OK.... had a stock 91 TPI 5 speed...
Got the energy suspension Poly busing for the toque arm...
Noticed improvement....

Went aftermarket torque arm...
Spohn with swivel... made noises...
UMI Cross member mounted with poly busing...
(I think it's a generic shape, can be used by many after market TQ Arms)...

It's very rigid poly... and ITS LOUD !!!

I'm not here to argue about performance, ,etc... I know...
Just want a quieter option... willing to give up a tad of something for quiet...

Combining hard and soft poly?
Any 3d printers that can do this ???
Just a thought....

 

What is in between you and the torque arm noise?
Steel tq. arm, poly bushing, steel crossmember, and floor.

Simplest option would be sheet rubber in between the crossmember and floor. that drops it down, so another piece could go under the trans. mount.

Complex would be a chunk of rubber, cut to replace the poly torque arm mount.

The over-designed, under-engineered torque arm is stiff, and transmits noise more readily than a stamped unit. Noise from transmission of vibration can be cut down with absoption and by mass. Bolting something to the T/A might help.

The stock setup isn't a bad option; even when the rubber up front flexes, the pinion angle isn't changing much. What improvement you felt early on may have been worn, old rubber vs. new, stiff poly.

And, not that it is the issue, but now that the T/A is off the trans, you can consider a rubber trans. mount to make things a bit quieter.

 

Thanks for the advice... I'll try it...

Oh, I already have a nice rubber trans mount...
Though you can still find NOS GM ones (who knows how old the rubber is / 25 years+)?

I found that Napa has the best rubber mount still available new for our cars...
Down some in this thread with Pics...

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tran...on-pics-3.html

 

I would have bought the style that mounts to the crossmember and not the trans. Its a better design and when set up right, i havent notice any noise

 

That is the style I currently have...
First was stock with poly bushing on trans... no noise...
Spohn, crossmember mounted link (noise, though I've seen others here who do and don't have noise)...
Then UMI, crossmember mounted with poly... noise...

 

Make sure the swivel attachment isnt too tight

 

You're not following...
I don't have the spohn swivel any more...
Yes, it was tightened, etc...
I got the UMI one with poly / round hole...

 

Are you using a polyurethane transmission bushing too?

Honestly the torque arm bushings don't really add any noise. In most cases it is something else, or just using a rigid torque arm or poly trans bushing or mounting the torque arm to a crossmember.

 

As noted in message 3, it is a rubber trans mount.
As noted in message one, it is mounted to the cross member.

 

I honestly don't think a different bushing will change it. The torque arm is mounted to the crossmember which is bolted to the car. This is mostly where you get a change from, you hear and notice more now. You have also replaced items that flex with items that do not. We do use a slightly softer polyurethane in that bushing and it's a custom bushing. I would be pretty confident that if there was a rubber option you wouldn't see a difference.

Not trying to be the bearer of bad news... just trying to help!

Merry Christmas,
Ryan

 

Yes UMI, I emailed you before posting here for other options...
You noted "we're not redesigning that part", and that you purchased it from ES...

I think that bushing is hard and if it were softer, it may help...
I'lll try adding rubber to the crossmember... just wish there was something softer between the metal torque arm and hard bushing...
Thus the message here for options...

Thanks...

 

Sounds good.

I don't do the technical e-mails so I will just browsing on here and trying to help.

Good luck,
Ryan