You're doing it wrong.
Me and rdriggett are going to install one today and we'll make a video if it helps

 

Hell yes make a video!!!!!

Doing my install this weekend.

 

You must have not tightened something properly and something is sagging when you turn and pulls one side around. How did you install it?

 

Installed the brackets on the bar, and slided the bar into place.

 

Hi,

Just installed the rear swaybar from Corksport with the brackets and bushing from Corksport.

Wait when you say bushing, do you actually mean BUSHING or BUSHINGS?
because if you just installed one, well theres your problem.

But yeah, we'll have a video done by tonight.

 

I have installed both of the brackets and bushing...


what can be done wrong? :/ everything is tighten up :/

 

Could I ask you to take more pics of everthing and put them up?

 

It could be that they welded the ring on a little too far from it being a tight fit. The way you installed your's was the exact same way I did it as well.

 

Wouldn't say that picture is fine. You car is lowered; therefore this bar will no longer perform correctly as the straight bolt on it's designed to be. Of course, if there is any play between the endlink bolt and the sway bar hole you will hear it banging just form moving around. The big thing though, look as if end link is damn near 45 degrees (If the angle of the photo isn't deceiving me), there is almost no room for the joint to rotate without a large load forcing it. OEM sits mostly vertical. You WILL need adjustable end links to run the stiffest setting on your LOWERED car, without banging. Most likely that stock endlink will bust soon (the inside is plastic with grease btw). Look at the angle on your end link... what is happening is the pop of the heim joint moving because it's under so much load already, when it moves direction because of weight, it does with a lot of force and it's tapping your chassis underside when it does (think putting a chock under your wheel and gunning it to get over it). if you took it off max stiff it shouldn't bang anymore. Also keep in mind it reduces suspension travel (esp at max stiff) so use caution going over uneven terrain especially, like in poorly worked gravel/dirt or really bad roads with dips etc. Eg, take a step driveway to flat surface at an angle because you could end up 1 wheel off the ground. You should have no issue running it on setting one, even with the low (considering the link hasn't busted yet). Aside, it looks like the install itself was done correctly. I recommend a heavy dose of black lithium grease for lube it's durable and doesn't get washed away by water easily..

I'm not trying to discourage you from using it, it really changes the way the car corners, just be aware that once you start adding different mods that affect the same system, you have to expect custom setups. Your lucky that JBR makes a camber arm for the mazda 3, I have a mazda6 that if I determine I need to use, will most likely have to be extended.

 

Thank you for the reply! Will try to move the endlink to the outer position to see what happends. Thanks Chris!

 

Okey people

Moved the endlink to the outer position, and now everything is OK

Big thanks for all the help guys! Really appriciated

 

If you've seen the swaybar, and where it goes, you'll understand his point. It's not cocksports problem, it's actually an issue with the mazda setup

If this is in fact the case, it is absolutely corksports problem. the factory sway bar doesn't bang the car if you're lowered... only corksports does. They need to at least clarify (that you can't go to the stiff mode), if not fix this.

In any case, I know CS tests their products, and I'm sure they tested this bar with their lowering springs. They went through the trouble of making and including billet brackets, if the endlinks were known to be a problem, they would have made and included those as well... Right?!


EDIT (after reading the above post). I'm coming across sounding like a jerk, and I'm not meaning too. I'm genuinely speaking from past experience, and from future necessity... I'm looking to order sway bars soon.

Here's my deal. Lowering springs aren't custom. There may be 5 brands available (other cars have 50 brands available), but the ride height is all within what, 1" form each other?! You're speak like we're custom welding rock-crawler suspension here or notching frames and running bags. Aftermarket sway bars should work with aftermarket springs. Period. Custom setups are different. Standard, off-the-shelf, lowering springs, are all standard enough.

My point will always come back to simply this: if Corksports rear sway bar doesn't work with Corksports lowering springs... they've failed.

The most simple solution (if this is all accurate) is that Corksport should make and offer adjustable end links. Throw in a note (on their website) saying they're required to run this swaybar with lowering springs, and boom. Done.

 

If you've seen the swaybar, and where it goes, you'll understand his point. It's not cocksports problem, it's actually an issue with the mazda setup

If this is in fact the case, it is absolutely corksports problem. the factory sway bar doesn't bang the car if you're lowered... only corksports does. They need to at least clarify (that you can't go to the stiff mode), if not fix this.

In any case, I know CS tests their products, and I'm sure they tested this bar with their lowering springs. They went through the trouble of making and including billet brackets, if the endlinks were known to be a problem, they would have made and included those as well... Right?!


