RMM testing and review diaries

[blackms3_71]

Mounts has been going good. Feels solid and with the new hardware and it breaking in alot of vibes are gone or very minimal.

[Dimenus]

Just wanted to chime in that my vibes with the AC on have gone down by probably 75% since using the proper hardware. And that's with a PMM as well.

[gilwankel]

After about 150 miles with the mount on I am very impressed. Yes there are more vibes inside the cabin but I can still see my mirrors and I haven't lost any fillings. I live in southern california so I have the a/c running almost constantly too. Shifting is much more connected and I can actually use first gear now. I am coming from the stock mount so I have no other experience to compare to the DM mount but I don't know how it could get much better than this.

[MichaelGear]

Just got my new washers installed and I was surprised to find that I actually had more vibes than I did with the old washers and one from the hardware store; that's not to say more violent than previous; but there are new and different vibes (ie. more noticeable on deceleration than before and at idle with the AC on). Still not what I would consider 'bad' vibes, and overall I am VERY happy with this mount.

[aackthpt]

So I finally got mounted by this yesterday. I'm coming off stock, then stock + CS inserts. I haven't driven or been in cars with competing mounts, though maybe I will be able to at ENM next month.

The (possibly) bad about this mount, when brand new:
I must say that as for actual vibration, there is significantly more - most notably at idle with A/C on and at initial throttle application when starting to rev the motor, plus a few random resonant spots in the RPM band. Honestly I can't be arsed about the physical vibrations - they are minimal and even with the RMM brand new and temperature in the 30s (Fahrenheit) all mirrors remain entirely usable. As far as sound, vs. stock+CS inserts there is a very noticeable increase in noise including drone under continuous driving as well as very significant noise as the motor revs down, for example between shifts. It seems I can hear EVERY. DAMN. THING. the transmission does now. It's an involving, connected thing for sure but the noise on higher revving can get a bit unnerving.

But the definitely GOOD about this mount:
This thing made the car DRIVE better for sure, no question. The spongy, vague gearbox feeling... gone (and I don't have any other shift mods, until the next few weeks LOL). Shifts are now how I expect a good manual gearbox to feel, not vague, notchy and questionable like before. Stock and with inserts it took a long time to get to the point where I didn't miss a lot of shifts... but this way I don't see how I could miss shifts. There's also the illusion that the clutch suddenly works smoothly... it can't be the clutch actually working differently since it's hydraulic... but because, when you let out the clutch, the car just freaking GOES rather than the motor lurching and THEN the car going... the clutch action suddenly works like you'd expect. No more takeoff lurching... a bit of tip-in vibes aaaand I'm gone.

Low speed throttle response is improved, much like it was with the inserts, but with the inserts I'd still get significant delay to throttle advances at freeway speeds, say at 5th gear doing 70mph (presumably larger loads than at low speeds) - in fact with inserts there was a subtle, weird 2-level jerk before the car would go when dropping the hammer. This way, I so far can detect no situation in which I get any sort of delay or jerk. Thusly, throttle response actually feels much more linear.

The driveability is so much improved that I may consider teaching my GF how to drive stick on it. Before the clutch and gearbox seemed so... weird... that it seemed like a REALLY bad idea to force that upon a n00b. Now that things behave in a sensible manner, it might be reasonable to teach someone on.

I only have about 150 miles on the mount so far, and I do think there has been some degree of calming of the NVH. I really hope there is a lot more as far as the interior noise is concerned, because I won't want to drop this mount now that I've driven the car with it. I think there's both been a degree of improvement, and a large degree of me getting used to it too. To passengers, the mount change was clearly noticeable, unlike adding the CS inserts. Of course the change in how I say the car drives is noticeable too . I'll report back with further impressions as I get more miles. Since I'll probably do 2500 miles for the ENM trip it might be broken in sooner rather than later.

