bottoming out

:
2003 Spicy Orange MazdaSpeed Protege
hey guys i have about 23 thousand and change miles on my car. my rear end occasionally will bottom out of relatively small bumps or dips and large ones. is this because i need to tighten and tune my suspension or do i need new springs or struts or what? i don't really know too much about suspension so please enlighten me.
thanks
chris
 
tracknfield423 said:
hey guys i have about 23 thousand and change miles on my car. my rear end occasionally will bottom out of relatively small bumps or dips and large ones. is this because i need to tighten and tune my suspension or do i need new springs or struts or what? i don't really know too much about suspension so please enlighten me.
thanks
chris

you may not be bottoming out, rather could be the rear bushings gone. it is a common problem on the MSP. i had to have mine replaced twice now and i only have 20,000 miles on my 03.5 speed.
 
no its not the rear bushings. i know that sound and all about the problems with them. it is not that. i am definately bottoming out. so any help?
 
As far as i know springs shouldn't ever wear out. It is possible you need new struts. Tire pressure good? Junk in the trunk?
 
If you bottom out, and you find that the car "floats and wallows" after bumps then the shocks are probably toast.

In any case get it looked at.
 
the car doesn't float after bumps and i have nothing in my trunk except a basketball in the netting. i go over a bump lets say and the front is fine but the rear just feels like it has no support and drops down. once it drops and comes back up its fine though, no floating or anything.
 
tracknfield423 said:
the car doesn't float after bumps and i have nothing in my trunk except a basketball in the netting. i go over a bump lets say and the front is fine but the rear just feels like it has no support and drops down. once it drops and comes back up its fine though, no floating or anything.

what ever it is it should be under warranty, so i would just bring it in and have it looked at. that will solve your issue. although if they do tell you that you need new shocks in the rear, don't let them replace them with stock shocks. believe me they will try to use that junk. you are better of to pay a little and put some aftermarkets in if you can afford it. if it is free, take ther new shocks and then have them replaced with aftermarkets and sell the new shocks they give you under warranty. that will help with the cost of some nice aftermarket shocks...Good Luck!
 
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