Why rear bushing make noise - answer here!

[Stou]

I wrote an email to MAZDASPEED MOTORSPORTS DEVELOPMENT to see if they have a solution for our noisy bushing and this is what they answered me back:

The problem isn't that the bushing becomes loose. It's that the bushings ARE polyurethane already. They need to be lubed periodically (much more often than rubber). If you take the bushings off and apply a silicone grease to the inside, and replace, it will help quite a bit. However, as soon as the grease gets squeezed out, the noise could come back. You might contact a company such as Eibach. I know that they have a special grease that they include with there urethane bushings in their kits. It might last longer than most.

I tought that our rear sway bar bushings was made of rubber. I didn't check if they are effectively already made of polyurethane. I will check as soon as I can.

 

[Newf]

can anyone else verify this as well? I'll entertain anything at this point.

 

[Stou]

I have checked under my car and it's hard to tell. It can be rubber or soft polyurethane

I think the best way to validate this, is to try and put some silicone grease in it!

 

[INiTiAL33]

sorry for replying so late but my dealership helped me put silicon grease on before ( on the origional bushings ) and the noise went away from like 2 months then it came back............... after that i replaced my bushings with the ones with the new part #... and after a couple months the clunk came back again... Err... are the new part # bushings made from the same material of the orig. bushings?

 

[JasonH]

What you need is some sticky grease made just for polyeurethane (at least I think that's what it's for.) I had some before that I got with a poly bushing set. It worked great! It had a very distinctive smell, in fact, I called it "roller coaster grease" since that's what it smelled like. Kind of hard to explain, but if you find some, and it smells like a roller coaster, that's the right stuff!

 

[INiTiAL33]

What you need is some sticky grease made just for polyeurethane (at least I think that's what it's for.) I had some before that I got with a poly bushing set. It worked great! It had a very distinctive smell, in fact, I called it "roller coaster grease" since that's what it smelled like. Kind of hard to explain, but if you find some, and it smells like a roller coaster, that's the right stuff!

Can someone actually verify what grease we are talking about here?

Has anyone went in their dealership and b*tched about the bushing problem before? does it work?

 

[Stou]

Here's some info I found on grease for polyurethane:

Polyurethane bushing manufacturers advise to never use a petroleum based grease for poly bushing lubrication. Polyurethane should only be lubricated with one specific type of grease to insure a long bushing life, and squeak-free performance. Silicone based synthetic water-proof grease, the white sticky stuff!

Reference: Spohn Performance

Here's another reference that recomand Super Lube for polyurethane bushing: here

 

[Stou]

I also found that Energy Suspension make some greasable universal bushing kit. We have to measure our bushing to see if there's one kit that can fit on our cars.

Energy suspension

 

[JasonH]

Here's some info I found on grease for polyurethane:
Reference: Spohn Performance

Yup. That's the stuff. Don't waste your time with the Super Lube. It's good if you don't want the lube to pick up dirt, like on a drive chain, but for suspension parts, you want the sticky grease.

 

[deepcover6]

Hi guys was looking for a solution of the dreaded clunk

So you guys think this would be a viable solution(Spohn Performance), then just going to the dealership and changing out the bushings. So far everyone who has done the replacement has said that the clunck comes back in a short while. Have any of you ordered it yet??? Or for that matter even applied to your bushings?

 

[1sty]

Actualy i had mine replaced over 6 months ago and they are still fine.

 

[Newf]

s***, never even realized this when i read it the first time. This whole, grease the bushings with silicon nonsense came up like last Nov. Mazda came out and told us already, and that's what my mechanics were doing back then. Yup, it would last about 4 weeks, and happen again. Been so long ago, I almost forgot.

 

[freekwonder]

Re: Hi guys was looking for a solution of the dreaded clunk

So you guys think this would be a viable solution(Spohn Performance), then just going to the dealership and changing out the bushings. So far everyone who has done the replacement has said that the clunck comes back in a short while. Have any of you ordered it yet??? Or for that matter even applied to your bushings?

i guess we are the lucky ones. I had my bushing replaced before the summer and it hasn't come back yet. and in Kansas City we are getting down to high 30's low 40's when i leave in the morning. I keep on eye on it.

 

[NYCZMP3]

mine has been back and forth to the dealer 8 times...still never fixed it...they keep replacing diffrent bushings...i am soo tired of this s***...i think my dealer should give me the V-6 mazda 6...then i will be happy...we'll see what my ways will bring me...hehehe...oh yeah...it is goin back again for this same noise...

 

[MrMp3]

I disagree, If the bushings squeek then yes lube. But on mine I could lay on the ground and grab the bar and move it left and right with ease. So thats some loose bushings there.

So cluck is loose bushings

And squeek is bushings needing grease

 

[DooMer_MP3]

Yeah, I kind of think this answer is BS. I've never heard of other cars with rear swaybars having this problem in so little time. Yeah, I can see it happening after two-three years, but every two months?! Give me a break.

Chris