Polyurathane vibration

MotorMo

Respected
Hey y'all- Many of us have stiffer 'solid' polyurethane motor mounts in our modified Hondas. I have not come across any post as of yet talking about real ways to cure the "lawn mower hands" that happen while driving such cars. Circuit racers with these stiffer mount surely have ways of combating these effects on the hands as they race for longer periods, but I haven't found much info on this online.
Found a post about some one putting Dynomat on the mounts....heard of people drilling holes in them....But my real issue with them is the vibs through the steering wheel, making my hand go numb.

Found that this is super common with motorcycle riders. After digging a bit from that angle I came across some ideas that are new to me..... How about filling the steering column with silicone? (yes I know they are supposed to 'collapse' in case of accident, and filling them with silicone may not be the safest idea...) Or attaching lead weights to the steering column or steering system some how?....'
I plan on going to a junk yard over the weekend and pulling a steering column to figure out what is possible. Wondering if any body out there has any experience of tricks on this subject?-
Its an old subject, I know, but there never seems to be a productive out come- Any input is welcome.
Cheers.
 

civteck

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Registered VIP
Great topic as i was just cleaning my garage and found my old "jim fab" mounts, if your OG you know what they are and are for sale.. that being said i have done the old fill the mounts with window weld, used plastic cutting board and silicone to fill and such but the dash would always keep my cocktail shaken not stirred... nothing bothered me more than solid mounts at idle but dump the clutch and let the fun begin... who all on here has driven a civic over 400hp? Its a fine line between comfort and traction and everyday i would choose traction and giggle at the shake..... come to NJ ill show you what i mean...

Sent from my boujea ass phone
 


MotorMo

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I'm with all that you said. Been in similar rides where it seems really loud and slow until half way through 3rd gear, and then you get the whip lash haha. I too have had all the normal options of mounts in my projects, its all pretty much similar- vibration is gona happen. Always a trade off.
Still tho- I will rob a steering column from the junk yard, cut it open and then work on the installed unit and see if I can make any improvements. I feel fairly confident I cant make it any worse hahahaha
 

MotorMo

Respected
I never made it to the junk yard- Instead I drilled two holes in the steering column, and pumped it full of silicone. I also wrapped a bit of Dynomat around the areas in an attempt to help as well.
It did not turn out pretty by any means, but it definitely helped. The vibes will always be a part of polyurethane mounts, I understand this. But it knocked down the vibes at idle to almost nothing, and lessened the vibes through the rpm band. Much better out come than I thought originally possible haha.
Next time I visit that area ( aka finish the steering column) I plan on picking up a new used column, separating the two shafts, installing "Bar Snake", and filling the other gaps with silicone. Then install the 'final product'.
If you don't know what Bar Snake is, look it up- Its used on motorcycles. Its proven stuff.
The journey of lessoning vibrations through the car has only begun. I will continue to update this page on what I do as time goes on and I work on the chassis.
IMG_2682.JPG IMG_2681.JPG IMG_2683.JPG
 


MotorMo

Respected
Pulled another steering column from a junk yard and began plying with it. "Bar Snake" was not an option as I looked at how the column was designed. Another old biker trick is to put lead shot in the handle bars, so figured I would seal the BB's in there using either silicone caulking or expanding foam, like 'The Great Stuff". So I filled two hollow metal bars up with the two options, and waited until they dried. I found the foam wasn't heavy, and still had a 'ring' when dropped on the ground, unlike the bar filled with silicone. So I filled up the bottom of the steering shaft with silicone, poured in lead BB's ( I got them from a diving store ) and pounded and 'packed' them down, then topped it off with another thick layer of silicone. I did a similar technique at the tip of the steering shaft where the steering wheel gets bolted on to.
The results are positive- At different RPM's there is no buzz at all, and it quieted down the frequency which causes the numb hand syndrome. Excited about the results. But also learning that I want to also install some other harmonic 'weights' to my subframe and chassis to absorb the vibes as well.
I also wrapped some Dynomat around some choice areas to limit vibrational transmission through the column to the dash.
Here are some photos. Oh yes- almost forgot, I also used this moment to install an S2000 steering wheel in my EK
 

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civteck

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Registered VIP
Crazy f**kin idea but i get it.. what was your biggest complaint about the steering b4?

Sent from my boujea ass phone
 

MotorMo

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Crazy f**kin idea but i get it.. what was your biggest complaint about the steering b4?

Sent from my boujea ass phone
The vibes were of a higher 'frequency', so my hands would go numb after short trips-which is no good for spirited driving/racing.
Yea a bit nutty- But that's why I've been called many things- Dr.Vtec, Honda Head, Crazy mo-fo-- you get the rest. When I go deep in a car, I go deeeeep. (and yes that's what she said)
 

thendi

Respected
5+ Year Member
Where did you get the steering wheel and does the cruise control buttons work as well?
 

thendi

Respected
5+ Year Member
Yes every thing works. You can find many car parts through the internet. Happy hunting
Cool, thanks for the info. I will gladly search the internet if I had more info, like part# of steering or make, yr, model of the vehicle the steering wheel came off of? Also, did the clock spring and cruise control switch come off the same vehicle as the same steering wheel or is it from a different type?
 


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