Kev's '98 Protege Thread

[Mazda_Powered]

I like the bumper idea man! Should turn out nice!

sorry to hear about the cv issues tho lol, they can be a headache at times.

[irishkev90]

Thank you.

And yeah, we replaced the whole passenger side axle two years ago when I got the car because of the same problem. I don't have the money for a new axle this time so I'm hoping the boot kit will work fine.

[rusty]

sry to hear of your misfortune lately, been going through alot myself lately. Got to ditch the escort project so i am swapping some into the pro and gonna part out some for sales as well. Hope u can get your car back into action again soon

[irishkev90]

Hey, thanks. And I'm sorry for not getting back to you! I've been busy dealing with this crap as well as a ton of overtime at work so I hardly have a life outside of that now.

I might be willing to buy some stuff off you, I might not. I've been really down on cash lately and trying to get my account back up to where it was before. :/

[rusty]

well i have 2 sets of trailing arms for u to pick from, i need to keep 1 set to put the pro rear end in the escort. the trailing arms will be free unless u want to make a small donation. Did u get the pics of the disc swap?

[irishkev90]

Well, we figured out how to get the inner cv cup out of the transmission. Weld an old bolt across the opening, wrap a chain around it and pop it out with a slide hammer. Took about two minutes according to my dad (he did it while I was at work). Popped the new axle in and put it back together and added a quart of ATF. The car is back on the road, but I desperately need to fix the a/c.

[randellp9108]

I don't know if its me or what, but I cant seem to find strutbars for the 1996 protege. I see most people with a mazdaspeed strut bar...Anyone can guide me in the right direction??

[Turpro]

I don't know if its me or what, but I cant seem to find strutbars for the 1996 protege. I see most people with a mazdaspeed strut bar...Anyone can guide me in the right direction??

There just so happens to be one for sale right now in the fs section.

[randellp9108]

There just so happens to be one for sale right now in the fs section.

im wondering if anyone knows where to order a new one...if theres even new ones sitting out there somewhere....also are universal strut bars even a good way to go??

[FE3-323]

glad you got the axle out. they can be severe PITA's @ times.

[irishkev90]

Yeah, just took another set of eyes and mind to come up with a new idea. I haven't welded at all yet so that never even crossed my mind. Closest I got was trying to drill a hole through it, but it's just too thick/hard.

The clicking noise is gone, but now there's a rubbing sound. Speed related, but not the brake pads. Might be the dust shield rubbing the rotor, but I don't think it's touching at all.

Also, randel, I'd just get the Mazdaspeed bar for sale in our Parts For Sale section. Easiest way your going to find one, and better than aftermarket bars both in performance and aesthetics.

[firelizard]

im wondering if anyone knows where to order a new one...if theres even new ones sitting out there somewhere....also are universal strut bars even a good way to go??

I don't think I've seen a universal strut bar that'd work nearly as well as the Mazdaspeed bar. They've been out of production for a long time, and a new-old-stock one would probably be exorbitantly expensive due to the fact that it is rarer than a unicorn, and of equally dubious existence.

But the one being sold right now is a good deal. If this were 4 years ago, it would have been snatched up within a week.

[rusty]

i have a strut bar u can have, i will show u how to mod it to put it in. I modded the one i put in the pro nearly 5 years ago. Just had to drill an extra hole. gotta give me a buzz bro. Plus i still have the trailing arms for u.

[randellp9108]

ok rusty shoot me a message if your response was for me and I also thought of the idea of drilling an extra hole myself... as for my car im thinking of getting the clear trunk lights from the 97 protege because clear looks great on this car. If i could find somewhere that makes turn signal lights clear in the boroughs i will DEFINATELY check them out. I will soon get tires but im unsure of the size...i know i want a 205 and up width but unsure if lower than a 50 profile is desireable. Those are my future plans

[irishkev90]

The clear turn signal tail lights are JDM. They pop up for sale here once in a while.

And Rusty, I might have to pass on those rear links. Unless I have something you want in a trade, but I don't have much. Been trying to save up for a house next year so spending for my car has come down to the bare essentials.