Hearing a clunking noise out in the back...
 

I've noticed this noise especially when I make left turns, or have the steering wheel turned slightly to the left.
I've read this might be a broken differential mount? Or perhaps one of the suspension bushings?
How would I go about replacing this if it is? Can I just get parts form the local autoparts store, or mazdatrix or something?
Thanks in advance.

If you had a broken diff mount, the sound would be related to longitudenal forces on the drivetrain, rather than lateral... It's probably a broken end link or possibly a-arm bushing... I could be wrong, but it's most likely not the diff mount...

Maybe there's something in the back that's just slides?

Haha maybe it's the jack... :p:

if you had a broken dif fmount, you'll be hearing clunking noises everytime you shift (or shift hard). but if it just happens when turning left check your suspension and steering components (axle, tie rod, etc.)

i get creaking from the rear... time for bushings me thinks

Yea, i had clunking noises in back.. part of it was my socket set and antifreeze bottle sliding around, but part of it was really worn out end links. I got a pair from mazdatrix and they mostly fixed that problem... I think i still need bushings tho

Shifting = longitudenal forces

I have this same issue, when im accelerating my car is fine, its during shifts or deceleration that the car begins to clunk. I avoid this clunk by giving it a lil gas while im clutching in to put it in neutral.

Now if the diff mount brakes totally off lets say what damage can be obtained on the rear. Improper driveshaft to Diff angle and torsional damage perhaps?

Also the creaking when u hit a bump i think can be bushings and work out shocks., i have the same noise. Guess its time to throw on my complete suspension upgrade ihave laying in my bsmt (Kyb , eibachs and Energy Suspesnion)

jason NYC

if the diff mount totally broke and you didnt do anything about it, you can mess up the driveshaft, and/or differential. without the mount, the torque will push up the driveshaft and differential upwards. the clunkingnoise is the the shaf/diff hitting the body. sometimes you might even feel the car lifting a lil. it's not that bad in the short run but if it's broke you have to replace it

HOly shit are u fucking serious. Hitting the body nah man i aint gonna drive my car till i get that fixed. Holy godamn crap. I thought it was just the diff banging around up there.

Well ima place my order for the diff, whats the COMP DIFF and REG Mazda diff.

The comp looks good cuase its cheap but the Mazda one is stock and since i got a stock car i dont really mind just the price is the issue

Jason NYC

it aint really that bad. i had mines broke for 2 yrs. before i fixed it and nothing really happened. just dont be dumping the clutch.

stock is just fine remember the original stock one is about 20 years old so it was due to break

Umm dude you're gonna pay out the ass for a new one... I'll tell you what lol... Go price one, and then shoot me a PM... ;)

http://mazdatrix.com/h6_86-92.htm

Check that there. There are lots of things that clunk in the rear, but this is something else to look at other then the diff mount.

Hmm...okay. Thanks for all the input guys, I'll take a closer look at this later. But it looks like that I might have an excuse to upgrade to polyurethane bushings now...lol.

So for a stock FC, not planning on any conversion or serious burnouts, just a reliable FC thats stock and good looking.

With spirited driving. Mazda OEM or COmp DIff mounts (comps looko appealing ot me cuase of price)

Jazer NYC

Frankly, I replaced my 17 year old diff mount with a mazda comp one (AKA SR Motorsports drag launch kit which is the same thing mazdatrix sells except 200 dollars MORE) and I noticed a very small Difference when shifting hard and accelerating. Really really disappointed.

I think to get the full effect from the rear end you need to take your diff mount to a shop and have all the rubber removed from the center and have them weld in metal plates until the bitch is SOLID and doesn't move at all. That will make it very nice and crisp. You run the risk of breaking something eventually with enough Horsepower, but I don't see that happening anytime soon for myself.

Also, if you go with a competition differential mount, Install a pinion snubber (do a search for it) and that WILL make a more noticeable difference if you install it and adjust it properly.

Sorry, got kind of an update on my situation.

So I've paid more attention to my car, and when exactly this clunking happens. It happens whenever I turn my wheel in the slighest to the left. However, I also get this clunking inbetween shifts - right as the clutch disengages, even in going in a straight line, I get clunking. As the clutch reengages, the clunking dissapears, that is until I start turning the wheel to the left side again.

Still definately just the suspension bushings?

Its the diff mount...

Bet it doesn't clunk in reverse huh? ;)

Hate to drag this up from the dead but I have this exact problem and in my searching it seems that a lot of people have the same problem, clunking sound when turning left, right when clutch disengages, etc.
I was just wondering whether anyone has actually figured out what the problem is? Is it a diff mount or suspension bushings or what?

Consider the mechanics and physical forces acting on the differential when your performing these actions.

The differential torques forward and backwards depending on drivetrain input.

Deceleration and backing up, the front of the differential is forced down and and the back of it wants to come up. So you need to check the front and rear diff bushings and verify that the bolts in the rear are torqued to the correct amount, the top of the bushings are not worn (where the rubber touches the underside of the trunk on top of the differential).

Consider your front subframe bushings, and consider switching them over to some solid mounts.

Under acceleration the pinion is forced up into the underside of the car. The rubber mount that is there to hold the diff mount in place is ... poorly designed/designed with gentle driving in mind. What you want is a front differential mount that holds the pinion from the top or bottom since thats where the acting forces are. The rear of the differential is forced down into the rubber "crown" mounts. Thats why the torque on the rear bolts is important to get right.

Workarounds: Pinion snubber on the front differential mount, solid mounts from MMR in the rear diff and front subframe.

Do not weld the mount unless you are designing some sort of new cradle for the front of the diff with the correct bracing. The welded diff mounts I've seen by people that think they know what their doing put all the stress on the flimsy tab that holds the the diff mount to the subframe. This snaps pretty quickly.

The best option: Cobra rear diff. www.v8rx7forum.com Andrewb70 I think is the one that makes a custom cradle out of your stock subframe. This doesn't break and reduces, if not eliminates, all rear wheel hop.

I had the same problem with my 88 base after I did the 5 lug conversion. I realized whenever i took a left turn there was a clunking noise. It was even louder when I went in reverse. I couldn't figure out what it was until I lifted up the car from the rear. It was my rear camber link. It was so bad that I could pull the tire in and out just a little bit. Ever since I changed it I never heard it again.

The only pace I was able to find the rear camber link was on the mazdatrixs site. It's fairly easy to change, it only requires you to take off two bolts.

Well just to let you all know it turned out to just be some loose lug nuts. Thanks for the help though.