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The Infamous MSP Clunk: Info & Solutions
- Thread starter Wagonbacker9
- Start date
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
not the place for this.. just wait for evolve to get it together.
4
43975
After I added the clunk fix, the clunk never went away. it seems another clunk may be coming from the the rear upper strut mounts
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
did you replace endlinks?
The ManLaw
The Manlaw of Want
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- 15cx5 soon 20cx9
just installed the RB RSB on my car. instant clunk. 99% positive it is because of the bushings. i wasnt able to figure out how to get the stock brackets that go around the bushings when i put the 20mm polyurathane ones i bought for it. now am i a moron or do i just have to get stock MP3 or MSP brackets? Yes i got the mounting brackets for this swap but i am running the stock bushings with it.
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
if you're not running the correct bushings, it'll clunk like they're worn like nobodys business. I don't think I really understand your question though.
Note: even with a proper clunk fix, you can still wear the bushings out. When you have greasable bushings, you have to maintain them by lubricating them every couple weeks or so. At first, they'll squeak, then they'll get worn out, then they'll clunk.
Also, worn endlinks tend to sound more like a rattle than a clunk to me. If you take care of the bushings in the back and still hear rattling going over bumps, it's the endlinks.
The front end suffers from a similar problem, though not as quickly. Eventually, those front bushings and endlinks will start clunking and rattling as bad as the back, though there's no clear-cut solution to it like with the AXR / Delsing brackets in the back. All you can do is replace the bushings and endlinks when they wear out.
Finally, the only real adverse affect this has on your car, aside from being annoying, is that it will handle like garbage. Those sway bars are a lot of what makes the suspension on the MSP work right. In an attempt to make the car more comfortable on the street, they used relatively soft springs but beefed up the sway bars to compensate. When those bushings / endlinks are worn out, the sway bars can't work properly and your car will corner very badly.
Also, worn endlinks tend to sound more like a rattle than a clunk to me. If you take care of the bushings in the back and still hear rattling going over bumps, it's the endlinks.
The front end suffers from a similar problem, though not as quickly. Eventually, those front bushings and endlinks will start clunking and rattling as bad as the back, though there's no clear-cut solution to it like with the AXR / Delsing brackets in the back. All you can do is replace the bushings and endlinks when they wear out.
Finally, the only real adverse affect this has on your car, aside from being annoying, is that it will handle like garbage. Those sway bars are a lot of what makes the suspension on the MSP work right. In an attempt to make the car more comfortable on the street, they used relatively soft springs but beefed up the sway bars to compensate. When those bushings / endlinks are worn out, the sway bars can't work properly and your car will corner very badly.
The ManLaw
The Manlaw of Want
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- 15cx5 soon 20cx9
Question pretaining to my previous post...Where can i get the brackets to hold the 20mm bushings for my RSB? is this a mazda only part or can i get them through say AWR? not the mounts, the brackets that hold the bushings.
You should probably hit up one of the many members parting out MSPs in the For Sale forum to get the brackets off of their car(s).
Ricktalife
Member
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- 2012 Subaru WRX
Somebody actually wants the POS RSB parts? That's funny.
disturbedfan121
Member
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- 2003 Spicy Orange MSP, boosted Miata dead and parted
this might be a dumb question but....why do they wear so fast to begin with? we should be address that....there are tons of other performance based sedans that have simliar sized sway bars but theirs don't wear out nearly as fast....
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
they wear because the mounts to the chassis are placed too far inboard. they should be placed further out, which is where the AXR fix relocates them to. ideally you want the mount to be as near to the bend as possible, this way the force is applied on the axis the bar rotates on only. Our bars apply force both radially and axially.
I'll the best way I can think to illustrate it is this:
Hold your arm so that your elbow points strait to the side, and your fingertips point strait forward.
Currently your bushings are about at your shoulder, so if you were to have someone push down on your hand, obviously your whole arm will go down.
The AXR clunk fix moves the bushings to just before your elbow, so, now, do the same test except with your elbow on a table...
I'll the best way I can think to illustrate it is this:
Hold your arm so that your elbow points strait to the side, and your fingertips point strait forward.
Currently your bushings are about at your shoulder, so if you were to have someone push down on your hand, obviously your whole arm will go down.
The AXR clunk fix moves the bushings to just before your elbow, so, now, do the same test except with your elbow on a table...
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- '03.5 Blazin' MSP (sold) ................. '14 Soul 6 GT
I have to put new bushings in my "clunk fix" every 120 to 180 days. One more swap and I will be ordering 5 more sets from energy suspension. Wahoo(yippy)
disturbedfan121
Member
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- 2003 Spicy Orange MSP, boosted Miata dead and parted
thats a very good explanation.....now why can't we fix this lol
sounds like we need to make a new bracket....i kno whats what the AXR was but clearly its not a "fix" its an improvement, but not a fix.
Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
put in a weaker sway bar? less stress on it would make the bushings last longer. lol
drive slower?
another suggestion I have from personal experience, get a light weight wheel and tire set. Putting on my FDs made a MARKED improvement in my handling, and reducing weight reduces stress.
drive slower?
another suggestion I have from personal experience, get a light weight wheel and tire set. Putting on my FDs made a MARKED improvement in my handling, and reducing weight reduces stress.
mazdarichie
Member
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- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege
So in the end there is still not a real good long term solution to this problem. Right? That noise along with the front end squeak is driving me nuts!
