HOW TO: Install TRZ DogBone Rear MotorMount

Got my Dogbone from Ken @ PG a month or two back, but due to my bad back & neck, I didn't install it right away- I can't lay under the car & do anything requiring much torque.

Was at a shop having my fenders rolled today & the owner slapped the Dogbone in for me. First difference I noticed was the vibrations, and I can understand why some folks don't like the Dogbone based on this. However, I don't mind he vibes, and when I got into some spirited motoring & had zero issues with the 2-3 shift, I was sold. The car feel so much more rigid under acceleration, too. It just feels like less energy is being wasted tossing the engine around, which can only mean more of it is getting to the wheels.

Excellent upgrade. Not that this is news. I'm just adding my endorsement to the pile.
 
Got my Dogbone from Ken @ PG a month or two back, but due to my bad back & neck, I didn't install it right away- I can't lay under the car & do anything requiring much torque.

Was at a shop having my fenders rolled today & the owner slapped the Dogbone in for me. First difference I noticed was the vibrations, and I can understand why some folks don't like the Dogbone based on this. However, I don't mind he vibes, and when I got into some spirited motoring & had zero issues with the 2-3 shift, I was sold. The car feel so much more rigid under acceleration, too. It just feels like less energy is being wasted tossing the engine around, which can only mean more of it is getting to the wheels.

Excellent upgrade. Not that this is news. I'm just adding my endorsement to the pile.

Same here... did the upgrade over the weekend and at first i was like "WTF, vibes!" but i got used to it pretty quickly. Most of them goes to the center console or where the radio is installed. Usually just get them in-between shifts (engine tries to move of course) and low RPM (1k-2k). At highway speeds, you don't feel a thing.

Just having better shifting and reduced wheel hop is worth the hassle IMO.
 
Glad to see the "DogBone" still getting some great reviews! My DogBone Delrin version has been installed for a good while, and it is still holding strong.

Just a Note: A few months back, I took out my DogBone and put epoxy in the hole that holds the center sleeve, and I'd say about 80% of the vibes went away. That's an edumacated guess. If anyone else tries that idea out, get back to us on what your experience is like. This isn't a must, but I thought I'd give it a whirl and see where it lead me. Turned out I liked what the end results were. So yeah. (wiggle)

Here is a quick pic of the center sleeve I'm referring to.

DSCF3300-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Just a follow-up after 2 weeks of use...

Drove around 500-600 miles and while i thought the vibrations were normal, it felt at times that it was just too much. Mainly when downshifting, the vibrations were crazy!

During installation, i didn't use a torque wrench to tighten the bolts. I used an air gun because i didn't have the wrench at the time. So i decided to jack the car up again and re-tighten the bolts using the torque wrench i got from my friend. When i undid the bolt, it was clearly very tight since i used the gun. Re-tighten the bolts to 80ft/lbs of torque and went out for a spin.

Boy, vibrations are minimum now. Shifting is even better than before. I can only feel the vibrations when idle and up-shifting. The vibrations that i had when downshifting are now pretty much gone. Overall, i think this is the way it should have been at the beginning. I love it even more now.

For those facing severe vibration issues, try to make sure the bolts are torqued to spec (65-80ft/lbs). It helped me out a lot.
 
HAHA! Nice writeup, thanks a ton! (My mount, the softer TRZ dogbone, just came today.)
Just got mine in today (a friend did most of the work). So it's 2-1/3 years later... what of it?

Thanks again for the write up!

The vibrations are a lot more pronounced than I was thinking, but it does seem to keep the wheels on the ground, which is what I was looking for.
 
Just used your write up, easy as cake!! I'll post pics later!

Edit: Here's the pics


 
Last edited:
Well i'm enjoying mines. The shipping was quick from PG. The install was so easy it took me longer to jack up the car since I didn't realized how low the H&R drop was. So had to use the jack that came with the car to start with. After install I see now why some people cry about the vibes. I don't mind that because performance is what i'm seeking. Took her out for a 2nd to 3rd test drive and no matter how fast and aggressive I shift I could not replicate the problem I had with 2nd to 3rd shifting. Did this numerous times and the car keeps shifting well. Did not feel the power everyone is talking about but then again it's not what I was looking for during the test drive. Definitely worth the money.
 
Well i'm enjoying mines. The shipping was quick from PG. The install was so easy it took me longer to jack up the car since I didn't realized how low the H&R drop was. So had to use the jack that came with the car to start with. After install I see now why some people cry about the vibes. I don't mind that because performance is what i'm seeking. Took her out for a 2nd to 3rd test drive and no matter how fast and aggressive I shift I could not replicate the problem I had with 2nd to 3rd shifting. Did this numerous times and the car keeps shifting well. Did not feel the power everyone is talking about but then again it's not what I was looking for during the test drive. Definitely worth the money.

good stuff, thank you
 
Installed mine tonight, vibes are there in full force, especially taking off in first. It does feel like it's shifting much better. It was raining today though so I wasn't getting the full effect on the slippery roads.
 
Outstanding! :p Around 25k miles later, I'm still holding strong with the TRZ Doggy Bone. Although it tends to loosen up a bit, I just have to re-snug it down, and use more lock-tite.
 
gotta say thanks for the install guide.
it was super easy, but having a visual reference before i dig in is nice. this was so easy i actually ended up doing it while my 14mnth old son was in the garage. i was just going to jack it up, put up some stands and see how difficult it looked, grabbed a wrench to check the bolts and before i knew it, it was done. my son hadn't even gotten bored playing with the piece of chalk he found.. stupid easy.

to those who say they don't notice the vibrations i say bulls***! the whole car becomes a giant resonance chamber for the engine and transmission. some of you may enjoy this effect some not so much. the louder and growlier you like your car, the more you'll like this. as for performance, no question about it this thing makes a big difference in how the car drives and feels. more solid takeoffs, shifts and downshifts. as soon as your foot is off the clutch you are in direct contact with the road. no more slight bounce as you downshift or take your foot off the gas.. still not sure about the vibrations. my 7 year old said my car made his nuts tickle when i picked him up from school after doing the install! so, if you like your nuts tickled...

EDIT: so, i installed this with the stock air box still on, as i was still waiting for my sri in the mail. very noticeable vibrations with the stock airbox, so much so that i was considering going back to the stock mount and getting corksport inserts. well, i got my protege garage sri today, installed it, and things smoothed out a lot. there are still noticeable vibes when idling with the a/c, but hot damn the sri opened the engine up and smoothed things out! the dogbone definitely links the tires to the road and reduces torque steer by a good amount. two great modes to do together.
 
Last edited:
Maiku, do it NOW, it changes the character of the car, and is so easy, you will kick yourself for waiting at all. DO IT!!
 
Back