[HawkeyeGeoff]

Originally Posted by aackthpt So I finally got mounted by this yesterday. I'm coming off stock, then stock + CS inserts. I haven't driven or been in cars with competing mounts, though maybe I will be able to at ENM next month. The (possibly) bad about this mount, when brand new: I must say that as for actual vibration, there is significantly more - most notably at idle with A/C on and at initial throttle application when starting to rev the motor, plus a few random resonant spots in the RPM band. Honestly I can't be arsed about the physical vibrations - they are minimal and even with the RMM brand new and temperature in the 30s (Fahrenheit) all mirrors remain entirely usable. As far as sound, vs. stock+CS inserts there is a very noticeable increase in noise including drone under continuous driving as well as very significant noise as the motor revs down, for example between shifts. It seems I can hear EVERY. DAMN. THING. the transmission does now. It's an involving, connected thing for sure but the noise on higher revving can get a bit unnerving. But the definitely GOOD about this mount: This thing made the car DRIVE better for sure, no question. The spongy, vague gearbox feeling... gone (and I don't have any other shift mods, until the next few weeks LOL). Shifts are now how I expect a good manual gearbox to feel, not vague, notchy and questionable like before. Stock and with inserts it took a long time to get to the point where I didn't miss a lot of shifts... but this way I don't see how I could miss shifts. There's also the illusion that the clutch suddenly works smoothly... it can't be the clutch actually working differently since it's hydraulic... but because, when you let out the clutch, the car just freaking GOES rather than the motor lurching and THEN the car going... the clutch action suddenly works like you'd expect. No more takeoff lurching... a bit of tip-in vibes aaaand I'm gone. Low speed throttle response is improved, much like it was with the inserts, but with the inserts I'd still get significant delay to throttle advances at freeway speeds, say at 5th gear doing 70mph (presumably larger loads than at low speeds) - in fact with inserts there was a subtle, weird 2-level jerk before the car would go when dropping the hammer. This way, I so far can detect no situation in which I get any sort of delay or jerk. Thusly, throttle response actually feels much more linear. The driveability is so much improved that I may consider teaching my GF how to drive stick on it. Before the clutch and gearbox seemed so... weird... that it seemed like a REALLY bad idea to force that upon a n00b. Now that things behave in a sensible manner, it might be reasonable to teach someone on. I only have about 150 miles on the mount so far, and I do think there has been some degree of calming of the NVH. I really hope there is a lot more as far as the interior noise is concerned, because I won't want to drop this mount now that I've driven the car with it. I think there's both been a degree of improvement, and a large degree of me getting used to it too. To passengers, the mount change was clearly noticeable, unlike adding the CS inserts. Of course the change in how I say the car drives is noticeable too . I'll report back with further impressions as I get more miles. Since I'll probably do 2500 miles for the ENM trip it might be broken in sooner rather than later.

Welcome to the club of actually being able to shift! When I rode in your car the other day it was so weird not having any noises....you get used to it pretty quickly and a RMM adds very minimal for the advantages it gives. Good writeup!

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff Welcome to the club of actually being able to shift! When I rode in your car the other day it was so weird not having any noises....you get used to it pretty quickly and a RMM adds very minimal for the advantages it gives. Good writeup!

Haha and here I enjoyed it being quieter LOL. Anyway, one thing I noticed on today's commute is that it was really harsh at first but it went away later. Working theory: once the motor got warm, and enough warm air had flowed over the RMM, the bushings softened some. That means I need the weather to warm up faster so I can break it in with warmer weather... and I hope it's not going to go that harsh every winter. If so I might consider running E-focus mount in winter and putting the DM back in for summer... of course would prefer not to bother but I wouldn't want to inflame the ol' vag. It's possible that I need those Vag Edition bushings.... we'll see. LOL.

Also... thanks. One thing I had hell with was making sense of various estimates of NVH around the forum for RMM comparisons. There were a few diamonds, but a lot of rough. If I can provide extremely clear descriptions of comparisons, maybe that will help someone in the future.

[HawkeyeGeoff]

Originally Posted by aackthpt Haha and here I enjoyed it being quieter LOL. Anyway, one thing I noticed on today's commute is that it was really harsh at first but it went away later. Working theory: once the motor got warm, and enough warm air had flowed over the RMM, the bushings softened some. That means I need the weather to warm up faster so I can break it in with warmer weather... and I hope it's not going to go that harsh every winter. If so I might consider running E-focus mount in winter and putting the DM back in for summer... of course would prefer not to bother but I wouldn't want to inflame the ol' vag. It's possible that I need those Vag Edition bushings.... we'll see. LOL. Also... thanks. One thing I had hell with was making sense of various estimates of NVH around the forum for RMM comparisons. There were a few diamonds, but a lot of rough. If I can provide extremely clear descriptions of comparisons, maybe that will help someone in the future.

