Confused about which control arm bushings??

mikeetown · Post by **mikeetown** » March 7th, 2012, 10:08 pm

So, I've been going through this a little.
http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showth ... hings-list

I'm assuming that this means I can use a certain model of mazda protege control arm bushings on my MX3 GS. Can someone englighten me a bit. Cause if this is so, thats great. Also, i'm assuming a need an alignment after i replace them.

mikeinaus · Post by **mikeinaus** » March 7th, 2012, 10:40 pm

there is a guide on using ford escort energy suspension control arm bushings in our car. they are more or less a direct fit. the problem is our "bracket"

has a different diameter then the escort. to make them fit you need to find a new bracket from the wreckers for a 97-01 ford escort.
http://www.andysautosport.com/ford/1997 ... uspension/

i have a set that i insalled on my parts car and were used less then a year. if you want em send me a pm...

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » March 7th, 2012, 10:59 pm

The protege front LCA bushing is the same as the MX-3, however there are two versions of the rear bushing which is pressed into that bracket. The earlier version made before june 94' are smaller in diameter and should be the same as the protege. After that date they got bigger and so you would have to source the brackets from either a protege or an early MX-3. It will bolt right up to your MX-3 subframe.

mikeinaus · Post by **mikeinaus** » March 7th, 2012, 11:00 pm

isnt it the larger ones you want? i had to source new ones when i installed them into my 92 gs. i thought i remember the new ones being larger.

mikeetown · Post by **mikeetown** » March 7th, 2012, 11:27 pm

this sounds like a bit of work. I tried looking fir kits online. I mean like entire kits including all of your bushings on an mx-3. Anyone have any bookmarked.

mikeinaus · Post by **mikeinaus** » March 7th, 2012, 11:54 pm

no such thing as a kit for our car. all i know of is the control arm bushings. theres a rear swaybar bushing upgrade aswell but i think thats about it. like i said i have the front set with the brackets on my parts car ready to be installed. i should have the rear swaybar bushings hidden somewhere aswell. if you want them send me a pm and we can work something out...

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » March 8th, 2012, 2:11 am

mikeinaus wrote:isnt it the larger ones you want? i had to source new ones when i installed them into my 92 gs. i thought i remember the new ones being larger.

The kit you installed was for a ZX2 was it not? He asked about Protege. If he sources Protege SuperPro bushings he will need the smaller bracket. If he goes the route you went, I would defer to your experience.

mikeinaus · Post by **mikeinaus** » March 8th, 2012, 10:01 pm

ahh no kidding eh. i was under the impression they didnt make a kit for that size bracket. could have saved me a headache when i tried to locate the larger ones...

DeadMaker · Post by **DeadMaker** » March 9th, 2012, 7:21 am

For the people which have the bigger version,the energy suspension bushing will fit directly or i will still need the bracket from the escort?

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » March 9th, 2012, 10:15 am

I don't know what size the ZX2 bushing is but I suspect it's the same as the smaller Protege/MX-3 one. I don't actually know. I only know for sure that the SuperPro bushings and the bushings I made were sized to the smaller bracket.

If you need a small bracket there are lots of them out there. Proteges, 323s, early MX-3's all have them and they all interchange.

crazycanadian · Post by **crazycanadian** » March 9th, 2012, 10:35 am

Check my build thread out...
http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/showth ... -%29/page5

I bought a set of the front spherical control arm bearings off Ryan and found some interesting differences in front bushings...

There is a year split where the rear bracket changes in 95...

The fronts are all the same, but the rear bracket/bushing diameter is what changes...If you get the rear bushing and bracket complete they should interchanges...

I don't know about the rears though, I have a set of custom tubular control arms for the summer...

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » March 9th, 2012, 10:56 am

did you read any of this thread beyond the first post?

mikeinaus · Post by **mikeinaus** » March 9th, 2012, 1:32 pm

this is the guide i used http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.ph ... suspension

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » March 9th, 2012, 1:49 pm

In the end I went back to stock bushings in the front. There is almost no perfomance advantage to the front bushings and even the 70A bushings proved to be much harsher ride than stock.

DeadMaker · Post by **DeadMaker** » March 9th, 2012, 6:50 pm

Really???So there is absolutely no benefit from using polyrethane bushings?
All this situation is just a myth?

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Confused about which control arm bushings??

Confused about which control arm bushings??

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