*ATTENTION* Permanent Clunk Fix - FOOLPROOF!!!

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Melanism

Member
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2001 Mazda Protege MPS
Okay.....After dealing with the dreaded 'clunk' problem due to subpar, unlubed rubber bushings on the rear sway bar, I have found a permanent fix, that actually increases the performance even more. I decided to replace the rubber bushings with Energy Suspension Polyurethane bushings. I purchased item # (9-5157 13/16") from http://www.nipponpower.com. The guys there were very helpful with getting me this part. I took me about an hour to replace the self greasable bushings. It was pretty simple, but did require some modifications. First off, the original bushing bracket is shaped differently from the new one, so I had to shape the new bracket with a hammer, very simple. Second obstacle was a bushing stoppage piece on the sway bar that prevents the bushing from slipping back and forth on the bar. These need to be pushed toward the inside about a quarter of an inch on each side. Other than that, you just grease up the bushings with all purpose grease and slip them on, bolt up the brackets and reap the benefits of Poly bushings! Maybe just me, but I think it stiffins cornering. NO NOISE AT ALL!! And the best thing about them, is that theyre self greasable. Has a nipple on it so that you hook a grease gun to it and pump in lube! I took pictures at several stages throughout the modification and I am currently working a tutorial....soon to come.



sm_gsbb.jpg
Dimensions in image are not actual to dimensions of part number 9-5157
ens-9-5158g.jpg
 
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Answer

Actually, I have just put them on yesterday, but I am REALLY impressed so far. My car has NEVER been this quiet going over bumps. I turned everything off...radio, heat and just rode over bumpy terrain. I hear nothing. My next project is to tackle the front bushings. But the 'clunk' doesnt come from the front bushings. Just squealing on cold days.

By the way. When I took off the rubber bushings in the back, there was absolutely NO lube on them at all. There was so much friction occurring, that it burned the paint off of the bar. Damn Mazda Tech Genuises! Dont take your car back for a replacement, you are going to go into a perpetual problematic situation. Theyre only gonna replace it with another new faulty one. It will only be a matter of time before the new one starts to act up.

***I will update frequently with any new developments, so keep an eye on this post.
 
My dealer put on something similar, maybe even the same part, and was warrantying it before I sold my car.
Problem with those is, the bar will move from side to side under heavy cornering loads, and when it does, it REALLY messes up your handling.
You may never encounter this under everyday street driving, but if you corner hard, it could happen, just be careful.
Good luck! Hope it works out for you.
 
cjstringer said:
My dealer put on something similar, maybe even the same part, and was warrantying it before I sold my car.
Problem with those is, the bar will move from side to side under heavy cornering loads, and when it does, it REALLY messes up your handling.
You may never encounter this under everyday street driving, but if you corner hard, it could happen, just be careful.
Good luck! Hope it works out for you.
Click to expand...

The bar moving is caused by removal of the stoppage piece on the bar I described. I didnt remove this piece for the exact reason you are describing. I'm glad I didnt take those pieces off, and I wouldnt recommend anyone removing these pieces. I tested cornering....real hard cornering and I dont see any degradation of performance....so far lol
 
I ran this same exact set of bushings when I had the AWR sway bar on my ES. There were no adverse affects to the handling. The creak and clunking was eliminated. They cost less than $15.
 
Stoppage piece = hose clamp/joke

You really shouldn't call something permanent until it's been on the car for more than 24 hours.

Increased performance? Of what exactly? Understeer?

Britt
 
Melanism, I hope more than anyone that you're correct, but you should give this thread a read, if you haven't already explaining that no matter what type of bushing used, due to the forces and the way they are applied, nothing will stop it with any certainty until the mounting position of the bushing is changed.
http://207.44.244.58/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33490&highlight=klunk

I think your increased handling is basically the car as it is in new condition/the way it should be...mine feels great everytime I get mine replaced for the first 500 miles.
 
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122 Vega said:
Stoppage piece = hose clamp/joke

You really shouldn't call something permanent until it's been on the car for more than 24 hours.

Increased performance? Of what exactly? Understeer?

Britt
Click to expand...


That stoppage piece is not just a hose clamp....try and move it, then tell me whether you think its a hose clamp. I dont think so. Besides, it does exactly what it's supposed to do....keep the bushing from moving toward the inside. And as far as increased performance, I notice slight stiffness in body roll, like I said, maybe its all in my head. And SO FAR, it had COMPLETELY gotten rid of the 'clunk' problem thats so annoying.
 
Um, did you read my info on the greaseable Summit Racing bushings! Mine have been in since March. They look the same.
1244 (msporange
 
drive on them for at least 2-3000 miles over REALLY BUMPY roads, and in wet conditions before you declare victory. I've tested several typle of fixes, one of which was poly urethane( which were the worse for noise btw) and to have it last one day is a joke. 1 month, also a joke. You need to properly test these before saying it's fixed.

really great idea, nice effort, but put some miles on the puppies first.

As for the rest of you, don't try any dyi fixes until you see the next bushing. You don't Mazda to say....sorry your warranty is void due to bla bla bla bla do you?
 
Okay, it's a hose clamp with some rubber inside of it. The bar still moves to to the lateral compliance of the bushing. Even poly bushings allow some stretch.

Britt
 
scott42 said:
Melanism, I hope more than anyone that you're correct, but you should give this thread a read, if you haven't already explaining that no matter what type of bushing used, due to the forces and the way they are applied, nothing will stop it with any certainty until the mounting position of the bushing is changed.
http://207.44.244.58/vbb225/showthread.php?s=&threadid=33490&highlight=klunk

I think your increased handling is basically the car as it is in new condition/the way it should be...mine feels great everytime I get mine replaced for the first 500 miles.
Click to expand...

Hmmm.....I see. Faulty design. Well I hope to goodness that this works out for me in the longrun. Little things like this are REALLY starting to irritate the s*** out of me....I see an RX-8 in my future.
 
Melanism said:
Hmmm.....I see. Faulty design. Well I hope to goodness that this works out for me in the longrun. Little things like this are REALLY starting to irritate the s*** out of me....I see an RX-8 in my future.
Click to expand...


my friend's 03 rx8 has been in the shop more than mp3 in the last two months.
 
TXMazdaSpeeder said:
my friend's 03 rx8 has been in the shop more than mp3 in the last two months.
Click to expand...

What for??



Anway, Melanism, good work, but as mentioned before, one day is far from a test.

Poly DOES tend to squeak worse than anything else, so we'll see what happens.
 
interesting... now, I'm gonna drill and tap my stock bushings. and insert a grease zerk. I think this might actually help :)
 
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