Front bumper thing? Anti shock damper? - Honda Prelude Forum

KENLUDE97 · 11-04-2003, 08:29 AM

Ok that thing of the back of the front bumper.... What does that do? I think that the name is the Anti shock damper?
I was looking to cut as much weight as possible out of the front end as possible without doing anything too drastic...

Thanks

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 08:52 AM

As far as anyone knows it's some kind of vibration damper. I took mine out & felt zero difference - same goes for anyone I've ever talked to. Go for it.

JayZ98 · 11-04-2003, 09:04 AM

Isn't that part of your airbag sensor? For frontal impact when it breaks it triggers the bags. Well that is what I have always thought it was.

KENLUDE97 · 11-04-2003, 09:32 AM

No it is not anything to do with the airbags... It has no wires attatching to it.... I use to think that might be what it was.... But then i looked into it....

Thanks that will be comming out ASAP!

natcc99 · 11-04-2003, 01:58 PM

I checked with my service manual and it's called a "DAMPER".

For those of you who took it off: How heavy is the unit?

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 02:07 PM

Pretty heavy - I'd guess 7 or 8 pounds. Never got around to weighing it. Maybe I'll bring it in to work tomorrow & toss on our postage scale.

With a good cut-off wheel you could lop off the brackets it mounts on as well, maybe another pound or two of steel there.

MugenPoweredLude · 11-04-2003, 03:06 PM

I too will be taking that useless thing off

DudewithaLude · 11-04-2003, 03:25 PM

It's not useless, from what I've read in previous posts, it's designed to be a damper and absorb some of the impact when a front collision happens. I would say for 7lbs, it's not worth taking out. Go on a diet instead

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DudewithaLude
It's not useless, from what I've read in previous posts, it's designed to be a damper and absorb some of the impact when a front collision happens.

Have you looked at it? How in the world would that help in a collision?

7, 8, 10 pounds or whatever may not seem like much, but when it's located at the very front end of the car, there's zero downsides, & it only takes about 10 minutes to remove, it only makes sense to yank it. **shrug** As far as weight reduction goes, it's honestly the best thing we've got . . . .

Mugenlude · 11-04-2003, 04:18 PM

My thought is that Honda won't just add 8 lbs. on the front of the car for no reason. If you are going to some big drag racing event and want to lost 0.010 seconds from your time go for it. If you are driving around town I don't see the point.

BTW - It is illegal to remove this if you autocross in DS, STS, STX, or DSP.

obrigado · 11-04-2003, 05:56 PM

Life > 7 lbs

Ludecy · 11-04-2003, 06:53 PM

Come on people it's only 7lbs. Just drive naked and shave all your body hair while your at it.

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mugenlude
My thought is that Honda won't just add 8 lbs. on the front of the car for no reason.

Well, nor would you think Honda would use a POS cam seal, or an autotensioner that craps out, or balance shafts that provide no noticeable reduction in vibration, or VTEC cam profiles that peak right at the cross-over, or a PCV valve that sucks in oil at WOT, or rear shocks that knock, or a headliner that ticks, or a faulty ignition, or trunk torsion bars that scrape against the rear speakers, or an engine that inherently burns oil, or an ECU that gradually detunes itself and runs phenomenally rich at WOT . . . .

Let's face it, the engineers that design our cars are not the mythical genius figures in white lab coats that they're sometimes made out to be. There are faulty items & useless features designed in our cars, and this is one of them.

No, of course 8 pounds isn't going to make a measureable difference in your time slip or lap time. And by itself, nor will the 20-30 pounds saved by a cf hood. Or the 20 pounds by taking out the spare & jack. Or the 40 pounds by replacing the moonroof with a plug. Or the 40-50 pounds by swapping in lightweight seats.

But just because any one or two of those items won't make a measurable difference, does that mean you won't see an improvement by doing all of them? Of course not. And that's not even starting to strip the interior or remove comfort items.

Bolt on mods are similar - the difference an exhaust, or pulleys, or even an intake makes is practically negligible by itself, but you don't see many people not bothering with those items because they're not that effective by themselves.

Or as even better examples - how about bypassing the coolant to the throttle body & blocking the EGR? Just because the effects are tiny by themselves, is that any reason not to do them? Certainly not - especially when they're so easy & inexpensive to do. Pulling that front damper falls into the "why wouldn't you?" category along with them, in my opinion.

Exceptions, of course, for those looking to qualify in a specified autocross class.

DudewithaLude · 11-04-2003, 07:51 PM

imho, the front damper falls into the "safety parts that aren't worth pulling" catagory, but that's just me

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 07:56 PM

Once again, it's not a safety part.

natcc99 · 11-04-2003, 08:20 PM

mmm... so what is it?

i've always wondered what the thing is for.

what does it look like when you take it off?
is the unit solid? is there something inside it?

obrigado · 11-04-2003, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Daemione
Once again, it's not a safety part.

And you are 100% sure of this how?

Daemione · 11-04-2003, 09:19 PM

I can't believe there's an any discussion on this.

1. The Helms lists it as a vibration damper.
2. Just look at it . . . . it would help in a front-end collision about as much as your jack helps in a rear-end one.

dankman · 11-04-2003, 09:28 PM

They cut mine off for the intercooler when they installed my turbo kit. That thing is pretty heavy. Any weight that you can pull off the prelude can help.I think it is a reinforcement bar for a collision,considering its weight.

98Ludatic · 11-04-2003, 10:31 PM

=
Black bottle behind front grille???