"Clunk Fix from end of 2010 Group Buy" question.

I can't remember what *that* time-frame Clunk-Fix was called, or who made it, but I remember that the group buy took place late 2010. I bought one, and I have a question about it, and about any other Clunk/Klunk fixes that have been available in the past:

1:
I began to install mine and I decided that it might be a good idea to keep the old bushing-n-bracket in place too, thus effective having four sway bar bushing mountings (original and new). So I did. Old mounting are in the original spot, Clunk-fix is in the new spot.

I'm not doing anything wrong here, am I? I mean, this setup is OK, I presume, and would allow for even less sway-bar bending, right? Is there a downside to this, besides paying for the extra parts, which I already did?

2:
Anybody still has that Clunk Fix (from end-of-2010 group buy) and hasn't installed it yet? If so, would you mind measuring the distance between the two holes on the long, straight bar? I'd like to fabricate two more of these bars and put them over top top of the clunk-fix (parallel to the existing bars), because the angle of the current bar placement is telling my laws-of-physics instinct that it's going to bend given that the direction of the force against it, while cornering, isn't completely down along its own axis. The new bar would provide more strength, and more parallel angle to the force. Am I making any sense here, or do I sound like I'm on crack?

Anyway, having somebody do the quick measurement of the distance between the two holes would be nice (center-to-center, or same-edge to same-edge would be easier to measure).

Why you ask? I already installed mine, and I can't get the dimensions without having to jack up, and crawl underneath my car, take them off, blah blah blah.

Thanks

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123781306-GI-Clunk-Fix-Brackets

1. I am not sure if it is "wrong", but the sway bar should flex and the additional bushings will greatly reduce the flex over the clunk fix alone. It would seem to me that the additional bushings would make the sway bar TOO stiff, especially without a matching front sway bar (in stiffness).

2. The distance between the two holes is 6.75" center to center and the bolts are 10mm in diameter

What you could do to get the braces to be closer to level in your configuration, is to mount the braces on the outside of the bushing brackets with the nut facing out and the bolt on the inside of the clunk fix bracket.

pw~mp5 said:

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showt...k-Fix-Brackets

Click to expand...

Yes, that one. Kind of. the GB I was in got moved into this one.

Do you sell the rubber stops that are on the sway bar (stops + clamps that hold them in place, or whatever goes into that rubber-stops kit)? You mentioned in the above link that the original ones can be moved, but I'd rather get new ones than screw around with moving the old ones. If you don't sell them, do you know where I could buy them? Someone else just asked me in another post if I know where he can get them, so it looks like I'm not the only one looking for a set.

pw~mp5 said:

2. The distance between the two holes is 6.75" center to center and the bolts are 10mm in diameter

Click to expand...

Thanks.

Can I bother you to also tell me the length and width of that piece?

pw~mp5 said:

What you could do to get the braces to be closer to level in your configuration, is to mount the braces on the outside of the bushing brackets with the nut facing out and the bolt on the inside of the clunk fix bracket.

Click to expand...

I thought about doing that when I was putting it all on the car, but I realized that screwing that nut from the top (and inside the bracket) would suck from manoeuvrability perspective. I'm not sure how easy it would be to get a wrench in there, so I just decided to not attempt that.

The GB thread was deleted for some reason. I've noticed that some GB threads get deleted and some don't.

I don't know of anywhere to buy the rubber stops. The AXR clunk fix used 2-piece shaft collar clamps, which work fine. I did not include them in the kit to hold the price of the kit down since you could move the rubber stops.
http://www.ruland.com/ps_collars_shaft_msp.asp Note that the steel (black oxide finish) rusts, but is the least expensive.

The length is 7.875", originally designed as 8" but due to some of the welds inside the bracket being a little on the fat side .125" was removed from the end that goes inside the bracket. The width is 1.125", you may want to reduce this to fit on top of the U clamps.

pw~mp5 said:

The GB thread was deleted for some reason. I've noticed that some GB threads get deleted and some don't.

I don't know of anywhere to buy the rubber stops. The AXR clunk fix used 2-piece shaft collar clamps, which work fine. I did not include them in the kit to hold the price of the kit down since you could move the rubber stops.
http://www.ruland.com/ps_collars_shaft_msp.asp Note that the steel (black oxide finish) rusts, but is the least expensive.

The length is 7.875", originally designed as 8" but due to some of the welds inside the bracket being a little on the fat side .125" was removed from the end that goes inside the bracket. The width is 1.125", you may want to reduce this to fit on top of the U clamps.

Click to expand...

Cool, thanks

The Shaft Collars are about $25. + shipping, it would be a bit on the pricey side. Maybe I should just take the old ones off and move them. How do they come off? More specifically: that metal clamp around the rubber ring, how does it come off? When I cleaned it off the other day, all I saw was that metal clamp. Is there a screw somewhere that I didn't see (I didn't give it that good of a look. I just cleaned off the most accessible 1/4 of the ring and didn't see any obvious signs of easy removal, so I decided to not bother)?

With the sway bar on the car the "buckle" of the clamp is facing down. I used a pocket knife to pry the buckle open then lift the end of the metal clamp up. (See the photo below. Click for larger view.)



Once the clamp is open you can slide it off of the rubber stop. The stop is held in place with a black adhesive, carefully peel the rubber stop off of the sway bar.

I used rubbing alcohol to clean the rubber stop and the sway bar where it will be moved to. I then used 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive http://3mcollision.com/3m-black-super-weatherstrip-adhesive-03602-4250.html (available most anywhere where automotive chemicals/cleaners are sold) to reattach the rubber stop.

Once you have the stop where you want it, slide the metal clamp back in place and close the lever. With the lever closed bend the buckle back to hold the lever closed.

pw~mp5 said:

With the sway bar on the car the "buckle" of the clamp is facing down. I used a pocket knife to pry the buckle open then lift the end of the metal clamp up. (See the photo below. Click for larger view.)



Once the clamp is open you can slide it off of the rubber stop. The stop is held in place with a black adhesive, carefully peel the rubber stop off of the sway bar.

I used rubbing alcohol to clean the rubber stop and the sway bar where it will be moved to. I then used 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive http://3mcollision.com/3m-black-super-weatherstrip-adhesive-03602-4250.html (available most anywhere where automotive chemicals/cleaners are sold) to reattach the rubber stop.

Once you have the stop where you want it, slide the metal clamp back in place and close the lever. With the lever closed bend the buckle back to hold the lever closed.

Click to expand...

Excellent instructions. Thanks a lot!