Making my car more comfortable for long drives

[black86glhs]

Push the dodge into the garage and roll a newer car into it's place.

I know, not what you wanted, but it is an option.

[DoubleD]

Talked with Johnny at Poly Bushings, decided that I am going to try a new transmission mount since I destoryed a replacement one in a year, cheap aftermarket one. Also had Johnny send me a set of "blue" bobble strut bushings. These are the softer ones, I had black ones. We shall see if this helps in the spring.

[86Shelby]

When you adjust the bobble strut, I've found that taking some time to fine tune the preload helps out a ton with vibration. I went through a lot of time crawling underneath the car, adjusting it, then getting inside and starting it to see what the changes did to the buzzing interior pieces. All the effort was well worth it to keep down the buzzing inside when idling. It's nice & snug, but the bushings are not compressed & solid, with the adjustment at a very happy place.

I have a hard poly front mount, which doesn't exactly help quell the vibration inside, but with the rear mount either too tight or positioned just a little too high or too low the vibration was nasty IMHO.

[GLHNSLHT2]

The vibrations are from preload in the strut.

I run My original version that caused us to suggest the solid setup to Johnny years ago. It's solidly bolted to the kframe with no bushings at all, then it has 2 small 3/8" strut rod bushings from energy suspension on either side of the bracket. The length is set with the other 3 mounts bolted up tight and then it is just barely tightened up so that there is no play when you wiggle if it it's not bolted to the kframe. The motor doesn't move but it also transmits zero vibration to the car. I run a modded PB front bushing that has been filled and the hole offest drilled as far as I could go to rock the motor fwd as far as possibe to help with oil drainback and axle alignment. Still car doesn't vibrate. I run an MP passenger side mount and a stock trans mount. I tried the PB pass mount and it made the car buzz like mad, I chock that up to the fact that now the weight of the motor is being supported by it and transmitting the vibration to the chassis, went back to the MP mount and it was fine. My Auto was fine with the PB side mount and an MP front but then it only has 3 mounts to support every thing.

[RoadWarrior222]

Maybe some weatherstrip at the back of the hood will help with the oil smell in car, since it will stop underhood smells travelling so easily into the scuttle vents.

Also, for messing around with exhaust tip angle, you can cut an elbow out of an old large rad hose and stick it on the end, try it sideways, straight down, and 45* off... I did that "temporarily" on my Escort, and they stayed on because didn't show any signs of melting.

[Force Fed Mopar]

I would say go for the hydro cushioned passenger side mount but I found it made zero difference for me.

I have that on the Lebaron, makes no difference on it either. I had a poly bushings bobble strut in it, going back to the stock one cured a lot of vibration. Still have the poly front mount, it vibrates at idle (2.5 with no balance shafts), but riding down the road is smooth.