Did you have a torque wrench for all of this fun? The vertical bolt needs to be pretty much at the recommended torque and it's common practice to use some loctite as well.

We can give her a quick glance over if you didn't have access to a torque wrench. The vibes will vary wildly if that sloot isn't torqued down 100%.

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff Did you have a torque wrench for all of this fun? The vertical bolt needs to be pretty much at the recommended torque and it's common practice to use some loctite as well. We can give her a quick glance over if you didn't have access to a torque wrench. The vibes will vary wildly if that sloot isn't torqued down 100%.

Hahaha, not a n00b, just new to working on this car. I agree that we should audit them if we put the car up though, as recommended. But I torqued them to the DM specs - not in the same order as I think I have a better idea. And my dad's torque wrenches are kind of ancient (didn't have my own), but they are bar style so they can't fall out of calibration. DM's spec for the rear bolt IS lower than the CS or JBR, IIRC, but I would have noted if it didn't torque up properly. The order I final torqued was the three on the trans bracket, then the socket head cap screw through the mount, then the vertical screw to the car in the rear.

The middle screw through the bushings was quite a soft feeling joint and took lots of turns for the torque to get to spec, I think because my bushings weren't fully seated on the sides of the mount. The rear screw wasn't as hard feeling a joint as I expected either so if there's a problem I'd suspect that joint (still, I doubt it as I definitely got it up to the DM torque spec). I know absolutely certain the trans bracket screws are good joints. I don't get any clunking or anything at all. I wouldn't be surprised if you said "it's supposed to be like that, you pussy".

[HawkeyeGeoff]

Originally Posted by aackthpt Hahaha, not a n00b, just new to working on this car. I agree that we should audit them if we put the car up though, as recommended. But I torqued them to the DM specs - not in the same order as I think I have a better idea. And my dad's torque wrenches are kind of ancient (didn't have my own), but they are bar style so they can't fall out of calibration. DM's spec for the rear bolt IS lower than the CS or JBR, IIRC, but I would have noted if it didn't torque up properly. The order I final torqued was the three on the trans bracket, then the socket head cap screw through the mount, then the vertical screw to the car in the rear. The middle screw through the bushings was quite a soft feeling joint and took lots of turns for the torque to get to spec, I think because my bushings weren't fully seated on the sides of the mount. The rear screw wasn't as hard feeling a joint as I expected either so if there's a problem I'd suspect that joint (still, I doubt it as I definitely got it up to the DM torque spec). I know absolutely certain the trans bracket screws are good joints. I don't get any clunking or anything at all. I wouldn't be surprised if you said "it's supposed to be like that, you pussy".

Took the words right out of my mouth!! Lol you shouldn't have any problems with that vertical bolt losing torque because no bushing in the middle of it like the CS / Old JBR billet style (this would tend to deform and loosen the whole thing).

[aackthpt]

So today was day 4, and I swear that every day the NVH has calmed down a bit. I like where this is going. Between getting used to it and it calming down some, it's close to something I personally would consider long-term acceptable. The NVH is still unquestionably harsher than stock and +inserts.

More reports to follow, once it feels like it's fully settled in.

[Finchee]

How does this mount fare with highway driving? I do a lot of highway driving at 60-75 mph. Are there any vibes cruising at those speeds?

[MSP6]

Anyone here own/has owned both a speed 3 and a speed 6? Here's why I ask.

I have a used TRZ rmm sitting in the passenger seat of my speed 3, but don't know if I want to deal with the vibes. I've never had a serious mount in the speed 3 before so...

How would the vibes from this compare to say a speed 6 with a JBR 80d rmm or comparable? I had the 80d rmm on my 6, and for a short time the side mounts in 70.

Trying to get a feel for what level this piece comes in at. The 80d on the speed 6 was tolerable. As in I would prefer it had been less, but I wasn't going to remove or replace it either. Any opinion would be helpful.

[MichaelGear]

Originally Posted by Finchee How does this mount fare with highway driving? I do a lot of highway driving at 60-75 mph. Are there any vibes cruising at those speeds?

