Hi everyone,
i was just wondering if anyone else has ever experienced their left rear sway bar end link exploding? I just had mine replaced about 2 months ago, yet while I was parking the car a couple of days ago, I heard a loud popping sound and found lots of plastic and rubber peices around the left rear wheel. My mechanic found the end link had exploded, and proclaimed this was the first time he had ever seen this on any car. I didn't do anything remotely hard on the car in this time period so I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what potentially could cause this failure?
'93 FD stock suspension aftermarket wheels

 

I don't exactly understand what you mean by "exploded," but since it was just replaced, I'd suspect it was installed incorrectly and somehow got twisted/bent beyond what it was designed for. Or something else in its mounting bracketry was previously bent and overstressed it. Why had it been replaced?

 

By exploded I mean it shattered into a bunch of peices and scattered. It was replaced because it was worn out over the years. Fortunately my mechanic has been certified for over 30 years and I trust him to install parts properly. I replaced all the struts at the same time as well if that changes anything? The rear control arm bushings are worn as well but my mechanic is having trouble sourcing new bushings for that.
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I don't know how replacing the struts could be a factor in this unless that caused the brackets the end link attaches to to be at a different angle or height causing the swaybar or the links to bind up. Were they the same type (OE) of struts that you took off?

 

Yep they were replaced with OE struts, standard OE suspension everywhere else too.
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OK, another question - was the end link that you replaced the worn one with an OE piece, or was it some aftermarket, made in China part?

 

Replaced with an OE part, not sure how long it had been sitting on a shelf though

 

My swaybar links are still the original pieces that came with my FD, which was built in late 1991.

So, you've got me. I'm out of ideas. If you have the option, I'd get the car up on stands or a lift and look for obvious issues such as bent brackets, etc.

 

Thanks for all your ideas. I just got word back for my mechanic, and they think it was a faulty part so they are replacing it for me free. I still have no idea how this happened in the first place.

 

Why is anyone still using the stock plastic rear end-links anyway. Both front and rear should be adjustable spherical metal bushings.
Adjustable Sway Bar Links for Mazda Rx-7 (FD3S), Front SMA-110

 

Because money. The stock set is 23$. I also am trying to keep my car stock for the most part.

 

My stock ones were exploded (in the sense that the bushings had torn/blown open), but I'm chalking that up to 25+ year old rubber. Sounds like you had a more catastrophic failure mode.

I'm replacing them with the set from Improved Racing, and those seem pretty nice.

You mention $23, but I remember pricing out the Mazda end links at about ~$100 a pop ($200 for the rears).

The links in the price range you mention were all "OE Style" made by companies like Mevotech, in which case DaveW's point about the structural integrity of Chinesium is very valid.

Aftermarket links like those from Improved Racing come out to be ~$50 per link, and are good quality stuff. That's already half the price of the Mazda part. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable with anything that clocks in drastically cheaper.

 

So the replacement piece that "exploded" was likely a cheap Chinese clone that was made wrong. If you replaced both at the same time, the replacements were likely Chinese junk. And if your mechanic is going to use one of those again to replace the exploded one, you are likely to have both of them fail (again) in short order.

 

Can't have cheap, fast and reliable. Spend the extra money for the piece of mind. 23 bucks an end link screams Chinese clone

 

I've been running the stock links (original OE from 1992) on my trck car for years because I realized that the older style adjustable links didn't pivot enough in the right directions compared to stock, and would bind. The newer style Improved link set up seems to be designed to address that, but I agree with others: No reason yours should have broken if they are indeed OE Mazda, and nothing else is wrong.

P

 

oe style are after market lol..thats why they exploded! garbage! buy one from j auto or improved racing

 

I had my 25 year old oem one brake when i had my tein coilovers on full stiff and i run over a huge pothole in the road (going over 60miles) . The oem ones are hard plastic and probably have normal pressure limits that mine surpassed.

 

An OEM set is more likely close to $200 with shipping.

https://www.rhdjapan.com/mazda-oem-l...d0128180b.html

At $23 you got cheap Chinese copies, hence it breaking. It sucks but trust me - this is a CHEAP lesson to learn - always buy OE quality or better

 

My bad, I read the part prices wrong. The parts on the car are OEM Mazda. I attached my quote in case anyone is interested. Now, knowing that the parts are OE, what could possibly cause this?

 

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Did he use front swaybar links on the rear? I don't see any rear links noted. Or did he replace the fronts and not do the rears?

 

Front and rear are not interchangeable, but you are correct, the rears are not listed on that sheet - I see "page 1 of 3" are the rears shown on the other two pages?

Also, OP - do you have any photos of the damage?

 

Nice to know that OE links are still available!

 

One problem is poor installation or made in alignment problems. I had to make my own back in the 70-80s for my D mod class Alfa autocross car.
Some of these aftermarket kits have alignment problems even when following instructions. IT IS UP TO YOU TO INSURE ALIGNMENT in in the middle of each direction of rotation..
When the car is sitting flat with no cornering loading, there should not be any off center alignment of the links. They should be centered. This then allows for maximum movement before
any binding can occur. Spacer design for the bearing affects how much flexing can occur before it hits the outer bearing shell.
That is why it is better to use a thing wall cylinder spacer than regular washers.

Here is a rear set I made about 15 years ago,