How to: Pinion snubber install
 

Rationale:
I got tired of the clunking coming from the rear end of my car. Last year I replaced the front differential mount with the Mazda Comp version. My mount wasn't broken and it didn't help. What I saw was that since my car was lowered a lot, my rear suspension would hit the underbody at times. I think this is due the aftermarket one piece rear-link (camber link) design used to correct rear camber I have installed. It brings the sub-frame and front of the differential closer to the body. A pinion snubber is cheap at less than $10 dollars, and the job is pretty easy to do. There wasn't a good write up on the forum so here you go. The pictures are gathered from other posts and from the service manual.

Tools needed:
Hydraulic jack
Jack stands
17mm wrench
Various sockets 10mm, 17mm, 20mm (maybe it was 21mm?)
Ratchet
Torque wrench
Phillips head screwdriver
Drill and bits up to 3/8"


Parts needed:
Pinion snubber (came with locknut) http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ENS-9-9101G/
3/8" x 2" fender washers


Installation:
1. Remove the rear bins.

2. Drill a 3/8" hole in the dimpled area on the tunnel. The dimple is underneath the sound deadening mat in between the recessed bin areas.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1254887299

3. Jack up the car enough to comfortably work under the diff area. Be safe and use jack stands. You'll need to use the jack to assist in adjusting snubber preload later; so you can't skip this.

4. Loosen the front mounts on the rear subframe. Only loosen the large nuts attaching the subframe to the mount bracket. Do not loosen mount bracket from the body. These mounts are on either side of the body just in front of the rear wheel well.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1254887299

5. Remove the lower bolt from the rear link.
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1254887299

6. Install the pinion snubber in the hole you drilled earlier. It should be visible above the front differential mount area right in between the parking brake cables. Pull down on the front of the differential housing to create clearance to install the snubber.

7. Reinstall the bottom bolt in the sub-link.

8. Jack up the subframe to its normal position.

9. Check to make sure that your snubber is slightly preloaded. If there is a gap, lower the subframe, the revert back to step 5. Add fender washers in between the snubber and bottom of the body to space it out. I added two fender 3/8" x 2" fender washers to mine to get the preload just where I wanted.

10. Tighten up the pinion snubber. I used another fender washer up top as well to tighten on a flat surface.

11. Tighten the subframe nuts to 74-87 ft/lbs.

12. Tighten the sub-link nut to 54-69 ft/lbs.

13. Install the rear bins.

14. Lower the car off of the jacks.

14. Go test drive and enjoy your non-wheel hopping, non-clunking rear end!




Josh

Can you explain why the subframe has to be lowered? On my install I just jacked the car up and installed the snubber b/w the diff and chassis and adjusted preload as necessary.

Also remember that most advance and autozone stores should carry the pinion snubber! Its made by energy suspension and its called a bump stop or something.

great writeup! I have gone through like 3 diff mounts and 2 rear subframes. If I dont break a diff mount, the subframes diff mount will break instead -_- Getting sick of going under and replacing the subframe and diff over and over... I shall do this mod haha

I had to loosen the subframe for clearance. I couldn't fit my hands up there without loosening and pulling subframe and front of the differential down some.

Good writeup. Maybe I should do this to my car, I still have stock diff mount and I'm worried about breaking something. So can this install be done without loosening the subframe bolts then, depending on how much the car has been lowered? Also, did you remove your exhaust for this?

Finally, a write up! This mod is very common among v8 FC owners, and it works!

Pinion snubber + MMR diff bushings + comp. front mount = Bulletproof

My sub-link camber adjuster is practically useless now since the diff is so firmly mounted and "snubbed".

It's possible to install this with your exhaust on, but the job is just so much simpler with it out of the way.

I did it with the exhaust on. My car is very low and probably directly attributed to my need to lower the subframe. Only part of the sidewall is visible on my rear tires. You can't really tell how low it is because I have a stock body.

i did mine without touching the subframe. What helps is using a dremel to make a "slot" in the stub for the bumpstop so when you have it in the hole, from the inside, you can use a flathead screwdriver to keep the stud from spinning while you tighten the bolt.

Could you elaborate a little further? Maybe post a crude MS Paint diagram or something?

I believe he's saying to dremel a channel in the threaded stud coming out of the snubber. When you have it in the hole you drilled while tightening you can use a flat-head in the channel to keep it from rotating while tightening the nut.

Since the pinion snubber goes over the little block on the front diff mount, it should be possible for me to install that with a broken diff mount (Rubber separated from mount) or do I have to replace the diff mount before I put that on?

I had Rotary Evolution install mine..WORLD of difference. Sliding, drag racing, and even just cornering. Pretty much got rid of ALL my wheel hop. Best mod EVAR

Nice! This is going to be on the list of things to do!

