Wish I could say this was even remotely interesting but it literally took me longer to put the car on the lift than it did to put the bushing in.....
Whiteline Trans Bushing
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It's raining right now so I haven't gotten to really smash on it yet, but initially it feels better gear to gear, mainly 3rd and 5th.
There is definitely an increase in vibration while accelerating. Not obnoxious and it's not anything you feel in the shifter, but you definitely get some harmonics in the car. You can mostly feel it in the floorboard.
There is definitely an increase in vibration while accelerating. Not obnoxious and it's not anything you feel in the shifter, but you definitely get some harmonics in the car. You can mostly feel it in the floorboard.
I'm gonna put the car back on the lift, pull the bushing out and drill a hole in the center and see if takes care of that little bit of vibration. Right now you notice it from approx 2500 RPM's to 3500.
Instead of just drilling a hole through it, what I decided to do was put it in the mill and and take some material out of the center section. It was .350" thick down the center channel and this is the area that has the only hard contact with the actual trans mount.
Now, I had to hand jam this through the mill, there was no way to hold it securely. It's too soft to clamp down on and clamping it from one side simply distorted it. So, I had to hand feed it and took .010" off at a time so the face mill didn't yank it out of my hand. DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY IF YOU HAVE AN OPTION! It is NOT safe to do!
Anyways, I took .100" off the center section to try and put more load onto the softer areas of the mount. We'll see how it does.....
Now, I had to hand jam this through the mill, there was no way to hold it securely. It's too soft to clamp down on and clamping it from one side simply distorted it. So, I had to hand feed it and took .010" off at a time so the face mill didn't yank it out of my hand. DO NOT DO IT THIS WAY IF YOU HAVE AN OPTION! It is NOT safe to do!
Anyways, I took .100" off the center section to try and put more load onto the softer areas of the mount. We'll see how it does.....
That made a HUGE improvement. There is no noticeable change in harmonics or vibration throughout the RPM range now.
I smashed on it through 4th gear and it was still smooth through the gears. I intentionally knocked the tires off through 3rd gear with TC off and LC on RPM mode only and each gear felt solid.
It doesn't do anything about the clutch feel, but that's another issue entirely.
I smashed on it through 4th gear and it was still smooth through the gears. I intentionally knocked the tires off through 3rd gear with TC off and LC on RPM mode only and each gear felt solid.
It doesn't do anything about the clutch feel, but that's another issue entirely.
So what exactly is the intended purpose of this piece?
I recall another thread not too long ago where this thing was at least a portion of a problem that someone was having. Was that issue ever resolved (dunno if you guys saw the same post)?
Have you emailed a link to this thread to the manufacturer?
I recall another thread not too long ago where this thing was at least a portion of a problem that someone was having. Was that issue ever resolved (dunno if you guys saw the same post)?
Have you emailed a link to this thread to the manufacturer?
The issue is under heavy load (i.e. full throttle / grabbing gears), there is a bunch of flex in the factory trans and engine mounts. This is great for vibration damping, but it's not great for power transfer / consistency. The biggest problem is under load going to 3rd & 5th gear.....you have to feel for it a bit, it's not a quick engagement.
The trans bushing is suppossed to help with this, but by stiffening up the mount points you end up with some negative effects (noise, vibration, harshness). When I looked at the OEM mount, all the voids in the rubber are soft spots, no hard contact....except the bottom of the mount in the center (the area where I removed material). This is the only spot where it makes hard contact with the OEM mount and is likely the spot transmitting the noise / vibration.
The problem is, if you want a rigid mount, you have to fill the voids. If you fill the voids with a denser / less flexible material, you transfer energy in the form of heat, noise, vibration, etc.
You end up with a trade off.... A solid mount that shifts well, but has some undesireable characteristics. Or, you leave the OEM mount alone and have a bit of notchy shifting to 3rd and 5th.
The trans bushing is suppossed to help with this, but by stiffening up the mount points you end up with some negative effects (noise, vibration, harshness). When I looked at the OEM mount, all the voids in the rubber are soft spots, no hard contact....except the bottom of the mount in the center (the area where I removed material). This is the only spot where it makes hard contact with the OEM mount and is likely the spot transmitting the noise / vibration.
The problem is, if you want a rigid mount, you have to fill the voids. If you fill the voids with a denser / less flexible material, you transfer energy in the form of heat, noise, vibration, etc.
You end up with a trade off.... A solid mount that shifts well, but has some undesireable characteristics. Or, you leave the OEM mount alone and have a bit of notchy shifting to 3rd and 5th.
justinakajuice
Active Member
- Jan 20, 2015
- 138
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Elegantly put.
I've been thinking about doing this mod and I was going to drill the hole. I really dig how you planed yours down instead. So, your shifts have improved $30 worth?
I've been thinking about doing this mod and I was going to drill the hole. I really dig how you planed yours down instead. So, your shifts have improved $30 worth?
Without a doubt the shift into 3rd and 5th is much crisper when you're smashing on it.
For $30, I'd do it again, even with a little massaging to make it how I want it.
For $30, I'd do it again, even with a little massaging to make it how I want it.
It's a urethane, but it's one of the softer ones I've seen. If I had to compare it to something I say it's somewhere between a good shock bushing and regular rubber bushing. It's almost like a stiff ballistic gel.
If you hold it up to the light you can see through it, it's not black like it looks in the pictures.
If you hold it up to the light you can see through it, it's not black like it looks in the pictures.
Ok... I think I see now. There's a rubber or metallic bushing in there already. Within this bushing is a void that you're reinforcing with this new piece.
It's hard to get your bearings underneath of a car you've not be beneath before. hehehe
Thanks for the description.
It's hard to get your bearings underneath of a car you've not be beneath before. hehehe
Thanks for the description.
Ok... I think I see now. There's a rubber or metallic bushing in there already. Within this bushing is a void that you're reinforcing with this new piece.
It's hard to get your bearings underneath of a car you've not be beneath before. hehehe
Thanks for the description.
I iz good wif crayons....lol
I used to like the red ones. They made me stop eating them. All I get now is Microsoft Paint. Just doesn't taste nearly as good.
Lol! One of my favorite thigs to do when someone just doesn't get it is to go, "OK, I'm gonna break this down Crayola style. Not 256 color Crayolas. Not even the 8 color box. I'm just using the big, fat, black Crayola to break this down for ya."
As long as you're not eating the chalk I guess I can look the other wayI used to like the red ones. They made me stop eating them. All I get now is Microsoft Paint. Just doesn't taste nearly as good.
As long as you're not eating the chalk I guess I can look the other way
What's wrong with chalk? It's a good antacid.....lol
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