Alright, a few weeks ago I developed a sqeaky noise coming from the right rear of my RX...
It got worse and worse, so I decided to check it out.


Under the car, about 2feet from the rear tire (either one)
or around the area under the seats, there is this, well let's see if I can explain this:

It's a circle, with a busing or something in the center.
When I apply downforce to the right rear fender, and place my hand on this circle thing, I can feel "popping" in it...

That's where this horrible squeak is coming from.

Even the Mazda Dealership doesn't know what that is.

What the heck is it, and why would it squeak like that?

Thanks

 

I SOOO do not know the part yer talkin about!

 

Could it perhaps be one of the mounts for the exhaust system that has broken? they have hooks with rubber bushing type things that connect to the muffler (on the stock unit anywho.

 

a picture is worth a thousand words...

 

Ahhh! I don't have a camera...

I measured it from the right rear tire, it's 2 feet in front of the tire.
I'd say about 4 inches from the side of the car, underneath.


It's basicaly a circle, with what appears to be a bushing (it's rubber) in the center.


The Dealership's best guess was a transmission mount, but I think it's too far back to be one.

 

Is there one on the left?

No chance it's a frost expansion grommet?

 

it is a damn exaughst hanger. if your not using it cut the damn thing off.

jr

 

LOL You guys are hopeless!

He's talking about the front lower trailing arm bushings.

 

How so? 2 Feet in front of the right rear tire?

 

If you measure from the middle of the rear tire it's about two feet. Nothing else it can be anyway.

BTW, by front I mean the forward bushing of the rear lower trailing arm. Guess I could of worded it slightly betterer.

 

maybe its a body mount, if he pushed on the fender and it made a sound that might be it.

 

Rent a camera, get a picture and post it or live with the sqeak........

 

maybe its a body drain plug. there placed around here and there.

 

i was thinking the same thing that jeremy said, body drain plug ... but i'm too lazy to go and look under my car right now ... besides, it's wet outside.

 

It's the damn trailing arm! Unbelievable...

 

I would agree with REVHEAD, it's probably the trailing arm bushing, and it might be rusted through?


Jeff

 

Sure its not the muffler bearings?

 

Maybe it's the fuel-injected brake lines squeaking a bit against the dual-reciprocating axle... But definately check and/or replace those muffler bearings, preferably with those new fancy Chrome-Plated ones. They look nice, perform well, and will out-last the crappy cast-iron ones...

Jeff

 

I dunno. I tried the chrome plated muffler bearings and they seriously scuffed the Jimson's Saddle Throw-Out Arm. Had I got the optional tire rustproofing that might not have happened, but I was saving up for one of those eBay electric blowers.

 

On a more serious note, Jeremy, Doabolical, and I are talking about the same thing. frost/expansion grommets a.k.a 'drain' plugs (though if they're plugged, how do they drain?) are rubber fittings in the larger continuous sections of floorpan that allow the metal to expand and contract with temperature variances without making the unattractive groaning sounds they'd make if it were a solid sheet, accompanied by slight warping.

However, these grommets are very common and unless your Mazda mech is a complete twit s/he'd recognise it immediately. Then again, you'd think s/he'd recognise a front [sic] trailing arm bushing, too.

 

It's the trailing arm, my step brother (who just happens to be a suspension tech) came down from Arizona and took a look. He pointed to the same thing as Revhead, and sprayed some soapy water in there.

Squeak-b-gone

 

*waits for revhed's victory dance*

 

Victory dance?

Well if you insist...

 

*applauds*

you never disappoint

 

Damn! And I was thinking it was the fully inverted bi-valve exuder needing some relative bearing grease....