2006+ Mazda5 Rear Shocks Replacement

do you think top shock mount need replacement too? I mean its got rubber in it and if its not that expensive, might be worth replacing them.

Unless the rubber bump stop is cracking, I don't see a reason. If you buy OEM replacement, it'll probably come with the dustcover/bump stop.
 
Well I just finished replacing the two rear shocks on my 5 with Monroes. It was a piece of cake once I figured out where to put the floor jack. Air tools took the nuts and bolts off in no time. Right side took about 40 minutes and left side, once I had it figured out took about 20 minutes for a total time of one hour. Mazda dealer was going to charge me 3 hours labour and $150 per shock for a total price just over $600 with tax. The shocks that I put on cost me $49. each and are guaranteed for life. Thank You a10thunder for posting this most helpful topic. Cheers!
 
Here is a good step by step video for swapping the shocks if the pictures don't quite do it for us Mazda 5 owners:

 
Are you guys that installed the KYBs or Monroes happy with them? I am considering a set for our van since my wife won't be able to tell the difference between KYBs and Konis. If it were my vehicle I'd be installing Konis but she'll freak out about the cost more than anything. I'd just like to restore the ride and avoid cupping the new tires I just had installed.

I also thought about installing some Mazda3 Bilsteins but again you end up at the same $750 that the FSDs cost.
 
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I replaced the rears on mine with Koni FSDs. Can't really report on the ride as my fronts are still blown... those will be done on Friday weather permitting.

Anyhow - one important piece of information that I didn't see covered here - the bottom bushing on the rear strut needs to be tightened when the rear wheel is at it's normal ride height position. That means don't tighten it when the car is up on stands. These type of bushings need to be tightened when in their normal position. The rubber will bend and flex as needed when the suspension moves, but if you tighten them when it is fully extended they will be twisted too far when you go over bumps possibly causing the bushing to wear prematurely. Indeed the Koni instructions tell you to tighten the bottom bolt when car is resting on all 4 wheels.

What I did was to measure the space between the fender lip and the top of the rim. Then before fully tightening the bolt I use a jack to lift the wheel into position by measuring, and then tightening it the last bit.

I am probably not describing it very well so I found some online links that do a better job.

"To answer your specific question; Yes, to properly install and tighten mounting fasteners for suspension bushings, the suspension must be in its regular ride height position prior to the final application of torque to any bushing hinge point. If the vehicle is on a hoist, the suspension will be in its full rebound, or downward, position. Once the car is on the ground, the bushings will be forced into a twisted position as the weight of the car bears down on the bushings. This will increase the ride height and not allow the bushings to flex into their normal jounce (upward motion) position when the suspension needs to absorb a bump. This puts added stress on the bushings and adversely affects the alignment of the front suspension, which will create steering and control problems. "
from http://m.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-tips/maintenance-and-repairs/why-the-days-of-diy-car-repairs-are-over/article2106775/?service=mobile

and

"When the components are tightened against their "natural" position of a loaded suspension, and then forced into the loaded suspension, the rubber must stretch into this new position. Therefore, the rubber is essentially ALWAYS under stress and wears out prematurely. My theory is that the rubber is not stretching ALL the way and my ride is higher than it should be. I'm hoping to find out that YES, this is what's going on, before I spend money on an alignment after doing what joe p suggests. Furthermore, if the rubber has been stretched for 60Kmi then maybe I should just pony up the money for new links in rear , yuk yuk and then get an alignment..."
from http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/48898-when-bushings-tightened-off-ground.html

Very important to do this. If you have already tightened, you can just lift up on ramps and loosen the bolts a bit and re-tighten. I am not a mechanic professionally so perform at your own risk.

Jason
 
Broken shock mount

I changed the rear shocks last year and was driving on the expressway and hit a bump. After that there was a lot of clanking coming from the driver rear side. I got home and found the rear shock mount was broken. When I changed the shocks last year I did not pay any attention to the shock mounts, maybe I should had given them a closer look and clean the corrosion with a wire brush. I might had spotted the defect on that broken mount then and changed it.

