ZmFnZm

Ouch!!!

herbert

I've had a clunking sound for quite a while (years in fact) but always thought it was from the front end. I wouldn't describe mine as metal on metal though but it could be (it's hard to discern from inside the car) I'm going to finally have it looked at tomorrow while getting the car serviced. I'm taking this (http://www.finishlineperformance.com...5-08-1948a.pdf) with me as it seems likely but now I can be armed with your solution as well. Thanks.

J-MON

The technician ordered the part for me. Try calling your local Mazda Parts counter person and ask them for the part # unless you can wait until Friday night when my tech installs it and I'll try to remember to ask the guy for the box the part came in and I'll post it for you late Fri or Sat.

*I thought you may have to order it in pairs (front set including driver + passenger side) but apparently you can order them individually. In my case it's only the driver side front brake slider that has play in it and it should be 100% tight like the other brake sliders on my car.

It's difficult to isolate where a sound is coming from on your car - the sound echoes and bounces around against the ground and your car and presto a genuine front problem sounds like it's coming exclusively from the rear.

J-MON

Ok here are the part numbers for the CALIPER SLIDER(s)

MZB25D33694
MZB25D33998

They were $9.79 a piece. NO charge to install them since the auto tech only needed 8 minutes to do it.

Good news is they went on no problem and I drove the car yesterday and the rattle over bumps in the front was 100% gone.

BUT today I proved that the car still has a moderate rattle over bumps but now it seems to REALLY be exclusively from just the rear and (note: this is different) both the driver & passenger side. I'm unsure if this is the same problem just reduced in intensity or this a different condition all together ? I'm monitoring it now on an ongoing basis. This thread may not be dead yet !

mat128

Hmm interesting... I'll check out my caliper sliders!

As a side note, I tried going over ghetto patched potholes (looks like a nuke field) with my brakes on and it makes no difference. In my case, it really comes from the rear, as hear the noise only when the rear wheels are going in...

Gyro_Bot

Same here. There's this large hump I have to drive over with the car, near my building. Without fail it's always when the rear wheels descend down the slope hitting the road that produces this sound. Also, my rear tires are starting to rub more and more as time goes on. I can observe my ride height in the rear is less and less.

I'm thinking it might be due to the Racing Beat rear sway bars (nothing wrong with them) but perhaps we should consider that the rear wheels do not raise and drop in linear fashion. It is possible that the rear wheels chamber or spread (Let's call it "stance adjustment") out during ride bump travel, or during body roll. If so, perhaps the sway bars are encumbering this "stance adjustment" that naturally occurs.

Perhaps the result is, the rear sway bars are in conflict with the unique travel motion of the rear wheels, resulting in the sway bars "keeping things tucked in". - and taking this further: "Kept from extending down".

Am I crazy?

mat128

Sounds plausible, except I have nothing aftermarket on mine, but quite possibly a broken part (i hit something).

I think the motion of the wheels is inwards, not as much as in the drawing i did but you get the idea.

J-MON

I'm stock too ! But I haven't hit anything (that I know of).

J-MON

Ok this is it - the FINAL SOLUTION for my 'clunking', 'clanking' metal-on-metal sound that was making me feel psychotic - and yes I mean I was literally going crazy with this sound which was getting progressively worse day by day. Like someone watching Chinese water torture being carried they could claim oh it's just a drop of water on the head every once in awhile....what a baby = oh just drive with your stereo on or your windows rolled up and you won't hear the sound....CRIPES ! They have no idea what it's like to revel in the sound of our exhaust and engine note and then have that pleasurable symphony crash apart with the ragged sound of metal on metal "CLANK! CLANK!" just about every time I'd drive over broken pavement.

Before I mention the FINAL SOLUTION I should note that I spent even more time and money attempting solutions to solve this problem over the past few weeks that I neglected to post here mainly because I wasn't getting any positive results. Ideas ranged from dropping the rear suspension of the car to look for loose bolts, to loose gas tank straps, to something caught within the exhaust, cat system etc. etc. It wasn't until I was at my sister's wedding June.12, 2009 and spoke with someone else in the wedding party on the grooms side. He mentioned he had a similiar problem as I explained to him except his problem was with a truck and it turned out to be <DRUM ROLL please> the "ANTI-SHIMS on his front brake pads". Ok new solution - now let's talk with Mazda and see what they say: turns out I could be a separate "anti-shim" kit that could be fitted to my car or I could buy upgraded brake pads that have the anti-shims built in. I asked John Archambault of Mountain Mazda his opinion and we agreed on the new pads with the anti-shims built in because these pads also were formulated to stop brake squeal which I have been suffering through since I had my rotors machined the week after I bought my 8 (late April 2009).

