[bverdon]

when I had my clutch replaced, I noticed a creaking noise after the work was performed. Clutch seems to be fine. My shocks and struts were way overdue to be changed out so my son-in-law swapped them out. That improved things but I still hear the creaks when I accelerate or make sweeping turns. My son-in-law mentioned it may be my sway bars.

thoughts?

Any way to determine what this might be before I bring it in to have Mazda take a look at it?

Thanks!

Bill

 

[arathol]

Sway bar bushings probably. Get some spray lube - not WD-40 :surprise:- and give them a shot.

 

[bverdon]

Sway bar bushings probably. Get some spray lube - not WD-40 :surprise:- and give them a shot.

ha... only have WD-40 laying around... what do you recommend?

Would I need to replace the sway bar bushings...or is it common to just spray them every so often?

Thanks!

 

[bverdon]

Wow... just called a Mazda dealer to see how much it would cost to replace the bushings (has 170K miles on it) and was quoted $300 for the front only. Thoughts? Seems a bit high

 

[bverdon]

Ha... white lithium grease would probably do it...

 

[arathol]

White lithium grease tends to hold dust and grime when exposed to most driving conditions. In a fairly short time it turns almost to a glue and no longer has any lubrication properties. Use a good spray oil. Anything that does not evaporate quickly or gum up with dust should be ok. Chain and cable lube products seem to work just fine. I have a can of Lubriplate I use on mine occasionally.

https://www.lubriplate.com/Products/Specialty-Lubricants/Chain-Cable-Fluid-Chain-Cable-Heavy.html

[ame]https://www.amazon.com/Johnsens-4723-12PK-Chain-Cable-Lube/dp/B00C872W4K[/ame]

$300 is very high, but thats probably mostly labor. The parts are cheap and not really difficult to replace. If you have a jack, some jack stands, some tools and a bit of mechanical aptitude, it should not take too long to replace them.