Torque arm insert - advantages and disadvantages

[jimbomort]

Had a torque arm insert put in yesterday (rated soft). Impressions are:
- POS+ - normal gear changes are smoother (less clunky)
- NEG- engine vibration is much more noticeable at idle and under any sort of load at lower revs. So where the car previously sounded like there was no strain at all, now it sounds like its struggling.
- I haven't really tested it under hard acceleration yet, so cant comment on any advantages there.
- Mrs is not at all keen due to vibration

So a quick post to see what others experiences have been and for others considering. I haven't seen much discussion on this other than some brief refs to in some of the mods threads for the Tig - but apologies if I am repeating somethign that has already been reviewed in detail.

Unless the vibration reduces significantly, I personally will be getting it removed (and expect I wont have much choice anyway with the Mrs, who drives the car most of the time). The vibration did improve a bit over the course of yesterday, but will need to improve a fair bit more yet to be OK.

Any comments on experiences and on settling in period, be much appreciated.

[team_v]

I have noticed that it is a bit rougher on idle and at low revs which is a bit of a negative.
The aircon at idle also makes it a bit lumpy on idle.


However i believe it has made gear changes a lot smoother and therefore quicker.
Good for accelerating as you can change gears more effectively.

[Sharkie]

a few things here ....

check that it was properly installed .... an illfitting insert will increase vibration beyond what it should be. Who did the installation ?

over time it settles and gets significantly better.

I can really only notice mine when the aircon is on at idle and when accellarating from low revs in 6 only. (Then its quite bad)

All in all I'd stick with it as apart from those 2 issues I have its good, providing a much more secure and slick change to the gears. Reducing driveline movement a fair bit as well.

PS, theres a set of 16' Tig wheels on ebay in Caloundra for $700 atm.

[Tigga1]

I have the auto 125 (APR'd)

all passengers comment on the vibrations at idle, especially with autohold on...which means when with passengers (and sometimes when alone) i slide gear leaver into neutral at traffic lights etc.

but gear changes are much better and....after 18 months it's still there...

hope this helps

[clip]

yeh, same for me too, lots of vibration at idle and when pulling up at lights with aircon on and revs drop for that second, you can really feel it. People have commented on it too. So it's a compromise I guess. I would leave it in if you can Jim as it does help control the added torque effect to the drive train.

I'll be pulling mine out when I sell it though, I think they'd think there was something wrong with the car otherwise.

[jimbomort]

thanks everyone, drove again today and I do believe it is getting better, including lugging at low revs in various gears, though I suspect some degree of me getting used to it too. Still noticeable but I am ready and willing to give it a go a while longer. Indeed I almost found myself liking the difference today - it seemed to give the car a little more animal, which is good, as the Tig does its job rather too well at times. ie like bucket loads of acceleration, but no great soundtrack and real sense of mechanical happening to go with it.

Mrs didn't mention it after her first day by self in the car so that will be the acid test, if Mrs keeps driving and doesn't make much mention of it, it may well stay. Anyway stay tuned....

agree with you though clip, I'd remove it prior to sale, the car is largely vibration free without it, and my guess is most buyers will much prefer that experience