Front suspension noise over bumps
 

For a while now (since January I'd say) I've been getting this thump sound whenever I get on or a second or so after I let off the throttle (when engine braking begins).

More recently, I've been getting a more high-pitched sound at those same times that I think might be caused by my intercooler piping (the elbow off the throttle body is metal and shows signs of rubbing up against the master cylinder).

Possibly culprits for the thump noise include:
- front sway bar bushings (83k miles on stock ones :bt: )
- loose steering rod
- lower control arm bushings (I did drop the lower control arms to pull the tranny but I know I got them back together without any left over parts :P ).

Something that just happened to me recently that made a similar noise:

Broken front stabilizer control link.

Do you have a CAI? Mine that sits on the driver side and down in the bumper rattles some when letting off the throttle really hard and whistles some when i slam back on the throttle.

That engine does suck some air in.

No, I don't have a cold air intake, but I should check the intake to my turbo because I know it isn't held with a brace. I think I might invest in an infrared camera to put under my hood so that I can see what is making the noises haha.

My "front stabilizer control links" i.e. front sway bar endlinks were recently replaced (when I installed tokico HPs) and about two weeks ago when I swapped out Goldline springs for Tein S-techs I checked and they were installed and the bolts torqued down.

Swar bar linkage would be the first thing I check ...

I have new OEM front sway bar bushings in my garage, I'm just not looking forward to replacing them considering their location. When I had my car apart putting in new springs, rotors, pads, brake lines, etc.. I inspected the bushings, and they didn't look damaged so I left them alone :P

The infamous "clunk" of the 3rd gen Proteges. Mine do the same cuz I have AWR endlinks, but the music usually tunes it out for me so I don't pay much attention to it. A little lithium grease gets rid of it for a week or so, but then it comes back as soon as the grease wears out.

I'd say it's the endlinks as well.

Well the infamous clunk is in the rear suspension, and on the MP3/MSP much more so than the Protege5. That being said, I do have the Racing Beat rear sway bar, but I have the autoxracing clunk fix bracket with greasable bushings to remedy that. The endlinks were just tightened, but yeah I'll check them out when I'm looking at other stuff tomorrow after work.

There's FLR-SCCA Solo events all weekend so I want my car to be in tip-top shape :)

chris. front sway bushing. just check. jack up the front and jiggle it.

can you read? lol I have checked. the car was jacked up, I jiggled everything I could, and nothing. I'll take a look at it all again tomorrow and see what I come up with.

i suck at engrish :( i sped red :P

Based upon personal experience and the fact you said you have changed both struts and springs, I would check the top nut on the struts. I don't think anyone has the special tools needed to be able to use a torque wrench on them, I just hit mine with an impact wrench (gently, don't hold the trigger down and let the shaft spin).

Even when these are loose you can't always tell by extending/compressing the struts.

Yeah I'll have to check on them again.. but this is the 5th or 6th time I've had the suspension totally apart and I never had a problem. I am using the tokico-supplied top nuts though, which people have said don't engage as far as the stock nuts. I still have the stock nuts, I'll have to give them a try.

I'm thinkin you might be on to something...

did my tein install today and have no endlinks - you should hear the clunk i have :yelrotflm

:P

but how are the springs?

I just got back inside and um.. yeah so my front sway bar bushings are really, really worn out looking. zomg if it isn't the worst bolt placement in the whole car. To get the piece of the front subframe that the bar is attached to down for more clearance, you'd have to remove:
- the midpipe
- the lower tie bar
- both lower control arms
- endlinks :P

Took her for a ride today on her maiden voyage and I think she likes em. I love the drop and it rides really smooth, no bouncy ride, no harshness. I'll see how she performs with new endlinks.

What kind of endlinks? Stock or AWR?

I think I'm gonna stick with OE since adjustable ones seem to loosen up, plus OE is cheaper from the place I'm gonna get them.

stock (though not originals.. replaced about 10k miles ago).

I got the front bolts on the bushing brackets off just fine, but the rears.. it isn't happening. Now I understand why the factory service manual calls for removing the lower tie bar, endlinks, the exhaust midpipe, the steering gear, both shift levers, both lower control arms, and the crossmember (the big honking black pipe that is the entire front suspension geometry depends on) just to get access to the front sway bar.

le sigh. If I was a Mazda dealership service department, I'd gladly have at it, because 1. I'd be getting paid by the hour to take apart all that shit just to get at some bushings, 2. As it would be my job, I'd have the time to get it done, and 3. I'd have all the proper tools (and a lift) to get the job done.

I'm actually, for the first time EVER in my history with this car (turboing, all the suspension work, all the electronics work, detailing, all maintenance, etc) I am considering paying someone to do this. I have two weeks of finals (a week of lab finals, then another week of final finals) coming up and with 20+ hours of work each week on top of that, I just don't have the time or energy to even think about tackling it. For now, I'm just going to put it all on hold.. front bolts on the bushing brackets removed an all.

I give thanks to Mazda Corporation of Japan for assembling the car in such a fashion that it is extremely time consuming to do what should be the simplest of repair/replacement jobs. If I could so much as get a socket wrench other than my teeny little 1/4" drive onto the rear nuts, I would have finished this last night. When I got up this morning, I put the car back together and set her down, but didn't get to drive her all day because one of my roommates blocked the driveway with their car and must have forgotten I was here.. and they are hundreds of miles away now >_<

So for now, case closed. In a few weeks I'll deal with it again haha

The stock ones work (i.e. I don't think the AWR are actually stronger, though I've been wrong before), and aren't that expensive, but you gotta remember that in northern climates (I don't consider NJ the north.. I consider PA the south if that's any indication lol) they are practically disposable unless you keep constant tabs on them. I have protected my rear endlinks (though just on the sway bar end doh) by spraying them down with flat black paint when new after installation. Then I sprayed an undercoating over that (when dried/cured).

Kansei Tip #1 for working on a Mazda: Find out the sizes and other specs for every bolt/nut/whatever that you will be wrenching on, and order stainless steel replacements before beginning the work. Re-use NO stock nuts/bolts.

Thats a good tip Kansei :D I wish I can say I have a carcass of at least one endlink, but my mechanic went to town and throughly showed the bolts that you don't give me so much trouble and that in the end the air chisel always wins.

Another good tip is to use anti-seize compound on everything, especially stuff under the car or subjected to a lot of heat.

But things that get really hot need copper anti-seize (anything near ze turbo).

Is there any objection to putting anti-seize on the endlink bolts for front and rear?