Noisy front suspension

[13bt 2 Rotor]

2003.5 mazdaspeed protege still stock.

Anytime i drive over a bump or something similar, theres loud noises coming from the front suspension. If im driving over smooth surface im fine, no noise. Could it be my endlinks?

[SeR_Cyclops]

Is it a sweek or a thump?

[xxstriderhiryux]

i have to same problem on my 2003 protege es..... a friend of mine checked out the sway bar ect ect and can't find anything wrong .. we are thinking about changing out the endlinks jus tto see if that is it or not but can't say if that is the problem or not

[not yellow]

i've got a bit of a "rumble" or "clunk" coming from the front end when i'm on bumpy streets. just got some new bushings for the front sway bar, gonna see if that helps. can't find anything else that seems loose or out of place....

[03.5msprotege]

I have a squeaking noise.... its the rubber bushing on the lower swaybar. Need to be re-greased or something.

[deVic]

the front sway bar bushings are notorious for failure and noise, usually a squeak and or a clunk, same with the rears. just replace them with new ones from mazda and grease them prior to installation

[Wagonbacker9]

the front sway bar bushings are notorious for failure and noise, usually a squeak and or a clunk, same with the rears. just replace them with new ones from mazda and grease them prior to installation
+1... far too common..

[not yellow]

yup, i put in an AXR clunk fix bracket with new bushings on the rear sway bar and it completely silenced the back end. still working on the bushings up front, they are a pain in the a$$ to put in!

[Wagonbacker9]

yup, i put in an AXR clunk fix bracket with new bushings on the rear sway bar and it completely silenced the back end. still working on the bushings up front, they are a pain in the a$$ to put in!
sonnova... not what I wanted to hear. lol I'll just try lithium greasing them...

[13bt 2 Rotor]

The noise from my front end is more like a buckling, not quite sure if its what everybody calls a clunk. Also, There is no squeaking. Is there Anyway to tell if the sway bar bushings are bad without taking them out?

[StealthWyvern]

The noise from my front end is more like a buckling, not quite sure if its what everybody calls a clunk. Also, There is no squeaking. Is there Anyway to tell if the sway bar bushings are bad without taking them out?

the "clunk" is your sway bar rattling around in wore out bushings

[Stormtrooper77]

Could be endlinks as well.

[not yellow]

endlinks seem pretty solid, no play or visible damage....
how can i tell if they are bad?

[Wagonbacker9]

endlinks seem pretty solid, no play or visible damage....
how can i tell if they are bad?

usually they bend, and typically on lowered cars. but the joints can go too, if you're getting a clunk, it can be the end joints, if you don't feel any play, they're probably fine. I'd put money on the bushings.

[Stormtrooper77]

Sometimes you can feel the play in the endlinks sometimes you can't. If there is play, you know they're bad. For mine, I had absolutely no play. Just changed them out and the noise went away. They're not too expensive anyway. Just a pain to remove if you live in an area that promotes corrosion. You'll have to grind them off.

[Wagonbacker9]

Sometimes you can feel the play in the endlinks sometimes you can't. If there is play, you know they're bad. For mine, I had absolutely no play. Just changed them out and the noise went away. They're not too expensive anyway. Just a pain to remove if you live in an area that promotes corrosion. You'll have to grind them off.

true that, I swapped my springs with the shock still mounted to the endlink.... lol

[not yellow]

actually i just realized that my front endlinks are new.... they came with the BC coilover kit that i installed a couple months ago. so it must be the bushings.

[13bt 2 Rotor]

the "clunk" is your sway bar rattling around in wore out bushings

Hmm that sounds about right. Is it difficult to replace the bushings?

[not yellow]

rears are easy... the fronts are a #$%@!

[Sspring89]

where can i get the bushings from?

[not yellow]

i'm sure there is more than one place to get them... but i got in trouble for mentioning the website i used. try doing a search, the fronts are 25mm. or you can PM me and i'll give you the top secret info in a cryptic puzzle.

[Sspring89]

fantastic.

[maskedSONY]

For those of you replacing your front suspension's sway bar endlinks - where the hell do you get the nylon lock nuts that you use to bolt them up? I cannot seem to find them anywhere in the M10 1.25mm size thats needed for the endlink. Do you guys use a substitute instead?

[Wagonbacker9]

For those of you replacing your front suspension's sway bar endlinks - where the hell do you get the nylon lock nuts that you use to bolt them up? I cannot seem to find them anywhere in the M10 1.25mm size thats needed for the endlink. Do you guys use a substitute instead?
standard bolt and some locktite will have the same effect...

[maskedSONY]

standard bolt and some locktite will have the same effect...

Does loctite bond it permanently or just make it very resistant to moving?

[Wagonbacker9]

Does loctite bond it permanently or just make it very resistant to moving?
it performs the same function as a lock washer/locknut/jambnut... makes it more resistant to loosening without additional torque.

[maskedSONY]

sounds like its some really tough silicone-based compound. interesting stuff.

[Wagonbacker9]

sounds like its some really tough silicone-based compound. interesting stuff.
its lock-tite.. lol exactly what it is made from, I don't care, as long as my brake calipers stay put. lol

[maskedSONY]

Ok so I was playing with my endlinks and I just noticed that one endlink is easier to move around than the other. Would this have an effect on the car if I were to put them on?

[BJFP_MSP]

I'm about to replace my rear sway bar bushings, what kind of grease should i use on them?

[Wagonbacker9]

I'm about to replace my rear sway bar bushings, what kind of grease should i use on them?
lithium