Ron Bauer asks:
> Just a quick question on the Neon motor mount topic, since I don't know the
> answer. Do people that drive the car in a "normal" environment have a
> problem with their motor mounts breaking, or is this exclusive to people
> that compete in their cars?
I used to think it only happend to yahoos, but then it happened to me. ;^)
I didn't know it had gone for sure until a friend who knows looked and told
me. I just knew that it felt sloppy. So I'd bet lots of them are broken
and the owners don't even realize it. Word on the list is they last ~10k.
I am not pleased that with so many warranty claims for motor mounts, the
only response we've seen is a Mopar Performance part (not Stock or SP legal)
which is stiffer, but not more durable. I can relate to every autocrosser
whose car has a known weak part with an equally well known but illegal fix.
In spite of this I must agree with James Brett Howell's post about how an
allowance would have to apply to the Stock class in general. That would
open up too much in terms of complexity and cost, in the stock class, at
least. Would it be a good idea to allow more in the way of engine mounts
in SP? I'm a little surprised it isn't allowed.
The best possible solution is for the manufacturer to produce a fix.
But holding your breath till you turn blue not buying their product, or
making trips to the dealer for repairs under warranty, doesn't seem to
have any effect on them.
At least the neon FMM is relatively cheap (less than $50) and easy to
replace. Compared to the 911 and the pony cars, I feel lucky.
Here's a quick question back at you - is the MR2 swaybar problem a failure
of the bracket, or the body where it mounts to? Carrying a spare bracket
wouldn't be so bad, but if its a body weakness, that would truly stink.
--
Jeffrey D. Blankenship Senior Technical Consultant
jblanken@itds.com ITDS - TRIS
neon enthusiast #478 Champaign, IL, USA
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