EDIT (after reading the above post). I'm coming across sounding like a jerk, and I'm not meaning too. I'm genuinely speaking from past experience, and from future necessity... I'm looking to order sway bars soon.

Here's my deal. Lowering springs aren't custom. There may be 5 brands available (other cars have 50 brands available), but the ride height is all within what, 1" form each other?! You're speak like we're custom welding rock-crawler suspension here or notching frames and running bags. Aftermarket sway bars should work with aftermarket springs. Period. Custom setups are different. Standard, off-the-shelf, lowering springs, are all standard enough.

My point will always come back to simply this: if Corksports rear sway bar doesn't work with Corksports lowering springs... they've failed.

The most simple solution (if this is all accurate) is that Corksport should make and offer adjustable end links. Throw in a note (on their website) saying they're required to run this swaybar with lowering springs, and boom. Done.

You're comparing two different things. The cs swaybar doesn't bang on the first setting if it's lowered. It only bangs on the stiffer setting. If you could adjust the stock swaybar, then it'll most likely bang too.

 

@Spencer@CorkSport Have you guys seen this thread.

 

Thanks for the tag. There are a few things going on here and it seems they all have been addressed.

We did design the bar with a STOCK setup in mind, as we first design almost all our parts. With that in mind, we have tested it on our cars with OUR lowering springs and not had an issue, on the furthest out setting. We recommend the outermost position in our instructions.

Yes as @chris_top_her has mentioned "I don't know if they still do, but at first they were sending bars out with a sticker over the second hole for that reason."
We did send the bars out in the past with a sticker over the second hole warning that it might cause issues with different setups.

Most of the time when lowering the issues isn't the bar, it's the endlink. People think the bar is the issue though because that is what they changed, but the truth is that changing the bar and lowering the height at the same time adjusts the geometry to much and thus the endlink is usually what is required to be lengthened or shortened.

I'll ask my manager if we can put a note on the listing just warning people about lowering the car.

THANKS!

EDIT: My manager suggests submitting a warranty ticket here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form?EQBCT=6250031a739844adaddfd91666d9c770
about the problem. He says the engineers might be interested in looking into it.

 

So...they've known about the problems with their bar for a very long time and have done nothing about it...

Plain and simple truth here... endlinks should not be installed at an angle. They should be perpendicular or the endlinks will be under added load/stress and fail early. Corksport knows that their bar is 30" long and that the OEM bar is 28". They know that their bar's mounting point is sitting one inch past the cars mounting point and that any endlink installed will be at an angle.

They also know that installing a Progress rear end sway bar worked with a suspension setup that their bar would not work with.

Let's see if they are willing to address a clear issue... this time.
CK

 

SO what causes the bar is slam around in the back when I am already on the lowest setting? Installed it last night and went for a drive the neighborhood and it was slamming anytime I turned. I am going to get back under the car here in a few minutes but I am open to suggestions.

edit: also not lowered.

 

I am so annoyed right now. I have tried everything to get the bushings to sit up against the welded ring but everytime I put the bracket on the studs it shifts one over. It looks just like the OP's images. Putting the end links on does nothing to solve this problem. I hate to think CS did something wrong in the construction but I have tried this many ways and the result is the same. Any help is appreciated.

 

CS swaybar



This sounds like an end link issue to me not the bar, as Spencer suggested. I would try replacing the end links either with new OEM or aftermarket. Energy Suspension has universal end links that are adjustable. However be advised that adjustable links can be noisy if they are not torqued up good. Looking at your photos,the end links look a little rough. I just cant see how the bar can move from side to side if its tight. End links arent too expensive and from my past experience have always been the culprit. Also, if a vehicle is lowered, one may require shorter (or adjustable) endlinks. Just a thought.

 

Just gonna throw this out there. When I installed mine the first time I had it flipped upside down. Caused a bang the next day every time I went over the tiniest bump. You might want to rule that out. Corksport sometimes likes to print thier logo upsidedown....

 

I just got my CorkSport RSB...How can you tell if it's upside down or not??

 

bar needs to swoop in like this

 

Update: Return/refund of the Corksport RSB was approved and they agreed to waive the restocking fee, which was nice.

I'm SOL for the cost of the endlinks that were damaged and the cost of labor I incurred trying to get it all sorted out, but I expected that.

Their warranty person told me that they test fit the bar on a 2018 Mazda 3 hatchback and that the bar performed as it was supposed to. No problems or issues noticed.

I'm a little curious how they had the car setup for that testing, as their RSB will work properly with an OEM ride height and OEM endlinks, but has some problems when the car is lowered or upgraded endlinks are used. Especially if you use the stiffer setting on the bar, like I did. He did admit that the endlinks were angled during the testing at least.

