

 

[Chuktang]

Fixed my squeek with some left over polyurethane lube from my bushings on my Neon. The rear swaybar bushings didnt look to be lubed at all from factory. A previous post someone replied that he had put silicone on them. Not a good idea.... silicone attacks urethane bushings. BTW I have the clunk also in the rear and I have not looked yet for the cause. Looking forward to the cause and cure Mazda might come up with.

Chuktang
Chuktangs home page

 

[Cameleon3]

You guys are still having that clunking noise...not me..I replaced my bushings a couple of months back and everything has been fine every since...the only prob I have with the car now is my radio tuner (signal pretty bad)...and when it's cold...my gear makes like a crunch noise from 2nd to 3rd..but my Mazda Dealership said it was normal....THAT IS NOT F#%@$@ NORMAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

 

[Newf]

well, I have had 3 sets of bushings, and now they are clunking again. And yes, each set has gotten the lube and tape trick done to them. It seems to last for about 4-6 weeks and they need to be taken off again.

I drive VERY carefully over bumps and stuff. The only thing I can think as to why I'm going through more then most people is that the roads around here are horrible, and it's been a very cold winter that never seems to end. Between the bumps ( I'm not talking about just pot holes here....if I was only so lucky) and cold, it works the bushings more and faster. The frost around here in the winter causes the roads to heave and s*** all over the place. We get really bad dips in the roads. So bad in fact, that's the reason why I haven't really entertained getting the front lip or lowering the car.

Anyhow, back to the garage on Monday. I wonder, are the new Mazdaspeed bushings able to go on the mp3?

 

[dkw]

WOW! It sounds like some of you are having some real problems. My mp3 squeaks on cold or rainy days and I have checked my trunk more than once to see what was rolling around. I had no idea so many others were having the same problems. What's killing me is the damn whisling I get at around 70. I just turned over 11k and nothing major yet but now I've got my fingers crossed.

 

[mngai]

I got my bushing replaced yesterday. The weather has been quite warm so it is hard to say weather the problem has been fixed. Is the noise from the front the same as the one from the rear? I think there is still some noise from the front when going through speed bump.

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Back in the middle of January, I took my car in for the squeaking and clunking. They tried replacing the rear bushings which did not work. They then took the rear sway bar off and drove around and heard nothing. They overnighted a new sway bar and put it on. This fixed the problem. I'm still going strong with no squeaks or clunks. I'm sure it'll come back though, judging by the rest of your responses.

Can't we print this thread out and send it to Mazda or something? They should consider a true fix instead of wasting money on people every 3 months...:mad:

Chris

 

[Newf]

well, I just brought mine in today. I don't have it back yet. but they phoned me and said the only fix is lube and tape still......@#$#@$$@%#$%!~!!!!!!

AS for the guy that replaced the rear sway bar. This makes sense. think about it. If the sway bar is removed....then the bushings aren't connected to anything eithier. New sway bar....then the bushings just got cleaned and re-tightened.

I find cleaning them and re-tightning them works for about a month on my roads. Getting new bushings....lasts just as long.

 

[Snype451]

Newf,

I have the same problem out here in Calgary. My dealer can reproduce the noise, but they don't want ot jsut order bussings it they have to keep doing it every three months or so. So they are looking into a better solution. I took them a copy of this thread (specially your comments) to show them as well.

Hopefully they can figure something (more premanant?) out.