Top Mount installations compared

[s2driveruk]

I *think I still have mine too...Andy can I sent them up to you ? PM with address details if you don't mind adding them to the collection

Cheers
David

[Dan]

I don't mind taking 4... no more though, I gotta pack *some* clothes!

I'm happy to cover $20 of postage, too.

[mouse]

The feedback i get is that people like the solid top mount idea with a spherical bearing but not the solid harshness!!!!
So the plan is the combine the solid mount with a poly outer

A bit like Mance's pro mounts combining sperical bearing and OE rubber mounts....

How do the Mance Pro-Mounts
on the front and OE mounts with Mount Savers on the rear fair in this relative comparison? Are these still regarded to be the best after market solution currently available?

I've had pro-mounts in the front for 3 years and no problems - the rears really don't seem to get much of a hammering as i've not changed them yet (probably the original mounts) and they don't really seem to make any noise. But I have some Meyle HD mounts ready to put on the back.

[s2_wot]

I don't mind taking 4... no more though, I gotta pack *some* clothes!

I'm happy to cover $20 of postage, too.

Would you like to return 4 x new ones too?

I've updated the video link in the 1st post for obvious reasons and removed the original video.

In this version you can see the same 3 mounts. The 034 one is a loose fit. Biffy Clyro this time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kc_Pq3vUcr4

[Lago Blue]

"How do Mance's Pro-Mounts on the front and OE mounts with ..."

Mount Savers on the rear fair in this comparison?"

I kept looking at the dates of the entries in this thread, as I couldn't believe it was current. I have had the exact above mentioned set-up for several years. I have raved about them previously:

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showpos...8&postcount=41

Perhaps further clarification is warranted. I should mention that my current Mount-Savers I's may have since been super-ceded. What follows is my humble opinion only.

I think perhaps it is necessary to understand some of the reasons why this set-up a.) fits well; b.) feels so good, c.) is not harsh; and d.) why they do not appear to be failing (my experience only). Why I think that this explanation is important is two-fold, we must appreciate what tasks long-term successful top-mounts have to do; and recognize that a mount without the characteristics to to handle those tasks; must fail.

a.) Pro-Mounts are a modified OEM part, the particular brand (of many that appear identical) that was chosen to make them from, was tested many times to destruction and found to be consistently amongst the best; as a starting point. As the exterior of a Pro-Mount is not modified, obviously the external fit is unchanged from that best of the originals.

b.) Pro-Mounts are not a total metal to metal mounting point, nor a simple alternate rubber/steel mount. They are in between. They are tougher than OEM mounts, but not as brittle as solids. However, the key to their success is that they have been changed to enhance the OEM architecture specifically to prevent the break-down process that begins immediately with every other mount. By keeping the mounts as "new" for every impact, the otherwise inevitable wandering strut-tops over any and all road irregularities, the noise, tire wear, and lack of steering precision; is all prevented. It's like slipping a new mount in after every impact, but without all the work. On failing/failed mounts even minor bumps throw the entire wheel/tire/brake and suspension violently upward at very high speed as the mount will have become more compliant than the spring and damper, transmitting the remaining energy into the cabin before the strut assembly even reacts.

To give you an idea of the amount of energy these units are absorbing and dissipating, my Mount-Saver I's, although originally they appeared to have been poured into a machined mould, they now look as though they completely liquified in use; and have taken on every minute detail of the cavity they now occupy in the car, and mirror every feature of the OEM mount top cavity and chassis receiver. In fact I capped mine with a harder material to in part prevent this in-use re-moulding.

Although having excellent self-damping charcteristics, unsupported rubber alone does not have, the long-term vertical load shear strength to resist the everyday routine loadinds that the OEM mount design is subject to. The requisite Mount-Savers in Pro-Mounts prevents the mount's core over-travel that immediately begins to destroy any and all OEM style mounts, including Pro-Mounts run without the reinforcement that Mount--Savers provide.

The Pro-Mounts spherical bearing (which alone would also quickly perish), while providing an obvious more precise upper pivot point for the entire particular corner of the car's suspension as opposed to the rather wobbly sized OEM roller bearing, it more importantly in terms of longevity, allows the OEM rubber to remain unstressed by the normal change in vertical axis that occurs during all suspension travel. This allows the shock load to be shared by all the rubber material present equally, (vice one single point on the most stretched side and a second single point on the most compressed side) in a more ordinary OEM style mount while in use.

In the above fashion, the Pro-Mount assembly provides an as near a solid and precise a mount as practicable without exceeding the failure points of the OEM design mount by itself. This near solid mount forces the spring and particularly the damper (this is becuse our top-mounts are of a design which must resist both spring and damper loads) to work immediately without having to wait for the OEM mount to stop moving; and to absorb all the energy, whereas previously, they where passing it on, upwards. I believe it is this characteristic that delivers the excellent "feel" of Pro-Mounts.

c.) The necessary addition of the Mount-Savers to Pro-Mounts mean that there is not a direct solid path for energy to leave the top-mount; and enter the car.

d.) Without the ability to over-extend, or be torqued off of it's true centre-line axis, the original integrity of the OEM mount is maintained indefinitely; and the previous self-destruction process is prevented.

Sometimes there is only one best tool for the job and it's often not the cheapest, but may be more economical in the long run. But looking back, perhaps the true beauty of these mounts is that they allow you to move onto other things.

[A80Avant]

i may have understood wrong, but if someone is using the 034 street density top mounts, by adding the mount savers, then both the problem of movement and wear is reduced?

[Nuvo]

@Lago BLue, thank you very much for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply regarding Pro-Mounts and Mount-Savers. I found it to be very detailed and informative and it leaves me in no doubt about their quality and peformance after extended use.

Also a big thank you to the others posters that shared their positive reviews and opinions on these too.

[xileh]

Just ask a quick question.
Does it look like I got a bad Top Mount? Is the space going to be this big?
I got a knocking noice when I hit bumps, and cant find any other bad bushings.

[s2driveruk]

yes, does look like a knackered topmount to me....shouldn't usually be that much space around the cup. Having said that, I looked at my Meyle HD mounts last night as the passenger side is knocking after about 1000 miles and I'm sure its sat up like that! Need to have a proper look underneath and check all the usual suspects but initial view is not good

[jade]

yes, does look like a knackered topmount to me....shouldn't usually be that much space around the cup. Having said that, I looked at my Meyle HD mounts last night as the passenger side is knocking after about 1000 miles and I'm sure its sat up like that! Need to have a proper look underneath and check all the usual suspects but initial view is not good

I have a set of meyle HD mounts on my car, The RHS on my car knocks they have covered about 3000km

I pulled the strut a while back to inspected the mount and it seems fine, everything else has only covered a few thousand kms also, so I am looking else where at the present

Any Ideas ?

[URquattroGus]

Has anyone used these then? (solid top mounts on ebay)


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[speeding-g60]

Has anyone used these then? (solid top mounts on ebay)


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

thats the CompBrake set.

[Dan]

Since I'm not gonna be able to make the MRC meet, does anybody fancy posting me some failed 034 mounts to take back to the US?

[Sonic]

Yeah, i'm picking s2driveruk's up so i'll send both mine and his up to you.

[Dan]

Pornstar.

I'm off on the 20th, so as long as they're here by then, they're coming along.