Ok, I need some major help with a suspension issue. I have an 84 GSL-SE with 28K miles. As you can imagine, due to the car sitting, it was in need of new shocks. I went ahead and replaced the stock shocks all around with TOKICO blues. Had some suspension noise issues, so assumed the springs were shot also. Went ahead and replaced all springs. Now I have major suspension noise, and the car sits at MAZDA and nobody can seem to figure out the issue. Here's the weird thing. If the stock strut assembly is removed from the car, and the spring is removed, the metal shaft that come out of the assembly will actually compress or drop on its own. So if you want to extend the metal shaft, you have to pull up on it and it will drop back on its own. I thought this meant the shock was worn out. The reason I thought this is because when you have a tokico blue installed in the assembly, the metal shaft is actually fully extended in its normal position. You have to push down quite hard to compress the metal shaft back into the blue housing, and once the pressure is released it will rebound hard back up. Why are these designed in the opposite directions and which one is correct? Has anyone experienced this when they replaced their shocks? Did you basically just remove the old shock from the metal assembly, which usually contains worn out oil, and install the aftermarket into the stock assembly? Am I missing something here? With the Tokico shocks and new springs, the car has crazy noise up front and jumps all over the place. I hope this makes sense, and someone can help out. Please let me know. Thanks.

 

The old shocks are most likely worn out, but they were not gas charged like the newer ones. That will account for the difference in how they behave. If the old strut compresses or extends easily, it's toast.

Either the new shocks and springs are not installed properly, or there are other issues with the front suspension. The blues require the use of the enclosed mounting nut to secure the shock in the strut tube, was that nut installed?

 

My first question also.

 

If your speaking of the nut that screws into the strut housing, then yes it was installed. Is there any type of rubber insert that prevents the strut insert from moving within the strut sleeve? Please let me know. Thanks. If anybody has pictures of a proper install, that would be great.

 

Sometimes shims are required underneath the stut (shims= washers) to make the replacement strut fit tightly, can you move the cartridge within the old strut housing at all?

 

Sounds to me like you have a completely worn out bushing, start with the front control arm bushing then work back, I suspect one has completly seperated. Then check all the ball joints for movement by having someone sit in the drivers seat and chop the wheel back and forward a few inches whilst you inspect every moving join for slack. A very worn ball joint can also cause noise. Check your sway bar end mounts are secure and bushings are good also.

Oh and if your old struts fall to compressed position without any force they are totalled, complete junk, they must have resistance to do their job, which is to stop the springs going up and down after they absorb a shock. That's why they are actually called dampers.