The vast majority of my driving is highway and I have no complaints. The most notable vibes that I experience are during downshift deceleration below ~2500 RPM. I don't find them to be "awful" but they are present.

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by Finchee How does this mount fare with highway driving? I do a lot of highway driving at 60-75 mph. Are there any vibes cruising at those speeds?

No actual vibrations when cruising but it does add a fair amount of drone/noise in the cabin. I might put up with it for the benefits but there is definitely more than with the stock mount.

[Finchee]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've put in an order for this RMM. Excited to experience it for myself!

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by aackthpt So I finally got mounted by this yesterday.

OK, so to update. I have about three tanks of gas in so I'm at about 900 miles on the mount, and nearly three weeks. The mount pretty much still retains all the advantages it started with.... I think I take them for granted more and notice other things I want to improve now LOL.

Vibrations: Other than the growl at startup which I rather like, there's a bit of low-rev vibes still beyond the stock mount - but much less than the I/P-shaking, stomach-churning ones you get when new. As long as you don't lug the motor you're fine, and you do learn to rev out of that band quickly which is probably a good habit anyway. Other than those, I really get no noticeable shaking over stock.

Noise: The noise has reduced significantly from the new mount. I suspect that may be partly due to the weather warming as well as break-in... though hopefully the acid test for that will have to wait until next winter (actually if it gets a lot worse when cold I will consider running a separate winter mount that I'd switch when I change tires). The main way I can tell the noise is nearly back to stock levels is that my radio volume numbers are back to what I used to use with stock, or lower. There's still a bit more drone at cruise, and much more noise on engine braking or trans spin-down during shifting but those have also lessened from when the mount was new. Between me getting used to the new sounds and break-in, I don't find it objectionable enough to make me want to do something about it.

The bottom line is that this mount is a winner.

I have yet to start reviewing reports on the others but I bet I'll wind up with the threesome.

[HawkeyeGeoff]

Originally Posted by aackthpt OK, so to update. I have about three tanks of gas in so I'm at about 900 miles on the mount, and nearly three weeks. The mount pretty much still retains all the advantages it started with.... I think I take them for granted more and notice other things I want to improve now LOL. Vibrations: Other than the growl at startup which I rather like, there's a bit of low-rev vibes still beyond the stock mount - but much less than the I/P-shaking, stomach-churning ones you get when new. As long as you don't lug the motor you're fine, and you do learn to rev out of that band quickly which is probably a good habit anyway. Other than those, I really get no noticeable shaking over stock. Noise: The noise has reduced significantly from the new mount. I suspect that may be partly due to the weather warming as well as break-in... though hopefully the acid test for that will have to wait until next winter (actually if it gets a lot worse when cold I will consider running a separate winter mount that I'd switch when I change tires). The main way I can tell the noise is nearly back to stock levels is that my radio volume numbers are back to what I used to use with stock, or lower. There's still a bit more drone at cruise, and much more noise on engine braking or trans spin-down during shifting but those have also lessened from when the mount was new. Between me getting used to the new sounds and break-in, I don't find it objectionable enough to make me want to do something about it. The bottom line is that this mount is a winner. I have yet to start reviewing reports on the others but I bet I'll wind up with the threesome.

Okay now that you're past the vibrations from the rmm....lets move you to a PMM and TMM and see how spoiled you get from the shifting and awesomeness that comes with those

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by HawkeyeGeoff Okay now that you're past the vibrations from the rmm....lets move you to a PMM and TMM and see how spoiled you get from the shifting and awesomeness that comes with those

1. go to ENM
2. buy ALL THE TICKETS
3. put them in THE THREESOME JAR
4. profit

[Finchee]

So I finally got the DM RMM installed today. I have put a little over 50 miles on it since the install. I tried to write down my impressions as much as I can before I forget the details. It must be noted that this is my first aftermarket RMM and so I can only compare it to the stock RMM.

First impressions are, it vibrates, a lot, but only on a specific RPM range. That RPM range is between 750 to 1600 RPM on my car.

