Popping Sound...

[simontibbett]

I have a weird popping sound every time I hit the brakes. It's just a pop. It sounds like it's coming from the left front, I can't see anything visibly wrong though. Any clues what to check?

[RotorNutFD3S]

Last time I had something like that happen, one of the bolts on the front sway bar mount was loose and the metal retainer for the bushing was hopping around on the threads.

[simontibbett]

Yeah, just saw I broke another sway bar mount lol.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Well there ya go then. :D

[simontibbett]

I need to find out why I keep twisting them.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Can you get a picture of how they are breaking? OEM bar? Bushing condition?

[simontibbett]

It's a Flyin Miata bar, the bushings are brand new, it's only breaking the driver side, so it seems something is binding up or something, I will get a pic, but the mount literally bends, and the bushing falls out...lol

[RotorNutFD3S]

Stupid question, but to cover all the angles, you are using the brackets (or the same size brackets) that came with the bar correct?

If so, maybe look into something along these lines then: http://www.flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=4537&parentid=12&stocknumber=13-36600
I remember these being discussed at length on one of the forums, but basically some people have seen the mounts come off the car, or they just break like your case. These mounts are supposed to cure that issue. Nick (nickt93) has them on his '95 currently, IDK if he was having an issue or not though.

[simontibbett]

Yeah I was looking at getting some of those, I guess that's my only option to fix it properly. Thanks!

[RotorNutFD3S]

No problem. I just got an FM bar, hasn't seen any road use on my car yet, so I'm going to be keeping an extra close eye on that area since I've been seeing more and more issues pop up online.

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

Weird, how come it seems to happen with their bar more than others? Doesn't sound like a simple case of over tightening.

[simontibbett]

Yeah I haven't over tightened it, double checked, not sure why it happens.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Maybe their bars overpower the frame? :lol:

[thx712517]

I'm running the Racing Beat 1.125" front bar (not that ***** 1" FM bar) and using the Mazdaspeed mounts. They were a freaking ***** to install, but comparing the before and after, there's nothing to compare. Beefy!

[simontibbett]

^Well aren't you mister cool...

[thx712517]

No, just over-enthusiastic that I finally get to use that photo for constructive purposes. And to brag that when Mazmart and R-Speed flat out refused to install those mounts, I did it my damn self.

[simontibbett]

I meant about your so much larger RB bar

[thx712517]

Oh yeah, that 0.125" is just freaking insane. My car was all like "No, no! It's too big! I'll understeer like a Ford Escort!" and I was all like "You'll take it and you'll like it, and you'll go faster around corners too thanks to being more stable," and that's when I realized I needed to have more than one hobby.

[simontibbett]

LOL

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

:lol: Kevin

I too have that big ol Beefy RB bar. Wasn't too hard to install either :D

[Otto]

ive heard claim on m.net that the mounts wouldnt snap/bend/crack if you kept them properly lubed and made sure the bushing didnt bind but i still think ill get the mazdaspeed mounts when i upgrade the bar just in case

[Doppelgänger]

Guess my spring rates and dampeners are tight enough to not be a problem... i have not had any problems with my FM bar.

[RotorNutFD3S]

:lol: @ thx

I think I may leave my FM bar off the car for now and add it later. It would be really depressing to get the car running again and have the mounts mess up before I could tune it.

[simontibbett]

How do you even get the stock mount off?!!?!??!?!

[RotorNutFD3S]

FM says you have to drill out the spot welds that hold the stock ones in place to bolt theirs in.

[simontibbett]

Or brutally beat them with a hammer ;)

Fixed.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Hey, sometimes a BFH does what other tools could only hope to do. :)

[thx712517]

I drilled out the spot welds, then used a four foot long crowbar and heaved hard enough to rock the Mazda on the lift. Just about had the damn car come down on top of me, but by God I got them ripped off. If you drill a good quarter inch bigger in diameter than the weld, you'll have less trouble, but you'll also take out more subframe metal. You'll also need to sand down the remaining weld grunge, or the mounts won't slide on properly. Also, one of mine was slightly tweaked from the factory, so I had to brutally beat it back into shape, using a BFH and an engine support to "crush" the car onto the mount. Gosh it sounds so violent, but it looks so pretty...

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn022.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn023.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn024.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn026.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn027.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn029.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn030.jpg

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q28/thx712517/Saturn032.jpg

[simontibbett]

That's a lot of work!

I liked the hammer to break the welds more ;)

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

So why do some cars need these and not others? Am I not extreme enough?!

[thx712517]

If I remember correctly the NAs had better mounts to begin with, but NA or NB would require the upgraded mounts if they used a larger swaybar as the larger swaybar would, over time, tear the mount. It's a combination of large swaybar and very sticky (think r-compound) tires that work together to overwhelm the stock mount.

[simontibbett]

I snapped a bolt off the D mount the first time, and had to drill out the bolt in the big mount w/e the proper name is, then broke another mount with my 80mph spin off, then did it again not sure when lol. CrAzY.