Dogbone inserts: Will they work just as well as solid bushings?

Our GTI has seen some track time. Lots of it, in fact, as evidenced by its podium finish in our class at the Tire Rack One Lap of America.

Each day on One Lap, we’d launch the car repeatedly from a standing start. And each time, we’d cringe as the car’s front wheels hopped like crazy, gaining then breaking …

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Hey, I'm a fan of quick, easy fixes that work. Nicely done. 

NVH?

In reply to jkstill :

Noise, Vibration, Harshness

In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :

thanks!

Any photos of the inserts in rubber bushings?

I did the same mod to my GTI a year ago and I experienced the same NVH, but it seems to go away after a while. Either it "breaks-in" or you just get used to it. I really like how it hooks up from a launch. I mainly noticed the harshness at startup and coming to a stop. It was almost like the DSG was confused, and was tentatively working the clutches. 

I know that 034 is a sponsor of the segment, and they make the aluminum inserts featured. There are alternatives that fill the void in the factory mount with a stiffer elastomer, and don't come with the NVH of the solid insert. It's all a matter of how much street car is your track car? 
 

Either way, a great mod that really helps get the power down for little cash. 

In reply to Schnitzel760 :

I recall using those inserts from Brand ES, in a ZX2.

Wheelhop was entirely eliminated, but the car buzzed at idle and you could feel the drivetrain vibrations more the rest of the time.

It's almost like engineers are good at their jobs, eliminating NVH while only sacrificing edge cases. 

The cheaper, less harsh, ghetto fix to bushing voids has been to fill them with urethane caulking, basically turning them into solid rubber bushings.

For engine mounts, you might want to leave a small void left to reduce engine vibrations felt, but quickly take up the void under acceleration?

engineered said:

The cheaper, less harsh, ghetto fix to bushing voids has been to fill them with urethane caulking, basically turning them into solid rubber bushings.

For engine mounts, you might want to leave a small void left to reduce engine vibrations felt, but quickly take up the void under acceleration?

It has been recommended using plastic straws in the areas you plan to fill with urethane can help reduce some of the NVH by allowing some deflection of the mount still. Cut the straw to the width of the area being filled, stick them in place and then urethane around them in the voids of the stock rubber mounts. Once cured you will have "compliance" voids where the straws were placed.