MakoDHardie

This is one for all those guys who have torque braces put in...

I put mine in this morning and tested it out. Real improvement in engine responsiveness. I tried preloading it to the driver's side with my bare hand- no band wrench or anything to get real power and I didn't try pushing on the UIM to help. I get a mad rattling right around idle. Usually only if I have the AC or accessories on or when everything's off, it rumbles real quick when I bring the revs up, but then its real smooth. The instructions say how it rattles when the rod end on the UIM bracket vibrates against the washer if it leans forward. I centered that before I drove it, but I popped the hood a while ago and it looks like it's moved back.

1. How much preload should I use and how should I go about getting it.
2. Any suggestions for reducing rattle/vibrations?

Thanks guys.
-Dave

racer rx

I use small rubber pieces w/ Sorbotane pieces against the side fender. But I still get a little rattling at idle too.

jc

MakoDHardie

I got some rubber pieces with the kit that I have between the brace and the side mounting location. What are Sorbotane pieces?

twokrx7

iTrader: (1)

The better braces have bushings ... ?

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Dave,

what is that in your avatar? GT2 or somethin? What's up with the brown accents? And you live in Taiwan?

Sorry for all the questions--never ran across your posts before .

MakoDHardie

GoodFella- its a 2002 GT2. Its black, but it was fresh off the boat when I took the pictures. The brown stuff is just the scuff tape around the seams. That's why it's all over the wheels. That was in Taiwan. There's two of them on the island there and I believe there were only 200 GT2's for 2002 produced. Really beautiful car. Just the right amount of show and go.....just the right amount behind way plenty plenty. Everything you'd want to have in your 911 for sure and all with the factory quality.

I grew up in Taiwan. I was back there for this summer. My parents moved back this year, so I probably won't be going back for a while since I'm in the middle of school. Maybe over the summers. Car scene there is great. I don't think I've ever seen an unpainted body kit. I'm living in Delaware now though.

BTW- I like your car. That list in the signature is insane. Nice work on that FD!
-Dave

cabaynes

iTrader: (4)

haha damn Dave you're quick... i answered a few ?s for you but you beat me too it! have a good one, talk to ya lata

Charlie

racer rx

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MakoDHardie
[B]I got some rubber pieces with the kit that I have between the brace and the side mounting location. What are Sorbotane pieces?

I got these recomended from another guy who had got into the Torque brace group buy.

Sorry I think it is Sorborthane. They help silence the rattling, as they are a little softer than the rubber pieces that came with the kit.

Next year I might try something else to absorb the noise. Still a little there at idle.

jc

FD Racer

yeah put some rubber everywhere.
-Between the car and the mount.
-After the mount - between the mount and the bolt head
-Then wrap the bolt with electrical tape many times where it comes in contact with the mount as it passes threw.

I had considerable vibration and it all went away after I did all of the above. I posted a picture a long *** time ago.

MakoDHardie

yeah, I guess I'll try looking for neat rubber pieces at hardware and boating stores that I could use. Taping the bolts is a good idea. I've done that before on something a while ago, but I think I'll leave it until I get everything else done so I'm not getting my fingers stuck together everytime I put something else in. Softer rubber against the engine bay could be a good idea.
FD Racer- do you know what the name of your post with pictures was? I'd like to see them, but if you can't remember, don't worry about it.

Thanks guys.
-Dave

FD Racer

You obviously cant see the tape, but it's right where the aluminum is between the bushings, on the bolt.

I went over kill on bushing size, I'd recomend something smaller.

Here ya go:

MakoDHardie

Overkill? Nah! Just looks like roasted marshmallows. Nice Job. How'd you get a double bushing to fit the first screw hole up closer to the firewall? Where's the best place to get those kinds of bushings? What size are those. I'd probably go overkill if I were to go through the trouble of wrenching everything over again anyway. Nice work there.
-Dave

FD Racer

That thing closer to the firewall is not a double bushing, its my MAP sensor for my Defi boost gauge. The picture is a bit misleading. The bushings are just plain sway bar end link bushings. I got those at Pepboys under that cheap "help" brand. Dont forget to get longer bolts.

neevosh

I used urethane bushings in my rod ends. There's no metal to metal contact. Bought the rod ends from McMaster-Carr for $25 a piece. I don't have any vibration at idle, except when I turn the wheel. And even then it's very minimal. Anyone notice a difference between loading the passenger and driver mounts?

MakoDHardie

I loaded the driver as much as I could with my bare hands last night and it seemed a little tighter. Still pretty vigorous vibrations, epecially when I'm parking. I'll try the bushings between the mount and frame and rod ends this weekend when I get back.

MakoDHardie

I've finished all the rubberizing of my torque brace. I went to the help section of Pep Boys for bushings and Home Depot for rubber washers. I'm running the same bushing set up as FD Racer on the side mounting location. For 97 cents, you can get a stack of 10 rubber washers at Home Depot- cheapest part of the project. I packed these things in around everything, especially between the tie rod ends and the mounting pieces. Two in each location except where there wasn't room for more than barely one. The bushings come in $2.99 packs of two at Pep Boys and I'd recommend going with the basic cylindrical shape. There's some wierd ones in there that have lots of contour on them. The flat ended ones seemed to be softer and fit better against the mounting surfaces because they weren't thicker in any spots. I'm pretty sure they were the "universal fit" ones. I also taped around the bolts in the places where they went through the tie rods and touched metal-metal. The only metal-metal connection that I didn't insulate was the section of the bolts between the side mounting piece and the bolt. I ran out of time the other day, but I believe it would make minor difference now compared to the improvement the rest of the rubber adding made. The difference in vibration was very noticeable. Bushings on both sides of the side mounting piece is necessary- make sure you get longer bolts and washers that have diameters large enough to cover the holes. Bushings on one side will not dampen the pull back vibration of the engine against the bolt and you will get rattling. There is a little bit of additional vibration that is not much more than stock levels around some levels of idle rpm. Can usually be cancelled out by doing something to you accessories- fan, a/c, lights, etc. I think a pulley kit may also help with this vibration just because the vibration itself comes from the additional load on the car caused by pulley resistance when certain accessories kick in. When the car is warmed up and idles lower, vibrations disappear. Same with when it idles around 1k or above.
This brace was deffinitely a good addition to hardware under the hood. It doesn't give you any power gains, but it does cancel out some power losses to a noticable degree. I've noticed more black streaks coming from behind my car at WOT in the first couple gears, throttle blips are more predictable, and the engine seems much more responsive. I also haven't missed a shift since the install. I'm putting in a short shift kit this weekend, so that should really make the shifts feel tight.

FD Racer

Cool. Nice to see it worked out well. post a pic if you get a chance.

MakoDHardie

Yeah, I'll get a pic later today. I had the digital in the car with me yesterday, but of course when you actually bring the camera, you forget to use it. I'll get one though.

twokrx7

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to see that you guys had to buy addl stuff on top of the $170-200 to stop the vibration and rattling.

Be sure to watch those big bushings on the dyno, the entire fenderwell mount might move around alot under load. If you can move it up and down a bit by hand it will be moving alot under load.