The Honda S2000 comes from the factory with fluid filled rubber mounts for the engine, transmission and differential. These OEM mounts do a great job of reducing nvh (noise, vibration, harshness) but are just too soft for the forces seen by a sports car. Add in track use and it’s not long before they’re torn, leaking and you’re looking for replacements.
The first part of this update takes place three years ago when I replaced my diff mounts. I was experiencing a loud clunking in the rear of the car whenever I would shift from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gear. This was really evident at high rpm when I was at the track. Researching online I discovered that the likely cause was busted diff mounts and sure enough, after getting under the car one of my mounts was split and was just starting to leak fluid.
Out came the broken OEM mounts and in went their replacement, Innovative 75A heavy duty mounts. I went with this set up as there were favourable reviews on s2ki, they offered the bushing hardness i wanted, the body was black steel not billet aluminium and they were far cheaper than the Hasport alternative.
Install was very easy and while the bushing hardness is quite stiff there was no noticeable increase in nvh. I noticed the cars throttle and driving response improved and the clunking i experienced prior was gone. Three years on and they’re still performing wonderfully. The only bad thing I can say about this kit is that the shorter nuts provided aren’t the nylock kind and I only got three instead of four. Nothing a quick run to the local bolt shop couldn’t fix though.
– The main reason i went for the solid black mount. Once installed it’s pretty much an OEM look.
Jumping back to the present day and a few weeks ago i got around to installing my Hardrace engine and transmission mounts. I wasn’t experiencing any issues with the OEM mounts but i had their replacements sitting around and the OEM engine mounts are notorious for splitting in half so i figured why not? Surprisingly, the engine mounts i removed were still in one piece with only light cracking starting to appear. Not bad for 90,000kms.
– Hardrace hardened rubber motor and trans mounts. Very much an OEM+ type of mount.
The mount set i went for was the Hardrace 60A street version. They’re solid rubber so a little stiffer than OEM but still keeps the same design which is good at dampening the engine vibrations. This stops the car becoming a massage chair on wheels, which i really wanted to avoid after experiencing a friends car with Hasport mounts. They’ve added a small amount of vibration at idle, a slight buzz if anything. That goes away as soon as you’re moving and the added benefits shine through. The motor barely moves now so the added response there is great, as are the precise shifts you get from the shifter not flying side to side as you corner.
Overall i got everything i wanted from changing the OEM mounts over and i would have no hesitations recommending these products to anyone.
Track built S2000 