• With the AC on and on idle, there is mild vibration at around 750-800 RPM. The vibration here is fine, it is mild and kind of feels soothing, to me at least.
• When taking off from a stop, it vibrates from 750 to 1600 RPM, but the worst vibration is at around 1300-1400 RPM. Everything seems to vibrate at that range, loud vibration. If you have stuff on your car, phone mounts, gauges, sunglasses, coins, etc... that usually rattle on the stock mount, they will rattle loudly in this RPM range. That said, I think you can sort of minimize the issue here by simply accelerating faster and shifting at 3k RPM. If you accelerate slowly, like I usually do, you will most likely end up in this RPM range while you are trying to get off first gear. If you accelerate quickly, you will quickly pass this RPM range and get into 2nd gear, which leads to my next impression.
• Shifting from 1st to 2nd gear has been improved dramatically, even when you shift at high RPM from 1st to 2nd. The shifts are now so smooth. The engine feels really connected to the transmission and to the car. There is no more herky jerky feeling when shifting from 1st to 2nd. In the past I have been avoiding shifting at high RPM from 1st to 2nd for fear of not rev-matching it right and looking like a noob on the street. I don't worry about that anymore.
• Torque steer seems to have decreased significantly when going WOT on 2nd gear. I used to have fight the steering wheel as it wiggles a lot when doing so, but with this mount installed, that has lessened a lot. It seems easier to put the power down now with this RMM installed, which is great as this is the primary reason why I got this RMM in the first place. (I still have to try going WOT on 2nd gear on an on-ramp that produces terrible torque steer with the stock mount. Will report my impressions on that in the future.)
• Shifting into other gears has been improved as well. Downshifting has also been greatly improved. Previously, I would have to be really spot on with rev-matching my shifts to minimize the herky jerky movements when shifting. Now even if I make a mistake, I wouldn't even notice since the shifts up or down are so smooth.
• There seems to be no vibration while cruising on the highway (with your foot lightly on the throttle). I've driven it between 60mph - 80mph and it is fine. However it doesn't feel like stock, it feels different even without the vibration, it feels like the car is stiffer, or that the engine and transmission are stiffer or more connected.
• There is slight vibration on deceleration like when coasting on the highway or coasting to a stop on a light. The vibration on highway deceleration is more noticeable than when coasting to a light and seems to be more noticeable at around 2700 RPM. If you get back on the gas or brakes lightly, the vibrations go away. When coasting to a traffic light, there is slight vibration, but quickly goes away if you lightly get on the brakes. In fact, if you are coming to a stop and are on the brakes, it doesn't vibrate at all even at the 750 - 1600 RPM range.
• The volume of the exhaust in the cabin has increased, which is great for me as this is one of the reasons I chose this RMM over the others. It makes my Magnaflow CBE (which everyone knows is quieter than the others) more noticeable inside the car. When going WOT and shifting, the volume of the exhaust is significantly louder.
• One of my new favorite things to do with this RMM installed on the car, is starting up the car. It sounds like starting up a racecar. I can't explain it, but I just love the sound the car makes when starting up.

Impressions from the wife:

• She doesn't like the vibrations at all, especially those at 1300-1400 RPM range. In her defense, she says that she doesn't understand what the benefit is and so she doesn't understand why it vibrates so much.

Impressions from the bro (drives an MX-5):

• He also doesn't like the vibrations at the 1300-1400 RPM range, but he is really impressed with the improved shifting and drivability.

My conclusions as of right now:

• I like it very much. I think the improvement in shifting, drivability and the extra exhaust volume outweighs the increased NVH. I mean it vibes a lot, especially at that 1300-1400 RPM range, but I think I can live with it. If the vibrations die down as the mount breaks in, then all the better.
• I think this will suck in stop and go traffic, but I also think I can drive around it since I know the RPM range where it vibrates the most. I will report back once I get more miles and commuting done with it.

[JgamB]

I just want to reiterate after doing a comparison of several motor mounts, including the often touted CPE Stg2, that there is nothing comparable available for the performance vs the comfort penalty. I flog my car like it owes me money, and this mount keeps my linkage orientation the happiest. I FFS frequently, knowing full well I'm going to wear out my clutch, zero fucks given. I pound it at the 1/4, and although I still miss a shift now and then due to operator error trying to shave .05, I know when it's my fault instead of the rebound of a rubber bushing (which also produced a much higher % of missed shifts).

All bushings wear out eventually, but this design with dual bushings gives me the most confidence it's going to last several years even with the abuse.

