Rear Sway Bar 156E Creaking Sound

[www.03msp.com]

Everyone,

Good morning! I swear I've searched and searched and could not find anything so, here it goes.

I had the 156E rear bushings put on a few months ago to solve the rear clunk problem. However, lately here in Illinois it has gotten much warmer out.

I noticed that upon stop and go traffic, a noise had developed from the rear of the car. It didn't quite sound like a "crunch" but definitely sounded like a rubbing or compression type sound.

After spending a few minutes with Bijou-MP5 while I was under the car, we noticed the sound was the 156E bushings on the sway bar. What happened as the rear of the car compressed (went up and down) with the force of stop and go traffic, the sway bar would rotate about 1/8" or so. This force, on the already tight-attatched-bushings made the sound that resonated across the bar. In all my years working on cars with suspension, you would of thought that Mazda/Dealership would have put some suspension grease on the bushings. Well, they didn't.

The following day I had jacked the car up, unbolted the four bolts, pulled off the brackets, pulled out the bushings, lubed them back up and reassembled.

Sound is gone.

Just thought I'd share it with you as some of you may experience this shortly with the weather changes as well.

- Brian

 

[ping]

In some of the testing I'm doing for Delsing, we're finding that even with lube some bushings squeak. It's the same thing as basketball shows on a clean floor. Overly tight bushings will squeak like mad, even if lubed. Removing the paint on the bar helps as well. Lunding a sway bar isn't the most fun in the world, but it's not that difficult either, just dirty.

Good tip!

 

[funnylittlman]

Well shiat then. I hope mine don't make that noise.

What type of grease did you use? I heard that using Grease was bad for the bushings?

 

[II-Savy]

Everyone,

Good morning! I swear I've searched and searched and could not find anything so, here it goes.

I had the 156E rear bushings put on a few months ago to solve the rear clunk problem. However, lately here in Illinois it has gotten much warmer out.

I noticed that upon stop and go traffic, a noise had developed from the rear of the car. It didn't quite sound like a "crunch" but definitely sounded like a rubbing or compression type sound.

After spending a few minutes with Bijou-MP5 while I was under the car, we noticed the sound was the 156E bushings on the sway bar. What happened as the rear of the car compressed (went up and down) with the force of stop and go traffic, the sway bar would rotate about 1/8" or so. This force, on the already tight-attatched-bushings made the sound that resonated across the bar. In all my years working on cars with suspension, you would of thought that Mazda/Dealership would have put some suspension grease on the bushings. Well, they didn't.

The following day I had jacked the car up, unbolted the four bolts, pulled off the brackets, pulled out the bushings, lubed them back up and reassembled.

Sound is gone.

Just thought I'd share it with you as some of you may experience this shortly with the weather changes as well.

- Brian

Brian sent you a PM. My car does this WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY bad.

 

[www.03msp.com]

Well shiat then. I hope mine don't make that noise.

What type of grease did you use? I heard that using Grease was bad for the bushings?

I've always used Mobile 1 - Synthetic Grease (pinkish) available in silver tube/blue caps from Autozone. If unavailable, you can use the Valvoline Durablend (black-goopy) available in gold tube from Autozone (what I just used).

- Brian

 

[funnylittlman]

Cool thanks!

I will use this if my bushin's decide to squeak.

 

[Newf]

rememeber guys, all this stuff is in the MP3 section. There's a HUGE ( one of the biggest ever) Thread there on how the mp3 guys have all gone through this years ago.

on a side note. My bushings, 156E, since Nov 2003....all is good.

Fingers still crossed.

Remember, get sway bar replaced at the same time as getting the 156E's, or you may be wasting your time ( depends on shape of old bar)

 

[II-Savy]

When I got home today from work I got my new jack stands out and got those bolts out of the bushings and greased the crap out of them. I then put the bolts back (kind of a pain) and HOLY CRAP! NO NOISE!
I ran around my car cheering, I was so happy. When ever I sat/got up, drove away slow....it sounded like an old haunted house door. THANK GOD
and THANK YOU BRIAN! (first) (first) (first)

 

[Daniel Young]

Great Info. I had mine replaced with the new 156e a little over a month ago and they sound horrible. I love my car but that s*** is annoying and embarrasing. I pray it's not as loud outside the car as it is inside.