While I am disappointed in this particular product of CS's, I still like the company and many of their other products. Their customer service is also top notch.
CK

 

First, yes the side arms of the CS bar appear to be longer. So, if you use the inner (stiffer) position the ends might hit the underside of the car, especially if the car is lowered and OEM endlinks are used. However, other bars might do the same if you don't reconfigure the endlinks for proper geometry. The Progress bar will, mine did a bit on big bumps. Changing the length of the endlinks when changing ride height is something that any and all vendors selling aftermarket bars should make clear. Its necessary for proper function of the bar and for longevity of the endlinks.
Now as to the particular bar in question, I've been looking at the pictures and comparing them to OEM parts and assemblies. Something I noticed is the positioning of the upper endlink joints. On CKs car, the upper joints are attached properly if you go by the OEM assembly where the links are on the outside of the bar. However, I wonder if CorkSport is attaching the links to the inside of the bar rather than the outside? That would make up for the difference in the length of the bar and the links would be closer to vertical. This doesn't solve the arm length problem but might help some with the link geometry. If so, this is not what the instructions on the CS website say.

 

@arathol need a job? Corksport should hire you lol

 

After my first DIY install job didn't go too well... I had the endlinks installed on the outside, like OEM, but had a hard time tightening the bolts properly and ended up taking it to a mechanic.

The mechanic (Freddie) noticed that the endlinks were angled, which worried him, so he put the top link on the inside of the bar and the bottom link on the outside of the car's mounting point, to get them perpendicular. This applied too much load/stress on the bar and the bolts holding the billet brackets down kept coming loose, which would cause rattling and banging as the bar slid side to side. I shared two pics of this setup and got some help from forum members about correcting it.

After installing them correctly (both links on the outside of the RSB), the endlinks were angled and they applied too much load/stress on the bottom link, which would cause it to come loose and rattle. I destroyed 2 sets (4 endlinks) trying to make this setup work. I did everything I could on my own and even got two mechanics to look at it. After the first mechanic gave up (3 attempts), the second mechanic refused to put it back on the car, after he removed it, because he said it didn't fit. He installed the Progress bar with my third new set of adjustable endlinks instead.

Anyways, moving on... shipping the bar back to CS tomorrow. At my cost..
CK

 

FYI...Not trying to bash CS. I'm just sharing my experience with this product.

As this would have been good information to have before I made my purchase.

If there website had listed any warnings that their bar may not function properly with lowered rides or non OEM endlinks, I would accept full responsibility for the failure, but it doesn't.
CK

 

I lowered my car and replaced the rear sway bar at the same time, its been rattling since . . . glad I came across this thread, which is giving me pointers on what could be the issue. I will have to wait to get it on the lift, but will report back my findings.

Oh - both are from Cork Sport on a 2015 3 GT Sport Hatchback.

 

My Corksport RSB has been clunking ever since I installed it. On Friday, I had my car on a lift and noticed the adjustable collars were both about 1/4-inch from the brackets, so I moved them both so that they were butted up against the brackets...now most of my clunking is gone, but on some hard turns, I do get a little "pop" sound back there. I'm hoping it's not ruined end links...

Stock end links.
Car is not lowered.
All nuts tightened to 30lb-ft.
Corksport RSB & brackets w/ bushings.
Installed with Corksport logo upside-right.

 

You should be fine, as you are not lowered and have OEM endlinks.

Several posts have discussed a clicking/popping noise, like you described with your setup.

It's most likely one of the ball joints on the endlink moving after too much pressure was applied to one side.
CK

 

Can anyone see any reason why this would clunk?

 

You can see how angled the endlink is your 4th pic.

That applies a ton of added pressure on the endlink, as they move up and down. Not side to side...

If it stays an occasional popping noise, you should be fine.

Excessive clunking and rattling means you have a problem and may need to replace the endlinks or tighten the bolts on them. Luckily they aren't very expensive.
CK

 

Any noise there is something that needs to be addressed!

 

I'm starting to consider mailing damned thing back to Corksport...the fact that theirs is the only bar that is an inch wider on each side bothers me to no end.

 

My guess would be the sway bar is the source of the problem. As already discussed, the Corksport bars apparently don't fit the car properly. They are too long for the required suspension geometry. You can see clearly that the end links are not vertical, they are angled outwards from the bottom to the top. This puts a lot of stress on the joints. The OEM links are not very strong, being held together by those orange plastic nubs. Unfortunately the best fix is loose that bar and the OEM endlinks. Replace the bar with one that fits properly and use stronger endlinks that won't fail from the increased spring rates generated by a larger sway bar.