I'm going to copy my customer feedback letter I sent to Mazda (Corporate) Canada and I also copied the owner of Mountain Mazda here in Hamilton >>>

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Greetings Mazda Canada:

I am happy to report to you that I received superior customer service on more than one occasion from Mountain Mazda in Hamilton, Ontario. Specifically John Archambault (Service Manager) was able to solve an extremely annoying problem with my Mazda RX-8 that was very difficult to isolate. The problem: Going over bumps would generate a very noticeable (metal on metal) clanking sound that seemed to be coming from the front / underside of the car. However, after having two different Mazda dealerships examine the car, drive the car, and do hoist inspections the problem remained illusive / untraceable and I was very upset. Almost upset enough to consider trading the car in or selling it privately. Let me mention that I drive the RX8 with the windows and sunroof down (weather permitting) to hear the combination of exhaust and engine note and I find it intoxicating, symphonic, and very enjoyable - that is until I started to hear the clanking sound which almost completely curbed my enthusiasm for driving entirely.

The cause of the problem seemed to be that I had purchased a Mazda RX8 with very low km's (2004 RX8 with only 33,000km on it purchased late April 2009 from Waterloo Mazda) that had been stored winters and this had caused some warping of the brake rotors over time. After I purchased the car I had the rotors machined down as I had noticed some shaking under hard braking. It was shortly after having the rotors machined that I began to notice the disturbing clanking sound. The sound had gotten increasingly worse over the past few weeks to the point where I was clenching my teeth and feeling very embarrassed when pedestrians would suddenly glance at my car due to the loud clanking sounds it was producing driving over even slightly broken, cracked pavement (which is in abundance here in Hamilton).

Talking the problem through with John (at length and at multiple occasions both in person and on the phone) we eventually concluded together that the problem was in the braking system, specifically the front brakes and that an "anti shim kit," or new brake pads with "an anti-shim kit," built into them should be a logical solution. I am very happy to report that the problem is 100 percent gone and as an added bonus the brake squeal I was also experiencing is also gone due to the fact that John was able to recommend specific pads formulated to reduce the brake squeal. The enjoyment is back. Pride of ownership has resumed. And my respect and thanks for the service team at Mountain Mazda and specifically John Archambault has risen to new levels. I feel indebted to John for his expertise, compassion, and care that he extended to me. He is a credit to your company and he should be commended for performing above and beyond all expectations.

P.S. I have documented the entire situation in the user forums at www.RX8club.com and have also forwarded a copy of this letter to Mazda.ca - Corporate

Thanks Kindly,

Jason "J-MON" Pase


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Thanks thrown out to everyone who posted in this thread - you helped - even if not directly with a solution - the moral support meant a lot. I didn't feel like was going through this problem alone and that's thanks to you fellow Rotorheads here

Josh[dl]

i have the heavy clunking in my 8 as well. definitely seems from the rear almost like my rear suspension is locked up. im pretty sure it doesnt have anything to do with my brakes though. its definitely from the rear. because when i have a person in the back of the car it gets worse. trunk is empty, no spare tire either. did notice ride height is a little lower as well. cars completely stock and im going crazy because i cant figure out what the hell the problem is. and it used to ride so nice. now every pot hole or bump in the road (nj must have the worse f***ing roads in the country, unbelievable how they even call them drivable) makes the car almost hop and thud like the rear was dropped from 5 ft off the ground.
to simplify it feels like the rear is extremely stiff and like it doesnt absorb any bumps anymore (in the rear) have about 38000 miles on the car. read everything in this thread but to no avail so far. any suggestions? im desperate. and of course no warranty anymore

J-MON

You obviously checked your tire pressure ( s/b 35 PSI per tire) - right ?
Have you tried pushing down on the rear quarter of your car to see if it still has spring ? Push down with all your weight and the car should spring back and NOT bounce at all. If it is too easy to push down or the car doesn't spring back then bingo you've isolated the problem > however >

My best advice is to not waste time attempting to source the problem yourself and take it to the pros. You did not mention if you had the car hoisted or not at Mazda for an inspection for this problem. Unfortunately you may have to pay for an hour labour but $80 - $100 to properly diagnose the problem should be worth it if the problem is as bad you describe.

Tell the service manager everything you've told me. I strongly believe your dealing with either a broken shock, bad spring or broken sway bar end link.

Keep us apprised & good luck !

Josh[dl]

sorry for taking so long to get back here, computer has been down. it ended up being a blown strut on the rear drivers side.

J-MON

Glad to hear your 8 is 100% again Josh

3 questions >

1. How old is your car, how many km ?

2. Did you do anything to directly cause the strut to fail ? Accident of some type ? Drive over something ?

3. What did it cost you to get repaired ?