Valkyrie

I finally got my rear urethane bushings in!

Along with a Mazdaspeed front diff mount, which didn't make much of a difference in anything (turns out my old one wasn't broken, but nevertheless...).

It took me four days, and cost me about 80 dollars in tools...

I never want to do it again.

Also, I couldn't get an exhaust gasket in time, so I had to drive four hours with my windows open just in case the minor exhaust leak got into the cabin... ah well

I really wish I had read the FSM and just put the trailing arms in a vice and knocked the bushings (which were mounted two per arm in metal sleeves) out like it says... instead of using gear presses (two of them... I broke the first one and had to get another one), since that's not how it's supposed to work. Repeat: the rear bushings are *not* like the front bushings.

And I also managed to put a nice notch in my arm's with the electric hack saw I used to cut the metal sleeves out... doh. I hope it's not deep enough to cause a structural failure (I filled them with JB weld putty to keep the notch from damaging the bushing). They didn't want to come out until way after I had already cut through them, and put a notch in the arm itself...

And, don't forgot that the front diff mount has to go on *after* you've got the subframe at least bolted up loosely...


As far as a difference, the steering seems heavier and the rear seems more planted, although that's probably just because I haven't got an alignment yet. Either way, it takes the old bushings (which aren't as soft as you'd imagine, since a good bit of them is metal anyway) out of the equation when it comes to getting the car sorted out.

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

Sounds good, I would have thrown in a pinion snubber while the diff mount was getting replaced as well.

Valkyrie

I don't exactly do many drag launches anyway, so I didn't see any reason to.

My clutch will probably break before my mount...

YaNi

iTrader: (2)

If you have wheel hop, the pinion snubber will help. It will also prevent the front diff mount from being destroyed.

initial D is REAL!

pinoin snubber? First ive heard of this. what is that?

lax-rotor

iTrader: (1)

a rubber cone that pushes on the diff.

Shainiac

iTrader: (7)

It just keeps the dif from flopping up on heavy throttle or lift. I know with my broken diff mount, there is a smooth spot above the dif where it actually rubs the body when I let off the gas! A pinion snubber is definately in my plans as well.

Valkyrie

I haven't actually heard of the Mazdacomp diff mount breaking... it's 40 percent stiffer rubber than the stock one.

Turbo II Rotor

iTrader: (2)

With enough hp it will, The diff mount is poorly designed and that rubber mount is the only thing keeping it from moving vertically. A pinion snubber will make sure it never breaks and will give you smoother take offs and acel/decel.