My 1993 3rd Gen has started sounding like an old cart after a few miles. Once the car warms up (about 6 miles in this hot weather) the drivers side rear starts a terrible racket graunching/squeaking noise. If you stop the car and just bounce the rear up and down you get the noise (You can also feel a friction induced vibration through the body of the car, but when the car\'s cold you hear nothing! I took it to a garage who identified it as almost certainly the upper wishbone outer joint. They took the securing bolt out and rotated the joint finding it to tighten right up and then loosen during rotation. Greasing it has made no difference and they say it needs the joint replacing. Mazda would charge £370 for an entire upper wishbone assembly. Actually the wishbone itself is fine, I just need a replacement outer joint - does anybody know where I could source one or even an entire wishbone assembly cheaper than the rip-off Mazda price?
Any advice really appreciated.
Uhm... OK, so not a great response, but never mind I think I\'m sorted now. Rotechniks are supplying me with a pillow ball bush for £46.96 which I\'m pretty sure will cure the problem. In fact I would like to say that I have always found Rotechniks to be very friendly and helpful and only too willing to send parts out in the post to me, as I\'m a little far away to drop in on a regular basis.
You dont have to buy whole unit from Mazda, I can get anything that is has a part #.
Quote from: AdriansturgessUhm... OK, so not a great response, but never mind.
Hi Adrian,
Huge apologises that I missed this one and no one came forward to assist.
If renewing this joint does not work for you I would suspect the rear shock absorber to be at fault because l would have thought a joint would have to be totally seized to cause what you describe, but you say the garage turned it O/K and greasing didn\'t stop it.
Let us know how you get on please and if the problem goes after changing the joint.
Hi g11ary,
Thanks for the pdf, that\'s useful. I have looked for a 3rd gen workshop manual without success, are they available as I have yet to see one advertised?
Hi Clive,
No worries, you must have bucket loads of post to wade through. I agree with you that it sounds like a failed shock absorber but the garage gave all the shocks a clean bill of health and definitely focused on the joint as the problem, when they replace it on Friday morning we\'ll see if they were right!
Regards
Adrian
Bush now replaced, problem cured. Total cost £48 for part and £47 labour. That\'s got to be a bargain. I\'m certainly a happy bunny.
Cheers all.