Unlike some others are reporting, I have no indication I'm running an aggressive RMM other than lugging the car (those instances you choose 2nd gear because you weren't under 5mph kind of thing) or on lift throttle from 80mph highway where it produces a light buzz, and is gone the moment you re-apply throttle. Cold starts also produce some dash vibration, but it's 20 seconds and gone.

Because I've tried so many RMMs, one thing I've noted during install is to assemble the unit as 1 piece off the vehicle, and torque the vertical subframe bolt last. Not doing so resulted in added NVH, perhaps because it's not perfectly aligned. If you install the horizontal bolt from mount to upper bell housing bracket last, that minor mis-alignment can produce some unwanted vibes.

Overall, it's been the easy winner for performance, even if it cost as much as the gaudy competitor.

[MD1032]

Thanks @JgamB;. I will actually be switching from the CP-E Stage 2 over to this mount at this point. I originally went with the CP-E because I still feel that it's a very clever design compared to most of the market, and I'm sure you'd agree, basically has the lowest NVH on the market. But at this point, being fully mounted, I'm no longer reaping most of the benefits of the lower NVH, and I know the CP-E mount is the weakest link in my setup and I'm still getting some noticeable movement in the engine I can feel and hear on very aggressive throttle application and liftoff, which as you know stresses the rear mount quite a bit with the torsional forces it's forced to deal with.

I've been on the CP-E Stage 2 for quite some time now, probably about 7k miles. I'll post up impressions of the Damond once I get it installed.

I also couldn't help but notice that it's a fair amount cheaper than the CP-E. That's also something to consider.

[Addikted To Boost]

I also switched from the cpe stage 2 rmm and cpe pmm to the damond rmm and pmm, and I am very happy. Both have some vibes and noise, but the cpe was quite a bit worse in my opinion. I am loving the combo after almost 1000 miles with it, cant wait to get the tmm soon as well.

[MD1032]

OK, so I installed my Damond RMM yesterday. Honestly, my expectation going into this was that I wouldn’t notice any difference coming from the CP-E Stage 2, either in terms of NVH or performance, since I’m fully mounted with the DM PMM (freaking awesome mount BTW) and JBR 70 duro TMM. Well, on both fronts I was wrong.

The amount of noise with this mount is ridiculous compared to the CP-E S2 pretty much anywhere but at idle. My ridiculous I mean it feels like I went fully mounted a second time. For reference, I’ve made multiple 6+ hour trips with the CP-E with the TMM and PMM with no real issues as long as I stay under 70 MPH. With the DM RMM, there’s no speed at which it seems to settle down. There’s basically only one tiny throttle position window where the NVH is tolerable with the DM RMM, and then either decelerating or accelerating even the tiniest bit floods the cabin with enough noise to make me want to gouge out my eardrums. This is even with following JgamB’s tip to torque the vertical subframe bolt last. Only thing I can think of is that it needs time to break in – I remember with the PMM, I couldn’t even see the Mazda emblem on the steering wheel from the vibes initially, but now it’s completely tolerable. Also, fuck that allen head bolt. There’s not enough clearance between the trans and the bolt to fit most allen tools in there, either 3/8” bits, or a flip-out tool. I was lucky a local had small right-angle one.

So, the good: I was delighted to find that this mount is a real beast in terms of performance. Even with SWAS and TCS off, I can now literally one-hand it coming out of corners, with no effort, the torque steer is so minimal. And it just feels a lot more boring (in a good way) in general when I drop the hammer. I have never flat-foot shifted so smoothly before. Really love it from a performance standpoint. Just absolutely can’t stand the drone so far. Again, hopefully it will break in. I wanted to rip it out last night after driving home from the meet. Will post back once I put 750 miles or so on it.

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by MD1032 Also, fuck that allen head bolt. There’s not enough clearance between the trans and the bolt to fit most allen tools in there, either 3/8” bits, or a flip-out tool. I was lucky a local had small right-angle one. So, the good: I was delighted to find that this mount is a real beast in terms of performance. Just absolutely can’t stand the drone so far. Again, hopefully it will break in. I wanted to rip it out last night after driving home from the meet. Will post back once I put 750 miles or so on it.

