SPOON rigid collars install
 

SPOON Rigid Collars
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...92&oe=55FAC275

https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...08&oe=5632C343

I'm gonna try my best to explain the differences after installing the rigid collars. For those of you not aware of this product, YouTube has a great video of a Prius installed with the collars and that video explains it way better than I ever can so please reference it here: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWyUD6UXfog"]Rigid Collar - Spoon Sports Europe - English Version - YouTube[/ame]

Ok onto the differences. I'll start in the order of most significant to small. The biggest difference is the lack of vibration. Before the install, there were lots of unwanted small, high frequency vibrations in the chassis, even on relatively smooth flat roads. I believe it was probably due to the fact that the area where the chassis and the front crossmember touches is not flat. I like how one of my friends put it; it feels more like a BMW, in a sense that jarring vibrations are non existent.

Second biggest thing I've noticed is vertical movement of the car, or rather, lack of it. Before the collars were installed, when the car drove through a dip or a bump, it would try and absorb the impact, but would take a bit of time to recover. Simply put, it used to be a "boing boing boing" vs "boing". The car stays a lot more planted and recovers in a lot less time now. It's as if I installed higher end dampers on the car (can't wait to actually do so in conjunction with these collars). It almost feels like I have shorter/stiffer springs without the unwanted harshness.

Another difference is how much better the steering stays on-center. It's almost weird how little corrections I make driving the car. After getting wider wheels and tires, the car would tug along the expansion joints or undulating surfaces (especially under braking), but the car drives through them without even feeling like they're there now. Sometimes the freeways here in California have two different types of Tarmac laid, and half of my car would be on one and other side on the other, making it extremely difficult to drive the car straight, but the "tugging" effect is very minimized, if not completely gone.

Now, I do think cars already equipped with high end suspension may not feel it as much (due to good dampening), but it was a very good learning experience on my part that. I thought I would gain more NVH due to a more solid connection to the chassis, but it in fact worked the other way around. If this theory stays true my solid rear bushings for the rear subframe (http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...t=61522&page=2) will also have a very positive effect. Can't wait to install those!

here is one of the holes on the chassis; notice how misaligned it was!
https://scontent-lax1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...02&oe=562FE378

Good to know the high price tag has some merit. Will add this to my mod list.

Did you get the rigid collar kit for the rear as well? Or would it have not worked in conjunction with the sub-frame inserts you purchased? (I'm planning to get the Whiteline rear sub-frame inserts)

so where exactly does this mount to, the sub frame? this might be a dumb question, but how exactly do these inserts improve overall dampening of the struts? is it because it's using the chassis flex as a way to absorb extra energy? though, even without the inserts, I believe the chassis would flex the same way with properly torqued bolts. I watched the video but it hasn't really explained anything except for the fact that the inserts are supposed to fill in extra space between two surfaces. I'm assuming if everything is torqued correctly, there shouldn't be any movement between the two surfaces in the first place.

I was under the impression that it wouldn't work with the revolution garage subframe bushings.

It's not improving the dampening but it feels that way. You can torque down the crossmember bolts all you want but since the area where the chassis and the crossmember touches is not 100% smooth and flat (and they are stiff materials) you will have small movements. Having said that it's more of a feel good mod vs I spent $200 how many seconds have I shaved at the track, but the way my car feels now I would never go back. But again I do think that it will shave lap times though because the front end takes less time to recover from bouncing around and no road in this world is perfectly flat.

This.

interesting. im gonna have to look into getting this soon too. thanks for sharing!

where did you buy your set from, and I'm assuming it's front and rear? is an alignment necessary after reinstalling the subframe?

You just like them cuz its Spoon. #hondafanboi

How does this differ from the subframe bushing inserts (positive traction kit) from Whiteline?

PROVA makes them for our cars. front and rear. I didn't buy the rears as I have something else going on the car for the rear. alignment is required after the install.

whiteline stuff will help tremendously but mostly in the vertical movement of things. Rigid collars also prevent lateral movement of the subframe/crossmember.

Vendor?