How-to

[Clod_King]

How to bail on installing parts:

First, start a thread asking about jacking points neglecting to mention what you are planning to install so that it will a sumptuous surprise for you fellow forum members.

Second, wake up early on a beautiful day and lug your 80 lb floor jack out of the basement and into the communal parking lot.

Third, bring tools and tools and jack stands out from the basement and start jacking up your car.

Fourth, once your car is firmly supported on jack stands, and you have positioned the large and heavy floor jack under the tow point for added security, run indoors to get your camera to document your work.

Fifth, grab second smaller floor jack, and position it under the rear beam. Crank it up so it just touches the rear beam in the middle.

Sixth, attempt to take picture.

Seventh, open battery hatch on camera to find out there are no batteries.

Eighth, search house for batteries.

Ninth, remove batteries from TV remote.

Tenth, take picture.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0504.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0504.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0504.jpg"/></a>

 

[Clod_King]

Eleventh, take picture of the positioning of the smaller jack.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0505.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0505.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0505.jpg"/></a>

Twelfth, locate the two bolts that attach the rear beam to the rest of your sweet ride.

Thirteenth, take two pictures of said bolts because you want to be thorough.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0506.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0506.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0506.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0507.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0507.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0507.jpg"/></a>

Fourteenth, grab a 17mm socket and proceed to build up an assembly that will make things easier. (17mm socket, then universal joint, then extension, then ratchet)

Fifteenth, attempt to remove bolts.

Sixteenth, grab a breaker bar from the basement and remove the little bastards.

Seventeenth, slowly lower the rear beam with the smaller floor jack to expose the rubber bushings.

Eighteenth, praise yourself for how prepared you are, and for how smoothly things are going.

Nineteenth, take picture. And smile.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0509.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0509.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0509.jpg"/></a>

 

[Clod_King]

Twentieth, take picture of the cool little retainer clips that Mazda thought of that hold the nuts in place.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0508.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0508.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0508.jpg"/></a>

Twenty-first, run upstairs and grab your poly bushings that have been waiting for a good day to be installed... since Christmas.

Twenty-second, use 32 oz. ball peen hammer to tap on the bushing.

Twenty-third, tap a little harder.

Twenty-fourth, get frustrated and realize that the stock bushings are pressed into the rear beam.

Twenty-fifth, think of solution.

Twenty-sixth, call your local Mazda dealer to inquire about said pressed in bushings.

Twenty-seventh, be informed that bushings and rear beam are considered one piece, and that the dealership cannot remove the bushings.

Twenty-eighth, record new found information with a damn picture.

<a href="http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/ClodKing/media/100_0510.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s405/ClodKing/100_0510.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 100_0510.jpg"/></a>

Twenty-ninth, have a smoke or five.

Thirtieth, put your car back together and go to your buddies house to drink beers, and swap the heads on his volkswagens.

 

[ScorpioGTX1]

Second, wake up early on a beautiful day and lug your 80 lb floor jack out of the basement and into the communal parking lot.

LOL, I used to work in auto parts and I hated that 3.5-ton Michelin floor jack. Lifting it onto the shelf was bad enough, but one day a lady asked me to bring it out to her truck and load it into the back. Now, I weigh 130 lbs, so this thing nearly freaking killed me, haha.


Anyway, sorry to hear about your bad luck.

 

[Clod_King]

Yeah that damn jack is a beast...

Well I'm going to bring the car to work. I'll get those damn bushings out one way or the other. Plus I can just put a strap around the car and lift it up with the crane.... Jokes.

 

[tehpeach]

Yeah that damn jack is a beast...

Well I'm going to bring the car to work. I'll get those damn bushings out one way or the other. Plus I can just put a strap around the car and lift it up with the crane.... Jokes.

A torch should get em out easy.

 

[Clod_King]

The bushings are vulcanized to steel outer rings. So even after burning them out the outer rings would need to pressed out. Or carefully slit to release the pressure. But I want to stay away from the torch because I do not want to severely comprise the paint on the beam. But if it comes down to it I can blast the paint off and repaint. But I don't really want to do that either.