Had a guy call wondering about getting a dog bone for his V-6 automatic. He asked how much vibration he would get using my rubber dog bone. Seems there are no rubber dog bones available other than mine. Only poly. I see the supply of the 4 cylinder OEM dog bones is ample yet.

The story on my rubber dog bones is when I looked to have them made we never discussed what durometer rubber to use. When they came in I was surprised to see they were made with a fairly tough/dense rubber and are probably about the same as using a poly dog bone. I was not happy about that but it was my fault for not questioning this before they made them. So I'm pondering a few things. Maybe having a new batch made with a softer rubber. One problem is that I have a life time supply of these hard rubber dog bones on hand. Making them in a softer rubber might mean I'll never sell many of the harder rubber dog bones I have on hand. But some that have stick shift cars will probably still want them. I could also have some inserts made so one can remove the old factory rubber bushings and press in these new bushings with a steel sleeve. This would only fit the one style dog bone though. One style has a straight bore and the other type has a hourglass tapered ID. Those could be machined but they would need to be machined to a very exact size so the steel insert presses in well and is tight enough. I have seen some use hole saws to open up these hourglass dog bones but poly is very forgiving with the hole size. A steel pipe insert is not.

So I wonder if I should have some softer rubber V-6 dog bones made. Or have some softer rubber inserts made.

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Rodney Dickman

Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page:
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I have a bit of a clunk when I shift my automatic into reverse and into drive. I'd be willing to evaluate them back to back. I could pay for one, you could send them both. I will try them both out and return the one I don't want then post my results here or in the thread of your choice.

The one in a transport van is just slightly longer and can be found at any parts store, I got one and just pushed the rubber out of it on my pres and put it into the old dog bone. Problem solved worked great.

Couldn't you do the same thing with the one for the duke, the whole duke dog bone is only a few dollars at rock auto

Some of us may want one from Rodney's current stock. Mine is new poly, so I am not currently looking. Is even the solid behavior of the firmer rubber as rough as the poly? I've heard that poly is for the track, rubber for the street. I've never driven a Fiero with a good rubber dogbone. My first Fiero haf almost no rubber on the engine side.

Why would the firmer rubber be better with a manual?

I had to go with the poly inserts because it was the short 85 v-6 version and the first I noticed was the clunk noise. Replaced my engine mount and never had another problem.

See my Cave, Torque Strut

New style rubber bushings will push out under load. Look better but is a weaker product vs old style. That could be part of problem.
Also machining new style bone to accept polly/etc makes them weak. Metal inside does same job as old style w/ metal on outside.

V6 engine get less vibration then L4.
V6 and old L4 w/ two auto trans mounts get less vibration.

Main thing here is transmission...
Manual trans polly or hard rubber won't transfer vibration at idle... you're out of gear or clutch is pushed.
Auto make more vibration because anyway pushes engine load and the vibration thru the dog bone. Remember, Auto in Drive at idle is in 1st gear.

If car has stick then may not matter.
If car has auto then can, likely will, get more vibration w/ polly, maybe hard rubber, but not nearly as bad as L4 w/ 1 auto mount. The later L4 w/ auto mounts setup will rattle your teeth and wear out new style rubber bone fast. I hate using polly dog bone but I hate breaking exhaust etc more. I don't have money to try RD hard rubber. I think I have good old style but not sure.

Note than if a bone is bad then check/replace any dead engine and trans mounts. Dead mounts can cause bone death and vis versa.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top and bottom of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 08-16-2014).]

Hmmm. I have an '88 with a V6 and an auto tranny. The info would indicate I have 1 transmission mount and the newer style dogbone. My dogbone is currently poly. I don't have anything bashing around, and no complaints on vibration. The article seems to read that the stiffer, the better, but that my poly dogbone won't last long. I've passed the 50,000 mile mark on the car, with some good portion of that on the dogbone, but it is still solid. What change/benefit from the RD hard rubber dogbone?