2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

How important are new Bushings????

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Old Jul 15, 2003 | 10:31 AM
  #1  
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From: miami florida
How important are new Bushings????

well i hear from everyone that 2nd gens NEED new bushings
what bushings? all of them?
suspension bushings...?

i want to replace them so if anyone can let me know which are the best and cheapest to get
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Old Jul 15, 2003 | 11:45 AM
  #2  
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From: Nashville, 37217
most likely its the shifter bushings....

if your shifter seems REAL sloppy, like it moves more to the left or right than it should, replacing the bushings will fix that....

when i bought my car it was sloppy.....i didnt think too much of it because it was my first stick...i didnt know how it SHOULD feel.....then i changed the bushings and oh my god.....the difference is night and day....feels so much better now!
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Old Jul 15, 2003 | 12:14 PM
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From: Orange Park FL (near Jax)
The RX-7 language:
Thunk (when starting out) - Front diff mount.
Tink (when starting out) - u-joints
Clunk or groan (with suspension movement) - old grommets.
Zoom zoom (short cycle) - vac leak
Zoom zoom (long cycle) - TPS or BAC or grounds
Crunch - high rev shift to 2nd
Beeeeeeee - over rev or low coolant or low oil.
RrRrRrRrR - starter gear sound (normal)
rrrrrrrrrrrr - starter gear sound (flooded)
RrRrRrrrRrrrR - starter gear sound (bad apex seal)
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Old Jul 15, 2003 | 12:45 PM
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From: SoCal
To answer your question,

Replacing suspension bushings are highly important (especially on old cars). This is due to the fact that all OEMs use rubber bushings. Rubber obviously deteriorates over time.

So, replacing the bushing w/ new rubber bushings or polyurethane ones will be of great benefit.

Bushings are designed to help connect two independant objects to function as a whole, while at the same time, bushings help dampen the amount of vibration trasmitted through them.

I would suggest replacing the bushings in your car.

Energy Suspension makes a complete kit for the FC. Look here for details:

www.energysuspension.com
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Old Jul 15, 2003 | 04:42 PM
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From: Madison Wisconsin
Hmmm

Just recently I have come across some strange sounds when I turn my steering wheel....sometimes clunk and sometimes squeek. Doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it is loud. I thought that my wheel was actually coming loose. Could this be that the bushings have gone bad. If so, which bushings? I have an 87 GXL with 75 K on it.

Any help would be great.

Thanks,

Scott
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Old Jul 17, 2003 | 09:24 AM
  #6  
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From: miami florida
im guessing its the suspension bushings
my friend had that and switched them and the noise is now gone
he got a pretty good deal online but now i cant do the same

anyone know any cheap places that i can get the suspension bushings and also the shifter bushings cuz i gotta felling that those are pretty bad one my car right now
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Old Jul 17, 2003 | 09:54 AM
  #7  
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From: Sterling Heights, MI
Originally posted by SureShot
The RX-7 language:
Thunk (when starting out) - Front diff mount.
Tink (when starting out) - u-joints
Clunk or groan (with suspension movement) - old grommets.
Zoom zoom (short cycle) - vac leak
Zoom zoom (long cycle) - TPS or BAC or grounds
Crunch - high rev shift to 2nd
Beeeeeeee - over rev or low coolant or low oil.
RrRrRrRrR - starter gear sound (normal)
rrrrrrrrrrrr - starter gear sound (flooded)
RrRrRrrrRrrrR - starter gear sound (bad apex seal)
That was hilarious.

And yeah, get new bushings, if yours are worn, it'll make a WORLD of difference.
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Old Jul 17, 2003 | 11:00 AM
  #8  
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From: SoCal
www.suspension.com

They are a distributor for Energy Suspension.
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Old Jul 17, 2003 | 11:32 AM
  #9  
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my steering wheel was shake'n like crazy and that was after new shocks/springs and an alignment.

I put the enegry suspension bushings on and it GREATLY recduced the shaking (manual steering) - well worth the money. It also made the suspension less rough (car has 213,000 on her now so the rubber bushings were nasty)
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 11:40 AM
  #10  
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From: miami florida
i put the inner and outer bushings for the front of the car
anything else that i should put on there???(bushings wise)
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 11:45 AM
  #11  
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How hard is it to replace all the parts in the Suspension Energy set? How much and how hard to install are new shifter bushings?
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 12:15 PM
  #12  
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From: SoCal
Installing the bushings would be MUCH easier w/ a hydraulic press.

Of course, you can install some of the bushings in a much more shade tree mechanic way. Some methods involve heating up the bushing, others involve freezing them. You can even use vice grips to force certain bushings into place.

But a hydraulic press is the way to go.
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Old Aug 6, 2003 | 12:56 PM
  #13  
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From: Parts Unknown
Originally posted by SureShot
The RX-7 language:
Thunk (when starting out) - Front diff mount.
Tink (when starting out) - u-joints
Clunk or groan (with suspension movement) - old grommets.
Zoom zoom (short cycle) - vac leak
Zoom zoom (long cycle) - TPS or BAC or grounds
Crunch - high rev shift to 2nd
Beeeeeeee - over rev or low coolant or low oil.
RrRrRrRrR - starter gear sound (normal)
rrrrrrrrrrrr - starter gear sound (flooded)
RrRrRrrrRrrrR - starter gear sound (bad apex seal)
I must correct you,

RrRrRrRrRrrrRrrrR followed by an "oh f*ck" and the clang of something metalic against an object a short throw away more accuratly describes a bad apex seal.
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Old Aug 7, 2003 | 08:10 AM
  #14  
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From: miami florida
is it hard to install the shifter bucshings?
im buying them from mazda today
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Old Aug 7, 2003 | 09:15 AM
  #15  
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From: Aiken SC USA
no, mazdatrix has an excellant write-up.


http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/shiftbsh.htm
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