I keep hearing about uprated engine mounts but why do I need them?Because VW's mounts are sh1t quite frankly. Who wants a big fat Walrus flopping around in a hammock when they throw their GTI into a corner?
The stock mounts are great for refinement, but that /\ is exactly what the engine feels like when driving hard - a heavy dead weight wobbling around and unsettling the car in the corners. It doesn't feel like part of the car, but rather an anvil mounted on bed springs.
VW fit soggy mounts because their engines are not particularly smooth and average Joe doesn't want noise and vibration spoiling his facebook statusing whilst accelerating down the road.
Chaps and chapesses who want a more performance biased drive hate the standard engine mounts, but they also hate increased NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness). They also don't like wheel hopping when getting jiggy with the gas pedal in the wet either.
Hmmm, I know what you mean, and that wheel hop is super annoying. Do these Vibrator Techniques solve that then?Absolutely. The engine actually feels like an integral part of the car and doesn't move around anywhere near as much, which is vital when you're balancing the car on the throttle mid corner and don't want unpredictable behaviour. Wheelhop is completely eradicated, as is excessive engine rock, which can quickly destroy the short flexis you get in aftermarket downpipes. The gearshift in manual cars improves drastically too
Yeah I'm feeling that. Pics?Here they are in their unfitted form, looking all purposeful and tasty.
Here is the right hand one fitted. A bit tricky to see the juicy bits but the fact all the stock accessories bolts onto it like stock speaks volumes, compared to some other mounts which over look such obviousness.
The gearbox one fitted, in all it's billet alloy splendour, yum.
The dogbone. I nicked RedRobin's pic as I don't have one of mine fitted, but they are gold in colour now, not alloy.
So why Vibrator Techniques over other brands made of polyurethane?It's a rubber vs poly thing. Rubber is way more forgiving than polyurethane, hence why car makers do not use it in their road cars.
Vibratechnics have been in the game way longer than their competitors and they know only too well the downsides of poly engine mounts. Some people don't mind the harshness of poly, but I hate it personally. It makes me want to set fire to the car when sat in traffic for extended periods.
OK, so VT use tiny blocks of stiffer rubber to reduce movement, but there must be an NVH compromise, surely?Yep, there is. Anyone who says there isn't (and applies to other uprated mounts) is lying.
The VTs are actually smoother / quieter than the OEM mounts at certain rpms, and slightly harsher than OEM at other rpms.
The most immediate and noticable change is more mechanical chuntering noise from the gearbox in the cabin. The engine / transmission sounds gruffer but it's not mega intrusive. It's actually quite nice in a weird Motorsport kind of way. Purposeful. If you have the stereo on, or the windows open, or the HVAC blowing all the time, you will barely notice it. If you're an everything switched off kind of guy, you will definitely notice it, but again, it's not that intrusive compared to poly. Poly shakes the dashboard, these don't shake anything at all.
Cold fast idle = very slight increase in NVH ~1100rpm.
Warm idle HVAC on econ ~780rpm = stock smooth.
Warm idle with HVAC on auto ~900rpm = a slight vibration like a diesel engine. I rarely use the A/C, so I never notice any vibes at idle.
The only other vibration I've noticed is at ~2300rpm ish, and it's slight. Otherwise everywhere else in the rpm range it's stock smooth.
OK, sounds great. I can stomach a slight increase in NVH. Should I buy them, and how much?Yes, you should! AKS Tuning currently sell them at 10% off, so get yourself a good deal
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https://www.akstuning.co.uk/53-vibratechnicsFor those who love increased NVH, VT do a Race Spec compound and they are epic. A bit too harsh for me but they're brilliant on track.
They're just a brilliant upgrade for fast road driving, especially if you've already upgraded the suspension and bushes. These mounts are just the cherry on top without totally destroying the cars refinement. I use my car every day in heavy traffic and I am super fussy with NVH, so if I can live with them, anyone can
What about the small end of the dogbone?VT have that covered too. Pic of it in the first image up top. I have one, but haven't yet fitted it as it needs pressing in.
It certainly solves the issue of the shoddy voided bush VW put in it.
