Video and short review on the Cusco Engine Mounts and Rear Diff Brace
 

Wanted to do a quick review on the Cusco engine mounts and their rear diff mount as well. One thing I noticed while driving the car was the vagueness coming from the stock engine mounts and the rear end as well. I saw this as a opportunity to not only improve on those aspects of the car, but it also gives me the opportunity to give you guys my impression of the parts as well.

Let's start with the install first. The engine mounts are very straight forward, simply unbolt the 2 large nuts on the bottom of the front cross member, and then the 4 bolts holding the left and right mounts to the engine block. Lift the engine up a few inches to gain enough clearance to remove the old mounts. The new cusco mounts are a bit easier to get in than the stock ones are to remove, but really neither are that bad. The new cusco mounts will bolt up just like stock, and so you will just reverse the uninstall process, and they should bolt right in without too much fuss.

The rear diff mount was a bit more tricky, and not that I would ever call it a difficult install, but a bit more time consuming as you do have to access the inner portion of the rear cross member, which will require you to remove the lateral arms from the rear cross member. Once you have access, you will want to get your skinny fingered friend to hold the nut on the inside of the cross member as you thread the long bolt through the new mount and into the nut. Other than that very minor frustration of small access holes, the install was a breeze and bolted up just like it was supposed to without any problems.


Now the review! I must say, I was never expecting these to retain the factory comfort levels, as I have run products like this on my own cars. I did notice a bit more noise and vibration than I was used to, but once I had a chance to go drive the car, I knew exactly why I did these mods, and the extra noise and vibration was almost a welcomed feeling. The direct connection these parts bring to the car is a huge improvement over the stock bushings, no longer do you feel the slop from the rear end, or the somewhat delayed response from the engine. Everything is instant, everything feels solid, and it feels AMAZING! Finally the Albino Rhino is starting to become what I had envisioned in my head, and besides the extra noise and vibrations, I could not ask for anything more.

I would not recommend these parts for anyone who wants to keep their car as a comfortable daily driver, as you will most likely despise these mods. But for someone looking for something more aggressive and direct, and does not mind the harshness, than this would be perfect!

Check out the videos below for some before and after.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7WkMXUgnV0&list=UUHNPxTbGXNDDxsNjjSSwg5A& index=2"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7WkMXUgnV0&list=UUHNPxTbGXNDDxsNjjSSwg5A& index=2[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10rspcW8uek&list=UUHNPxTbGXNDDxsNjjSSwg5A& index=1"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10rspcW8uek&list=UUHNPxTbGXNDDxsNjjSSwg5A& index=1[/ame]

Thanks,
Rick

Thanks for the write up.

Could post or link to pics of the parts?

Here you go :), click the images for product page:



Thank You,
Rick

I wish more manufacturers would produce video comparisons like this. Thank you very much for the review, description, and product video comparison. Well done

That diff brace looks like a good thing. Would you say it contributed much to the increased NVH? Or was that more the engine mounts?

Thank you!! Always appreciate any feedback, but good feedback makes the day go by that much easier. :)


Oh it is AMAZING!!! And we did both at the same time, so hard to pinpoint what contributes more to the NHV. If I had to guess, I would say the engine mounts provided the most vibration and noise, but I would say it is about equal when it comes from the harshness. Hope that makes sense haha.

Thanks,
Rick

Where can I find the installation instructions for the rear diff brace?

How do you this k the cucso mounts compare to the STI mounts? Mainly with the nvh lvls.

Unfortunately we did not do a writeup on this part, but the install is fairly easy, I went over it briefly in this thread:
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38986


I would say the Group-N's are right in the middle between stock and the Cusco's. So the Group-N's will give a bit more NHV compares to stock, and the Cusco's will give quite a bit more NHV over the Cusco's. However there is almost no movement with the Cusco's where there would still be a small amount on the Group-N's, but much less than stock.

Hope this helps.
Thanks,
Rick

I'm worried that the cross member is not thick or strong enough for the diff brace. I really want the cusco or beat rush diff mount. However I am afraid of the eventual tear out at the two crossmember mounting points for the brace. I imagine that my fear is understandable but is it real? Do you guys know if the cross member will be strong enough?

What's the best way to lift the engine, just a board-protected oil pan lift or what?

These have been around for quite some time, in fact about 8 years ago I ran one on my 95 Impreza and never had an issue. I don't think the rear subframe is super strong, but more than enough to support this piece. It still has to take the load regardless, we are just limiting the movement of the diff :)


That is what I do personally, undo the mounts, use something underneath the pan to help distribute the load across the pan to prevent any damage.

Hope this helps! :)
Thanks,
Rick

do any of these mounts lower the center of gravity, or do they still retain the same height as stock mounts?

No, these will keep the engine and transmission at the same height as stock, but will help reduce movement compared to the stock mounts. :)

Thanks,
Rick