Ya, when I did it the first time I used an end wrench on the nylock nut end, and a socket to hex key adapter with torque wrench on the screw head end. I'd always suspected, though, that the joint would be tighter if I tightened at the nut end. So this last weekend I put a regular allen key in the screw head end, and was able to use a regular height socket and short extension on a 3/8" drive clicky torque wrench (the HF one) to turn the nut end (and indeed the clearance is so tight that really very few configurations would work). It did turn a bit. The result is that my resonance magnification at 2.7-3k has largely gone away but some of the drone has come back. So I think I finally got the transverse screw as far as it should go and now I need another break-in period!

With that said I'm glad to finally have someone who agrees that when new the thing adds a lot of drone. But yeah performance wise it is awesome. Even the little I did this weekend further tightened everything such that I was impressed with the solidity this morning a couple times in traffic. I hate drone but I like the feel of the car so much with this mount on it.

Anyway yeah definitely give it some mileage. Mine had mellowed a lot even after 300 or so. Hopefully I'll get a bit of re-break-in here myself.

[MD1032]

All right so somewhere between the 150 and 300 mile mark, this thing settled down substantially. We are at least within the realm of tolerable at this point, which I never expected to happen. Holding power is still very good. I continue to be impressed at how well this mount handles some seriously aggressive driving. No clunks on aggressive throttle tip-in or lift-off, haven't missed a shift or ground a gear once. In fact honestly driving aggressively is so easy and smooth with this mount that I have just found myself doing a 1-2-3 pull out of damn near every stoplight and stopsign I can find. The car feels damn solid in a way it has never felt before.

So, yes, I would definitely recommend this mount, I would say it's an acceptable blend of noise, comfort, and performance. Make no mistake, this is nowhere near the realm of comfort of the CP-E, however, the CP-E is also near-stock comfort, and gives up a lot of solidity to achieve this. Even in CP-E's own Youtube video, you can see that there's still a lot of movement in the motor with their mount. The reason Damond's mount works was apparent to me when I got it in my hands - the bushings are simply too thin to actually permit such movement to occur. In fact honestly I'm surprised the NVH isn't even worse than it is.

In summary, versus the CP-E Stage 2:
+Way more holding power
+Less gear noise
+Cheaper
-More overall noise
-Steering wheel vibes

So yeah, mount's staying on my car. Thanks Farhan, JgamB and others who talked to me about switching.

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by MD1032 Even in CP-E's own Youtube video, you can see that there's still a lot of movement in the motor with their mount.

Technically that vid came from yurtle the turtle... So rallysportdirect.

If you watch carefully you can see the other guys' move between the two halves. With the Damond mount the engine literally rotates around the mount, or more specifically the pivot created by the horizontal screw - which I find quite humorous actually.

That's exactly why I bought this mount. I figured try the higher performance one, and if I have to then wuss out and try the other guys'.


Tapnstalk

[MD1032]

Ah, you are correct, that is Ralleysportdirect. I see what you mean, though:

MazdaSpeed Forums Presents: YouTube

MazdaSpeed Forums Presents: YouTube

MazdaSpeed Forums Presents: YouTube

MazdaSpeed Forums Presents: YouTube

That is funny that the whole thing rotates around the Damond mount. Like I said, man, those tiny bushings...it is not going to move! Since I have an upgraded PMM and TMM at this point, I imagine things are probably pretty well locked down. My setup continues to just feel amazing to drive aggressively in. I have not missed a quick 2-3 shift a single time.

The vibes and noise continued to decrease a lot with further use of this mount during this past week. Interestingly, the steering wheel vibes and decel vibes really quieted during this time.

[Atomic41]

I want to know if I switch for this RMM versus my JBR Dogbone ... will I have the same performance with just less NVH and rattle in the 1000 - 1500 rpm range ???

I like my JBR dogbone right now but my only complaint is the vibes and noise on decel 1000-1500 rpm

If I can have the same performance with more comfort and less noise ,,, I will made the move.

THanks for your help

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by Atomic41 I want to know if I switch for this RMM versus my JBR Dogbone ... will I have the same performance with just less NVH and rattle in the 1000 - 1500 rpm range ???

I haven't had both so I can't speak to the difference specifically, but I want to ask why you care. You should not be loading the engine in that range, and really you should declutch (clutch in) before you hit 1500rpm when decelerating anyway. In modern cars there's really no reason to engine brake very much at all anyway. Or do you run a very high idle?

