i went to test drive an FD that I plan on picking up in the next few days. while driving I noticed that when I was slowing down to come to a stop, when I was almost stopped it heard some knocking/clunking noises coming from the back of the car. I asked the guy what it was and he said the pillow bushings needed to be replaced. is this a common problem? I tried to find these online but didn't have any luck. can anyone help? or have any input?

thanks

 

Yes, it's fairly common wear item on a FD.

Pillow Ball Replacement

You'll have to order them through Mazda or this site:

J-AUTO - Bushings, Suspension, Brake Upgrades for Mazdas

They are around $400 for all of them.

 

What does a pillow bushing look like?

 

There is a discussion in the 3rd Gen Build Section by people a lot smarter than I criticizing the safety/design of the J-Auto Bushing setup. You may wish to read it, I'd be interested to hear both sides.