I when to my local garage to see if they can replace it. Where I am in Canada snow tires are mandatory and the deadline is Dec. 13 so they were backed up till then. The mechanic also told me he has replaced a few of them on Mazda 3's and the dealer will only sell the mount and shock as one part. To my surprise that was true.

Anyways I was able to find just the mount from Rockauto, the part number is Doorman 337 924-412. I just got the parts yesterday and installed myself. The good part is the wheel does not have to come off in order to replace the mount if you use hand tools, but the car has to be jacked up so the wheel can drop down a bit to create more room and make thing easier.

Here is a couple of picture of the broken mount, it seems that there has been a crack on the right side for a while by the look of the corrosion. Once the right side broke the left side when also.

97sbkj.jpg


flyrno.jpg
 
Wow, that looks pretty brittle. I'm glad I ordered coilovers with replacement mounts instead of shocks that would require reusing the factory mounts...
 
i have a 2007 mazda5 with 65000 miles on it. i took it to the mazda dealer because their was weird noise coming from the back. they told me the rear shocks needed to be replaced and the sway bar due to age of bushings. what exactly does that mean. they wanted to charge me $600 to get the job done. what are good shocks to buy online and do i have to buy sway bar link or bushings? thanks
 
Cheapest decent rear shocks? Looks like about $83 shipped for a pair of KYB GR-2s:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Easy to replace on your own as long as you have a jack, jack stands, and ratchet/sockets.

Sway bar bushings are relatively cheap too (just two pieces, can usually buy for about $20 or less @ AutoZone), and are mounted underneath 2 D shaped brackets. Pretty easy to change too.
 
Lol I was in the process of installing my driver side rear shocks, took the wheel off and noticed the shock was dangling there. The upper shock mount had broken to three pieces much like Davebert's. I wonder how long I've been driving like that? I've got new ones coming today.
 
Didn't see this mentioned anywhere, but what holds the spring in place when the shock is removed? I might need to replace my shocks soon and I don't like the thought of the spring coming loose!
 
The springs are on a separate mount- they don't go around the shocks in the rear. They're sandwiched between the trailing arm and the upper mount in the unibody of the car.
 
so instead of just replacing the rear shocks I've decided I'm going to replace all 4. anyone know what shocks i should get and where to order them for a good price? i also need sway bar bushings i believe. my car is making a rattle noise every time i drive and go over speed bumps. and do i need to get the coils/springs changed as well. i don't know much about cars lol
 
so instead of just replacing the rear shocks I've decided I'm going to replace all 4. anyone know what shocks i should get and where to order them for a good price? i also need sway bar bushings i believe. my car is making a rattle noise every time i drive and go over speed bumps. and do i need to get the coils/springs changed as well. i don't know much about cars lol

If you like the stock ride, KYB shocks and struts will do the trick. There's no need to replace the springs. I got my front and rear KYB's from Amazon merchants. The front struts are a pain to replace. You'll need a spring compressor tool.
 
I'm starting to hate this car..i took it in for an oil change today and they told me that the motor mount number 3 is bad and needs to be replaced. they wanted to charge me $300. anyone know what number 3 motor mount is called online and where i can order it. thanks
 
so instead of just replacing the rear shocks I've decided I'm going to replace all 4. anyone know what shocks i should get and where to order them for a good price? i also need sway bar bushings i believe. my car is making a rattle noise every time i drive and go over speed bumps. and do i need to get the coils/springs changed as well. i don't know much about cars lol
I bought my struts at Rock Auto (rockauto.com). I got the Monroe OE Spectrum, but later found out from my regular mechanic that those are on the lower end of OEM. I think the GR-2s are recommended by many people for decent quality at a decent price.
 
I'm starting to hate this car..i took it in for an oil change today and they told me that the motor mount number 3 is bad and needs to be replaced. they wanted to charge me $300. anyone know what number 3 motor mount is called online and where i can order it. thanks

How did they determine the mount needs to be replaced?
 
i got a full circle done and oil change. and the guy at mazda said the number 3 motor mount is worn out and needs to be replaced that the other 2 are practically new.
 
Thank you very much for posting this. I just followed these instructions to replace the rear shocks on my 2006 mazda5 and the process was very straightforward. Feels like a new car again :)
 
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