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Since Moose told me his failed I improved the bonding process. Before I sent these out I suspended a 100# weight from each one, just to be sure they were well bonded, and they didn't show any signs of imminent failure. These things are meant to be used in compression, not tension or torsion. I'm sure you can get them to fail if you try, but if you use them in the manner they are designed they'll be fine. Mine have been on my car for 18 months now and they were 1st generation.
Moose,
My offer still stands. If you want new ones I can make them up this weekend. If not, at least let me give you your money back.
I suggest you put them in a vise like the photo on the first page and twist them around to make sure they are bonded well.
While we are testing things, put them in the freezer for a few days & test them in the vice, and again while subjected to 125-150F, back in the freezer etc.... The initial strength at room temperature isn't all that important compared to hot / cold cycles.
This has been done on the MB boards, and a couple of other places, and the question about factory openings/voids came up.
Most likely reason is reduction of harshness, and keeping from transmitting vibration into the chassis.
For those of us with performance in mind, solid mounts (not welded solid, just solid urethane) are a compromise, and come with some increase in NVH, but with better performance characteristics.
From the MK4 VW side of the house, the "basic" cars came with voids in the lower control arm bushings, while the Audi TT had a solid bushing, direct from the factory. This is a drop in upgrade for the rest of the cars, if the owner doesn't mind the slight increase in NVH.
Since Moose told me his failed I improved the bonding process. Before I sent these out I suspended a 100# weight from each one, just to be sure they were well bonded, and they didn't show any signs of imminent failure. These things are meant to be used in compression, not tension or torsion. I'm sure you can get them to fail if you try, but if you use them in the manner they are designed they'll be fine. Mine have been on my car for 18 months now and they were 1st generation.
Moose,
My offer still stands. If you want new ones I can make them up this weekend. If not, at least let me give you your money back.
Waldo
I will take you up on that, I still think it can work. Do you have cores? When I get a chance I will clean these up and send them out to you.
I thought I seen something a while back that a guy used dry ice to freeze his mounts. He then hit the rubber and it literally shattered off the mounts. He used the same process getting old hard sound deadener off the floor of the car.
I have read thru this thread again and I still have not noticed what the hardness of the original Factory mount's rubber is. I see that these guys are using something called 60A. The two part rubber compound that I have used for some 928 reproduction parts is 80 something. I think that is a durometer number or such. The **** I use is very expensive, but I think it might be the better compound to use and to incorporate the gap that the factory mounts have. Any thoughts?
Jerry,
Yes, durometer is a rating of how "bouncy" the rubber is. The lower the number, the softer the rubber. I used 60A in mine because it seemed to feel the most similar to the original mounts. You can do plenty of research on the durometer rating of engine and transmission mounts. I thought 80A might be too stiff and also brittle. And with my mount solid it already adds a little more stiffness.
06-12-2019, 07:04 PM
