How to: Improve your Factory Dogbone mounts

[ranton-inc]

...Here We Go, There will be several Parts to this process

NB: The Idea to modify This Mount came when I was at the Exhaust Shop with my Mate Timmay Trying to workout why his Newly Installed Downpipe was rubbing, while standing under the car and inspecting where the downpipe was rubbing the penny Dropped on what exactly I had to do to fix the issue at hand, i had had my own mount apart once replacing the bushes with Poly Urethane ones which were removed after a month due to extreme Cabin Discomfort.

So I knew what components the OEM Mount Consited off. Took the Plunge made the Cuts via guestimation and Viola, We killed several birds with one stone, With the hunt to resolve one issue we resolved several others by dumb luck, those being
- Numb Feeling Clutch & Gear Engagement - Gears Graunching due to the excessive engine swing

I still strongly beleive this to be the most simple yet effective free modification you will ever do on your MKIV (Golf, Beetle, Octavia, A3, S3 or similar)

Part 1: Removal of Dog Bone from Vehicle

Tools required:
- Jack
- 2 x Jack Stands (please for the love of pete dont work under a car suspended by a Tyre change jack or a Hydraulic one)
- Torque wrench
- 16mm socket
- 13mm socket
- Loctite thread locker to be used in Part 3: Reinstallation

Step 1: Jack up your car, high enough so that you've got enough room to work. The thingy in the top left of this picture is the dogbone mount you'll be taking out.

Step 2: Undo the 2 x 16mm Hex Head Bolts that are bolted Thru in to the Transmission

Step 3: Undo the 2 x 13mm Hex Head Bolts that are bolted thru in to the Subframe of the vehicle

Part 2: The Disassembly -> Modification -> Reassembly
Tools required:
- Bench Vice or a way of Vertically & Horizontally Clamping the Mount
- 16mm socket or Spanner (don't laugh i used a crescent)
- Hacksaw or Thin Cut off Saw
- Loctite thread locker

Optionals
- Wire Brush for cleaning crap off the mount once its apart
- Lithium Grease to breathe a little life back in to the rubber and protect it a bit better.. can always be done later

Meet your standard sloppy hinderance AKA Dogbone mount


Step 1: Clamp down the mount in the vice (any direction it doesn't matter but as pictured is best) And Start to undo the Pictured 16mm Thru Bolt be sure not to loose the Square nut that the bolt is threaded into they can fall out and on to the ground depending how you have clamped the mount down.


Exploded View of the Mount


Step 2: Preparation for Cutting/Modding,
- Firstly get the Square Nut and Wind it on to the "Thru Bolt" right to the end, do not cut unless you have done this.
- Secondly but not necessary Clean up the main Shaft of the Mount (I used a Bench Grinder with a wire wheel)