I take it the rear LCA inner bushing (sliding bushing?) isn’t supposed to move like this?

Screw it, I might just get some aftermarket pillowballs instead of dealing with shipping MC parts from overseas… it’s a race car anyway!

 

I think that's normal. It's essentially a heim encased in rubber. Any heim will move like that that. That said, it does look pretty "free" it could be worn... does it move in/out when you push/pull on it?

 

That does explain why they're so expensive.... They want $285 each for the Mazdaspeed versions here. Yet they're only $85 from Mazda Motorsports.

I can't feel it move in and out, but even the tiniest bit of play is going to be audible with a stripped out interior. I know from experience that new heim joints don't move this freely.

I should probably unhook the other side and see how it moves.

I've got some new (used) coilovers to install, so I want to fix anything that might be causing my clunk while I am at it... Trying to see where I can get some urethane bushings shipped here as well.

I just noticed that at the current exchange rate, an aftermarket pillowball is actually around the same price as the MM discount...

 

I found that same thing when shopping for pillowballs in the US, the price is very similar. I went with the J-auto pillowballs, since Essex Rotary (youtube channel) commented that the quality seems better than OEM. I haven't installed them on my car yet, but I appreciate that J-auto shipped them quickly.

 

The price for Mazda pillowballs vs J-Auto is basically a wash here, especially if you consider shipping, but I was talking about a pillowball replacement for the stock inner "bushing" on the LCA.

You can actually replace every bushing on the car with pillowballs for about $1000, plus labor... I don't see any reason to do that, though.

I am considering getting some Black Series urethane bushings for the upper arms, since basically everything else on the car is already converted to pillowballs (by previous owner).
I need to check a few things before I start ordering parts, though.

I regret not doing all of the PBs years ago when I had the arms off. Probably would have never had the clunk to begin with. I cheaped out and only replaced the ones that had visible amounts of free play.

Trying to think.... is the rear traction link bushing also a "sliding bush" or just a regular rubber bushing? Not sure whether it was one of the parts you shouldn't replace with a urethane bushing.

 

That is too much movement. Definitely worn out.

 

If you mean the rear trailing arm bushing, DaleClark claims this replacement bushing from Energy Suspension works well. It's cheap and the Mazda one was out of stock, so I'm planning to try it.
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...-cheap-937852/

 

I’ll probably just get the Superpro / Black Series bushing along with the others, since it doesn’t need to be a spherical bearing.


Now I am wondering whether to get the high camber/caster ones, except my front lower bushings aren’t offset, so I’m not sure if I can even use them. It’s a track car, but I don’t need more than 2 degrees of camber, I think. I already have enough in the front, but need a bit more in the rear.

 

I ended up basically doing that, except the rear LCA inner bushing ended up being replaced with urethane because…… reasons.

The right bushing was totally worn out, I was told. That might have been why I wasn’t able to put down power in tight uphill corners.