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Energy Suspension Poly Diff Bushings are awful hard, is there anything softer?

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Old 06-13-2012, 12:05 PM
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Default Energy Suspension Poly Diff Bushings are awful hard, is there anything softer?

Installed Energy Suspension poly diff bushings last week and holy cow am I getting a lot of diff noise inside the car now. I can hear the ring and pinion bouncing on each other every single time I get on or off the throttle and then when I shift the whole diff sounds like it's bouncing/rattling around for a second or so.

The previous owner installed a KAAZ differential which I've read is noisy but it was WAY quieter with the stock bushings.


I do like that the poly bushings have reduced the movement in the shifter though so I'm wondering if there are any poly rear diff bushings out there that are a lower durometer so they're a bit more forgiving than these but will suck up more of the noise coming from the diff. So far it's looking like my best option is to go with the Mazda Comp bushings but if there's something poly out there that's a bit harder than them I think I'd give them a shot.
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Old 06-13-2012, 12:14 PM
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I ran poly bushings for a few months and got tired of the constant whine right at the speeds that I cruise to and from work. I just put the factory bushings back in. I was debating on getting the mazda comp diff bushings, but it sucks that they are about $50 a peice where the polys are about $50 a pair. Everything else I have found is in the delrin or solid mount catagory.

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Old 06-13-2012, 01:11 PM
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Try the MMR bushings.

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Old 06-13-2012, 02:16 PM
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My delrin bushings are awesome.
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Old 06-13-2012, 02:38 PM
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1999 STR Miata: Tein Flex, Racing Beat header, exhaust, 1.125" sway bar, and braces, Carbing STB, KAAZ diff, 949 15x9's & 225 RS3's
Uhm, and those other changes to your car are for comfort? Behave manly.
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Old 06-13-2012, 03:32 PM
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Originally Posted by relte
I ran poly bushings for a few months and got tired of the constant wide right at the speeds that I cruise to and from work. I just put the factory bushings back in. I was debating on getting the mazda comp diff bushings, but it sucks that they are about $50 a peice where the polys are about $50 a pair. Everything else I have found is in the delrin or solid mount catagory.
The constant wide right? I'm assuming that's a mistype but I can't figure out what you were trying to say.



Originally Posted by Spookyfish
Uhm, and those other changes to your car are for comfort? Behave manly.
None of those other changes make it sound like it's falling apart though and I'm keeping the build as mild as I can because once my Cobra is back together this car will become my girlfriend's weekend toy.
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Old 06-13-2012, 03:50 PM
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They bushings are not that bad. I have them all the way around (The full set). I would say it is the suspension. My harsh ride is from the rebound on my revalved shocks. But even still it does not feel like it fall apart. And that is on crappy Houston streets.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:33 PM
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So you're saying the poly diff bushings are transmitting more of the suspension noise? I don't think that's the case because I'm getting all of the clunking and rattling on shifts and when coming on/off the throttle not when the suspension is going through it's movement or when hitting bumps.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:39 PM
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I just went from the MMR mounts to poly, and I like the poly better.

With that said, I have one diff mount I can sell you- ran it about 2500 miles in my car. The other one tore when I was removing it to powdercoat the diff and as stated, it was cheaper to buy a pair of poly than a replacement.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Ciotti
None of those other changes make it sound like it's falling apart though and I'm keeping the build as mild as I can because once my Cobra is back together this car will become my girlfriend's weekend toy.
My car doesn't have any original bushings and it doesn't sound like it's falling apart. It does feel like one, solid piece though. It's not the bushings.
You're doing something wrong? Maybe its your KAAZ diff?
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by soviet
My car doesn't have any original bushings and it doesn't sound like it's falling apart. It does feel like one, solid piece though. It's not the bushings.
You're doing something wrong? Maybe its your KAAZ diff?
yup
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:53 PM
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I've definitely read that the KAAZ diff is noisy and I could hear it very faintly every once in a while with the stock bushings if I dipped the clutch just at the wrong moment when pulling into a parking spot but now with the poly it's so much louder and I can hear it on every single shift.

I ordered some KAAZ diff fluid yesterday and I'm going to take a gander at how much play there is in the driveshaft when I'm putting it in to see what I can find.
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Old 06-14-2012, 07:40 AM
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Sorry, meant to say "constant whine".
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Old 06-14-2012, 09:12 AM
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What about RX7 bushings? They ones I pulled out of the TII housing seemed fairly stiff with more material in them then the Miata units.
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Old 06-14-2012, 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by chpmnsws6
What about RX7 bushings? They ones I pulled out of the TII housing seemed fairly stiff with more material in them then the Miata units.
Those bushings are too tall. You won't be able to bolt up the rear end.
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Old 07-16-2012, 04:23 PM
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Im running custom "hardcore" diff bushings.


NO noise. No whining. No vibrations and stuff.


This is what i use:



Solid bushes for teh win. No egay Sh**
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Old 07-16-2012, 04:37 PM
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My ES Poly has been great. One person's loud/noisy/"too much" is different from another's though.

Also, get TORCO oil for your diff. It is way cheaper and recommended for KAAZ by KAAZ if you cant afford KAAZ.
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Old 07-16-2012, 04:42 PM
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Originally Posted by TURNS101
My ES Poly has been great. One person's loud/noisy/"too much" is different from another's though.

Also, get TORCO oil for your diff. It is way cheaper and recommended for KAAZ by KAAZ if you cant afford KAAZ.
Dident notice any diffrent sound when going from stock to solid. But the car feels sooo mutch better when shifting fast.
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