random crap i encountered today while trying to install rear springs

[whatusername]

so today i decided to try and instal my rear Tien S techs i have had sitting around since i bought my p5. i ran into some issues and would like some feedback
#1 the friggin rear sway bar links would not come off i sparayed them with pb blaster and it didnt help then finally i got the top one loose and was half way thru when the allen key hole rounded out so now it is stuck halfway.
i know u can use escape end links for the front but what about the rear?

#2 the lower strut bolt will not come off. clamped vice grips on 1 side then used a breaker bar on a 17 socket and it felt like the bolt was gonna snap and it did not get loose at all
has anyone ever had one snap?

#3 my rear brakes always sucked. while driving i can pull the ebrake more than 5 clicks till it gets hard but car still rolls i thought the rear wheels were supposed to lock up when u ebrake it?
and the caliper was a bitc to get off could it be seized and thats y my ebrake sucks?

all in all i gave up and put it back together except now it has a half way on end link i will try again when i buy the spare parts i might need depending on what u guys tell me.

 

[mp5la]

1. I'm not sure what works for the rear aside from oe replacements. I've got an AWR rear bar, so i'm using the adjustable end links they sell. I'd think some moog stock replacements would be ok. Hit the nuts with an air ratchet and they might still come off, otherwise you might need a grinder or something to cut them off.

2. I'd recommend air tools again after soaking in PB blaster. Make sure you're wrench is going the right way (clicked to loosen the bolt), as it's really easy to try to do them the wrong direction. I did several times with hand tools.

3. The P5 rear calipers suck badly. It very easily could be stuck or bad. You might try taking it off and lubricating the slider pins with some quality grease to see if that helps, but that won't fix your e-brake problem. I know a lot of people on here replace their rears fairly regularly because they have so many problems. I just did mine this weekend with MSP rear calipers just to get rid of them.

You can run with the end links unhooked if you need to, just make sure the bar isn't dragging. I ran without them (both sides gone) for over a month while I waited for my AWR rear bar to get here.

 

[whatusername]

are msp calipers a direct bolt on?

 

[Inside]

1. I'm not sure what works for the rear aside from oe replacements. I've got an AWR rear bar, so i'm using the adjustable end links they sell. I'd think some moog stock replacements would be ok. Hit the nuts with an air ratchet and they might still come off, otherwise you might need a grinder or something to cut them off.

To add on to this: MAKE SURE YOU BUY THE RIGHT REAR END LINKS!!

There's B26R28170 which is for mazdaspeed protege and then there's B30H28170B which is the "sport protege5" (the standard protege5) part number. It's extremely vague on the internet to find the right one. You're looking for something advertised as 160mm [6.25 or exactly 6.29"] from bolt to bolt.

 

[hornsfan10609]

so today i decided to try and instal my rear Tien S techs i have had sitting around since i bought my p5. i ran into some issues and would like some feedback
#1 the friggin rear sway bar links would not come off i sparayed them with pb blaster and it didnt help then finally i got the top one loose and was half way thru when the allen key hole rounded out so now it is stuck halfway.
i know u can use escape end links for the front but what about the rear?

#2 the lower strut bolt will not come off. clamped vice grips on 1 side then used a breaker bar on a 17 socket and it felt like the bolt was gonna snap and it did not get loose at all
has anyone ever had one snap?

#3 my rear brakes always sucked. while driving i can pull the ebrake more than 5 clicks till it gets hard but car still rolls i thought the rear wheels were supposed to lock up when u ebrake it?
and the caliper was a bitc to get off could it be seized and thats y my ebrake sucks?

all in all i gave up and put it back together except now it has a half way on end link i will try again when i buy the spare parts i might need depending on what u guys tell me.

1. you will have to cut the links off, escape endlinks only fit the front. It will be noisy as hell with a loose endlink back there.
2. Seized bolts are seized bolts, it may come out, it may snap. It is pretty strong hardware but that doesn't mean it can't break.
3. Don't pull the brake while you drive. The cable may be stretched but you likely just need to adjust the parking brake at the caliper. The calipers could be seized but you can rebuild them, it is easy to tell if the piston moves or not. I had good luck with my P5's brake calipers but you can swap to the MSP ones if you really want them.

 

[mp5la]

Yup. You need the matching pads and rotors though.

 

[thuzil]

1) cut off the end links and replace with OEM.

2) keep working at the strut bolt with impact on one side and a breaker bar on the other. You may need to resort to a long breaker to get it off. If it snaps, then at least you do not need to grind it off

3) if the calipers on the rear are old, I would just replace them.

 

[rit14623]

so today i decided to try and instal my rear Tien S techs i have had sitting around since i bought my p5. i ran into some issues and would like some feedback
#1 the friggin rear sway bar links would not come off i sparayed them with pb blaster and it didnt help then finally i got the top one loose and was half way thru when the allen key hole rounded out so now it is stuck halfway.
i know u can use escape end links for the front but what about the rear?

#2 the lower strut bolt will not come off. clamped vice grips on 1 side then used a breaker bar on a 17 socket and it felt like the bolt was gonna snap and it did not get loose at all
has anyone ever had one snap?

#3 my rear brakes always sucked. while driving i can pull the ebrake more than 5 clicks till it gets hard but car still rolls i thought the rear wheels were supposed to lock up when u ebrake it?
and the caliper was a bitc to get off could it be seized and thats y my ebrake sucks?

all in all i gave up and put it back together except now it has a half way on end link i will try again when i buy the spare parts i might need depending on what u guys tell me.

You can cut the rear end link bolts off until you get replacement ones. The rear sway bar doesn't "need" to be connected to the rear lower control arms, although you might want to tie them up to something until then.

I've had plenty of bolts break on me from a rusted on nut. Sometimes, PB blaster works. Sometimes, propane torch applied to the nut works. Sometimes, i'll just cut the nut off with a Dremel tool cutting wheel and get a replacement nut in order to save the bolt from damage.

How old is your Protege5 and have you ever replaced the rear caliper? I crank up the e-brake all the way too.

 

[whatusername]

2002 p5 I owned less than a year so I don't know how old the calipers are. Thanks for the tip on the different links now I know what size to order... Also does anyone know if a turbo from a DSM Eclipse fits the Mazdaspeed protege? My turbo seals are blown and I came across 91 eclips with a really good stock turbo on it.. and if not tuen what about swapping out the internals from it to my t25?

 

[kms1990]

odd, my rear calipers seem fine on my 03 and my swaybar link bolts on all 4 struts were "relatively" easy to get off, just pb blastered em. and used a friend who had more upper body strength then I.

 

[hornsfan10609]

2002 p5 I owned less than a year so I don't know how old the calipers are. Thanks for the tip on the different links now I know what size to order... Also does anyone know if a turbo from a DSM Eclipse fits the Mazdaspeed protege? My turbo seals are blown and I came across 91 eclips with a really good stock turbo on it.. and if not tuen what about swapping out the internals from it to my t25?

It will have completely different compressor and exhaust housings but you can probably swap the CHRA from it into an MSP T25, only other T25 turbo I have seen people use is the 240SX T25.

odd, my rear calipers seem fine on my 03 and my swaybar link bolts on all 4 struts were "relatively" easy to get off, just pb blastered em. and used a friend who had more upper body strength then I.

Yes but that is atypical of cars outside Texas.

 

[whatusername]

Yeah that is what I am wondering about if the CHRA fits I don't care about the housing I have a t25 from a sr20det that needs rebuilt and that DSM t25 had no Shaft play so if it will fit then its worth the purchase just for the swap

edit... Nevermind its a 14 b not a t25