[Easter Bunny]

Originally Posted by aackthpt I haven't had both so I can't speak to the difference specifically, but I want to ask why you care. You should not be loading the engine in that range, and really you should declutch (clutch in) before you hit 1500rpm when decelerating anyway. In modern cars there's really no reason to engine brake very much at all anyway. Or do you run a very high idle?

i feel bad for your clutch if you are getting off the line above 1500 rpm every time

[aackthpt]

Originally Posted by Easter Bunny i feel bad for your clutch if you are getting off the line above 1500 rpm every time

We'll see how she goes. 43k miles and no problems yet. My GSR clutch lasted about 220k miles, and when it broke part of the metal broke off, I hadn't worn through the friction material. I can't say I watch what my RPM is as I start, but from what I recall I am usually revved up to around 2k and it may drop to close to 1.5k during the process. In any case I think it's quite unusual for me to drop below 1.5k. Also there is definitely a big ol' vibe down there with the DM mounts on the car -- or at least there was when it was new because I don't recall feeling it in ages which I think means I generally just don't run the motor down there.

[JgamB]

~160+ 1/8th and 1/4 "launches" on the car with street tires, avg 2.1 60ft and 38K miles. Hundreds of flat foot shifts, literally. The OEM clutch is a fucking boss TBH. The DM Threesome has completely evolved this gearbox from stodgy to precision throws with a modest amount of NVH. Yes I should have a 12s pass for my trap by now, but I haven't run the car with this power and full mounts together. Not having to gingerly shift 2-3 would go a long way.

[UnknownReagent]

Originally Posted by JgamB The DM Threesome has completely evolved this gearbox from stodgy to precision throws with a modest amount of NVH.

Seconding this. Shifting is just ludicrously slick and precise now.

[Atomic41]

I want to know if I switch for this RMM versus my JBR Dogbone ... will I have the same performance with just less NVH and rattle ???

I like my JBR dogbone right now but my only complaint is the vibes and noise more present during winter time. My dash Rattle more often.

If I can have the same performance with more comfort and less noise ... I will made the move.

THanks for your help

[superman]

Originally Posted by Atomic41 I want to know if I switch for this RMM versus my JBR Dogbone ... will I have the same performance with just less NVH and rattle ??? I like my JBR dogbone right now but my only complaint is the vibes and noise more present during winter time. My dash Rattle more often. If I can have the same performance with more comfort and less noise ... I will made the move. THanks for your help

I switched from a trz dogbone to a used (already broken in) DM rear motor mount a few weeks ago. Noise/rattle is about the same. Vibrates at a little different rpm from before , but is just as loud and just as planted. This could be different depending on what other mounts you have.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Finchee]

Originally Posted by Atomic41 I want to know if I switch for this RMM versus my JBR Dogbone ... will I have the same performance with just less NVH and rattle in the 1000 - 1500 rpm range ??? I like my JBR dogbone right now but my only complaint is the vibes and noise on decel 1000-1500 rpm If I can have the same performance with more comfort and less noise ,,, I will made the move. THanks for your help

While I've never tried a JBR Dogbone, I went from stock to DM RMM, I will say that you will still have NVH and rattles at the 1000-1500 RPM range. Specifically, you will have the worst vibration and rattle at around 1200-1400 RPM when accelerating. Deceleration at those RPM ranges doesn't really produce vibrations and rattles, especially if you are on a high gear (5th or 6th) or if you are lightly on the brakes.

[Playaj]

If u are happy with the dog one leave it on. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[Atomic41]

Originally Posted by superman I switched from a trz dogbone to a used (already broken in) DM rear motor mount a few weeks ago. Noise/rattle is about the same. Vibrates at a little different rpm from before , but is just as loud and just as planted. This could be different depending on what other mounts you have. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Why everybody claim this motor mount the way the bushing are oriented make them more silent and less NVH and rattle ...

a lot of review of DM website tell that ...

[superman]

Originally Posted by Atomic41 Why everybody claim this motor mount the way the bushing are oriented make them more silent and less NVH and rattle ... a lot of review of DM website tell that ...

Exactly why I switched. I like the DM design, awesome mount. I'm not going to lie, there is still a lot vibes/noise.