MSP Rear Sway Bar on '00 ES

[HLSilver Es]

My sister is dating a guy who drives an '03 MSP and I was talking to him earlier and he mentioned that he had his Racing Beat rear sway bar sitting in his garage and wasn't going to put it back on so I could have it if I wanted it. Free MSP parts are always good so I told him to bring it over whenever he gets a chance. I know to fit it on the '00 ES I need the end links, brackets, and bushings, from there will it all just bolt right up?

 

[JCell]

it will not bolt right up

Rear subframes are slightly different

 

[HLSilver Es]

What else needs to be done in order for it to work?

 

[pw~mp5]

You will need either an MP3/MSP sub frame or a clunk fix kit. The clunk fix would be the easiest and long term you would be happier.

 

[HLSilver Es]

OK I wasn't sure if the clunk fix was a necessity or not, thanks.

 

[pw~mp5]

The clunk fix is not necessary if you use a MP3/MSP sub frame, but without the clunk fix the bushing wear out pretty fast and you get the clunk. With the clunk fix you do not need to replace your sub frame and the bushings last much longer.

 

[njaremka]

get the clunk fix kit and new new rear end links. that should be all you need.

 

[speedracr79]

You dont need either the clunk or the MSP/MP3 subframe. I got a buddy with an 01 DX he installed a rear MSP swaybar onto his stock subframe. He just made the bushings and brackets fit basically shoving the bolts to line up. Also what ive heard others do is mill out the oem busings to make the bracket fit, as far as i know not one issue doing either of those methods. I was gonna do the same, but i got one of the dope clunk fixes thanks to pw~mp5

But IMO id get the clunk fix there was a GB going on somewhere on here. BUt with the fix all you would need is the new endlinks id upgrade while your at it especially if the bar is free the money saved can be used on some good end links some AAC ones maybe.

 

[HLSilver Es]

Alright, the clunk fix was on the "to-do" list once he brings the bar over but I wasn't sure if I would be able to install it and wait for the fix or would need the fix to install. Now I just have to find the GB thread again lol, saw it yesterday but cant find it now.

 

[Brains]

I just shoved the MSP mounts onto my 2001 es subframe and they didn't want to fit.... so we bent 'em up a little and then they fit (more or less). Now the bushings aren't pushed up against the subframe all the way: rather, they're sort of pinched in the mounts from the uhh, bending.... with a tiny bit pressed up into the subframe still.
I imagine by the end of august it should be really noisy back there.
AWR makes like an adapter thing that mimics the MSP/MP3 subframe (maybe not the whole subframe.... but just the part where the bar mounts). You buy it and you mount it on your 2000 subframe... then you put the bar on the AWR thing.
But i imagine that after you spend $40 or so on two of them it'll still be noisy by the end of august-
-or atleast for me it will be.... maybe you'll get problems in the winter or something... or not at all as i can't say for certain
woo!, find that group buy for that bracket eh?

 

[blackmica_es]

take some pics and start a how-to when you finally get the bar. got a 00 ES too and was always curious to know if (and how) those RB bars would fit...

 

[speedracr79]

Well its for the clunk fix but i made a how to just look at the sticky stealth put together youll see the thread.

 

[blackmica_es]

Well its for the clunk fix but i made a how to just look at the sticky stealth put together youll see the thread.

yeah, i have the link to clunk-fit how-to, thanks! however, i was hoping he'd make one for if he just chooses to use the MSP/MP3 sub frame, as that's what comes with the kit that i'm thinking of purchasing from mazda...i'll likely get the clunk-fit kit at a later time...

 

[HLSilver Es]

Yea I'm just planning on doing the Clunk Fix instead of the subframe. Sounds like it will save time and money.

 

[ajkulish]

i bolted an msp rear bar right up to my 2001 es with no clunk issues

 

[blackmica_es]

i bolted an msp rear bar right up to my 2001 es with no clunk issues

aside from having shorter front end links (which i just confirmed last weekend), i'm not sure what other differences there may be between the 99-00 and 01-03 suspensions. logic says that the entire suspension should be interchangeable since they're basically the same platform, but the different length on the end links has me thinking that they're not.....glad i didn't purchase the ford escape end links in advance which everyone on the forum recommended (which was a bummer considering they were only $10 each compared to $30 each that i ended up paying)

did you have to mount the msp cross-member in order for the sway bar to bolt up?

 

[tweety2300]

Why does every one say the bushings suck I bought bushings from Mazda 3 years ago. Grease them before and after winter like you're supposed to and you will have no issues