If your rear diff bushings are worn out, be sure to replace those too.

Yup, thats part of the reason why this mod is so popular. I'm running mine with a broken front diff mount (but new rear mounts) and it feels waaay better. Not perfect though, you still hear a light thud when shifting but way better than a clunk.

good post. i use this , but remember if your driving hard u may bend the metal under the bins like i did

nice post.. im planning on doing this when i have free time

good post, did this myself about 2 years ago when i still had my FC, saved me quite a bit of agony

yeah just did this mod myself. feels wayy better. took away all wheel hop.

I'm having trouble motivating myself to get started on this. I just did a bunch of work to my interior and I don't want to pull those storage bins out and risk braking more plastic.

removing the storage bins won't break any plastic. it's all screws and no snap fit crap

I am going to do this mod soon. What is the estimated time to do this mod? Maybe 3 hours?

If that. With everything laid out it should be a quick job. This is a necessary mod though.

is this the same on a vert?

took me less than a hour to do the mod.(most of the time it was finding the right size spacer)

anybody?

awesome i am definatly going to try this this weekend wheel hop is excruciating and so is the clunking

yes

:icon_tup:thanks for the wright up. im going to do it while my interior s out

I put the energy suspension one in and the washers and still was not preloaded properly.

yeah, i bought a universal one at pep boys. i had to use about 3 washers to get the preload proper.

I just wanted to thank whoever thought of the pinion snubber mod. Thanks. I installed mine today and it is great. Zero wheel hop now and burnouts feel nice and smooth.

I'll be doing this when the next paycheck comes in! Can't wait cuz right now the front diff mount is broke :(.

Sorry to be a dumb ass but had a look the other day & think I have found it but wanna be sure, so could anyone explain exactly where is the dimple on the chassis for the snubber to be placed, not sure but the dimple i found looks different wonder if it is due to it being & euro fc, thanks James?

It is in the center hump between the two bins.

This is a picture of the dimple on my '88 convertible. There are actually five dimples on my car, but the center one is the one that lined up with the nose of the differential. I have a small writeup thread here: https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/pinion-snubber-diff-mount-replacement-convertible-876959/

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...6&d=1260159532

Thanks guys, so just to be sure this is the one im after (this is a picture from my car) thanks James?

Attachment 721472

Damn....sheared my subframe mount and my front diff mount :dunno:...

http://i47.tinypic.com/2f0g0gw.jpg

Pinion snubber installed...and the new subframe :(...life is good tho! Used the pics in this thread for help as well! Thanks guys.

oh.,.say OWWW!..that makes me Cringe.
I got some Bang bang noises on my Diff right now,I am gonna source out a snubber
anyone know if NAPA carries anything like this?

If napa doesn't, you can try o'reilly's or Autozone

Summit also has them for around 8$ if you can't find them locally.

Just got mine. I have an extra Energy Suspension snubber , $10 shipped, pm me.

the universal one i picked up was way off around 2" short

Real quick question on this one. I'm installing a snubber soon. Any other bushings I can/should replace while I'm doing this (without adding a significant cost/time to the project)?

Trans mounts, rear diff mounts, engine mounts

I'm doing this mod this weekend and I have high hopes. my rear end clunks and bucks really hard since I have solid motor and trans mounts. I'll also be replacing the rear diff mounts with solid ones at the same time. Will report results, but I'm sure they'll be positive.

Great write up, but it could use a pic of the snubber installed. maybe I'll snap a pic when I'm done if anybody wants one.

rather than preload the diff against the body
i do a vertical link mod to assist the front rubber block
takes a little more effort but i feel it is a bit more of an engineered solution rather than a band aid

here i have used one of the 4 links used under an rx2 so i can get a full rubber pillow end
similar methods can just use a steel bar with holes drilled in it
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/8339/pic0713949.jpg
http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/5387/pic0713950.jpg

even without the front block bolted up,,( it is when installed )
this diff nose is not moving far !

Creative! Not nearly as simple, but very creative. The only thing I don't love its that its something else to unbolt when servicing the rear end, with the pinion snubber you install itand never have to think about it again.

Where does the other end of that rod bolt to?

braced internally and welded to the underside of the subframe

snubber only works when the diff nose pushes up towards the body
it also brings NVH as the movement of the diff or sub frame is transmitted to the body though the preloaded snubber

the vertical link keeps the communication between the sprung and unsprung parts via the original diff and frame mounts and keeps NVH to factory minimums


the vertical link works in both directions
,, and also allows you to have some adjust of the pinion angle
( by changing the length of the vertical piece )
http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/5192/pic0713948.jpg

http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/6663/pic0713942.jpg