Check out the noise at the 0.10 second mark. I get the same noise on uneven pavement ... annoying as ****. Sounds like someone is taking a hammer to the sump guard.

Upgraded my front brackets to the newest progress brackets, replaced bushings, soaked the farkers in white lithium. Only happens on large differences in suspension height (i.e. going on a speed platform hugging the curb so only drivers side goes up, or going up a steep driveway at an angle)

 

are you bottoming out your suspension?!

 

negative sir. I want to say that it is the swaybar bushings as stated in multiple other threads/forums ... but idk what i need to do to fix them ... got em torqued down, greased up, and they dont have any cracks

 

I dunno ... that sounds more like tension on the lower arm bushings

 

My suggestion... get someone to do the lifting part while you put your hand on the various suspect suspension parts and bushings, etc. You should be able to feel the 'pop' when you find the one actually causing this. Your hand is a very sensitive instrument lol!

 

^^ good plan ... now to convince my gf to help out LOL

 

dry joints

 

Tell me more sir

 

Do you have coilovers? Sounds like a coilover suspension spring pop to me, at least in that video

 

I do, but the springs are seated on the perches properly. I actually thought that at first. I saw one of your posts in a thread you created about your progresstech sways regarding how the bushings might need to be sanded down a bit. I recently purchased the new PT brackets to see if it would remedy the problem, and they sent me new bushings, but I am pretty sure when seated in the bracket the bushing stuck out the back a bit.

I ordered some Formula5 lube and will try to sand down the bushings a bit to see if that helps. Thanks for chiming in.

 

they all stick out the back a bit to help keep them to a certain tightness level, regarding an aftermarket set I bought recently they stuck out the back a lot and were way too tight.

however, that had to with the bar binding up and causing too much rate at the wheel, not a noise issue, if they get dry there may be squeaking noises from the bar rubbing against the urethane, but not popping

 

aha ... looks like I will have to take off a wheel and slowly jack up that side to see if i can reproduce the noise like the guy did in the video ... It is such a strange noise that it makes it so hard to pinpoint what it could be. Scared the daylights out of me going up the driveway to my parent's house last month, i thought it was my wheel like tearing the quarter panel right off.... it's that kind of not-so-good-metal noise. I just hope I am heading in the right direction with inspecting suspension parts as the noise only comes during approaches into uneven road (up a driveway, or a street that has surface a bit higher than the road i currently am on, backing out of my driveway)

 

Here is my noise ... def not coming from the endlinks or swaybars.....

 

More:

 

Sounds like one of your control arm bushings binding up and popping. Are you sure the bolts are tight?

 

That i have not checked ... can i just take a torque wrench to them or do i need to support the bolt from the other side.

 

 

FYI the squeaking is the jack ...

 

Only thing I can see (I'm not sure it's normal), is in one of the vids there your bar is moving laterally quite a bit in the bushing as you jack up. That seems odd. Is your bar under static load and you need to adj your endlinks perhaps?

Some vids better showing the moving parts, bushings, end link joints and the noise might help.

 

Yea i saw that too, wasn't sure if it was normal either but i took a close look and the interesting thing is that no noise is coming from there or either of the endlinks. Also I tightened my endlinks with all four wheels planted so there is no preload.

Here is another interesting thing....

So now the noise isn't happening when i jack up the car and then down alone (WTF) .... instead ... the noise is reproduced when I jack up the car .... jack back down .... then turn the steering wheel towards the driverside ... then you hear the CLANK.

Took a look at the steering column ... noise doesn't seem to be coming from that close to the front of the car ... seems to be coming from a bit further back..... the part that is annoying the **** out of me is that now it seems steering related instead of suspension related

 

To isolate I would disconnect the bar (both sides) and if the noise stops.....it's the bar or links or bushings.

...if it doesn't well, there you go... not bar related.

 

Yeah you need to hold the bolt with a wrench and tighten the nut to spec (not sure what the spec is) with another wrench. There is a pretty lengthy thread about pre-loading the suspension also. Check that out too.

 

Also a thought... Try placing your hand on various suspension components while the pop happens. Maybe you will feel it and have a better idea of where to look. Where in ct are you? Maybe you can stop by my shop and we can throw it up on the lift real quick. Im in Old Saybrook.

 

The swaybar movement is normal. That is a huge bar; 1.25" OD x 0.25" wall, so it generates a lot of force. The only way to control it further is with metal bushings rather than poly.

As far as the noise, if you can't isolate that I'm thinking you must be deaf or something ...

 

Yep, like Spin9K, I thought similar, why don't you disconnect the end drop links and then try it again?..

But now I think you are saying it is steering related?

And yeah, you got a big Sway Bar there...could, I say 'could' the movement/strength of such a heavy/strong/stiff S Bar be problematic?

That is 'creating your noise issue', is the other side of the car loaded (on the ground or up in the air) when you jack off! (sorry had to say it).

Look you may not think so, but Mazda really have engineered these cars pretty precisely, additional weight/force/tension or pre-load just might be creating your problem.

I checked out the Lower Control Arms on the S2 (new and specific for the S2), against the NC MX-5's which are identical apart from heavier alloy (Metal) at each of the bushed wrist joints and very slightly thicker arms, only by a few millimeter, but when you pick them up and compare there is a noticeable difference in weight, the S2's are heavier....that is my engineering tolerances point of view!
Again, 'could' the S Bar cause the Lower Arm and or it's Ball Joint to knock or twist slightly, or the LCA rubberized wrist bushes and metal sleeve and bolt to cross member move slightly?