Removed Vibration Dampner

BlkLude · Mar 27, 2001

Was just wondering what that black metal cylinder shaped thing is behind our front bumper is and my friend told me is a vibration dampner, have any of you guys removed it?? Is it to prevent our whole car from vibrating from the engine??
No other hondas that I know have it besides the Lude. Any ill effects from removing it cause I took it out and damn its pretty heavy.

OvaDaLimiT · Mar 27, 2001

Wait for the turbo guys to answer this, but a couple of them removed this and said they haven't had any bad results...

------------------

·-÷• [email protected] •÷-·
'*·-÷• HA Chat ·-=-· Prelude FAQ •÷-·*'

99prelude · Mar 27, 2001

its about 10lbs and i know of one person who has removed and has no problems at all. I thought about it too.

Kool-Lude · Mar 27, 2001

Wow! 10lbs. I want it off too. So, I looked it up in the manual and it shows a picture but no details of its purpose. Btw, its spelled "damper" and means.. to stop vibration, or a deadening influence. It looks like its only held on by two bolts.

BlkLude: Since u removed it, can you tell a diff (any vibration or the like) and how long have u been riding w/out it.

[This message has been edited by Kool-Lude (edited March 26, 2001).]

BlkLude · Mar 27, 2001

I took it off just this morning, and have been driving around it off for the whole day and no differnce at all. It is actually held together by 2 bolts on the side and 2 nuts on the bottom, its a weird piece of metal with rubber on both ends.

99prelude · Mar 27, 2001

easy to remove? no difference? i might remove it

knowing me I 'll do it when I get bored hehe

BlkLude · Mar 27, 2001

Yeah pretty simple to remove, take off your top grille and it will be easier to get to the bolts. Yep thats the whole reason I took it off, was bored!! Plus if it doesn't do anything then why not take it off.

lOOkatme · Mar 27, 2001

if it doesn't do anything why did they put it there???

Ng Luder · Mar 27, 2001

maybe it helps with bumper resistance during crashes or some sort...? i dont think honda designers would go "oh lets put a funky piece of metal there for the heck of it!"

99Prelude_LC · Mar 27, 2001

Ya its for crashes. It probably absorbs the impact to redirct it. That way you don't smash your whole car and it will guide the impact force along the body. what i've heard and figure anyways

VeeTec · Mar 27, 2001

I was thinking it was part of crash safety as well.

I would leave it alone.

ILoveMyLude · Mar 27, 2001

I damper like that one is usually tuned to an appropriate frequency to reduce idle vibration. Therefore, the only time you'd notice any difference with it removed is while sitting at idle. They are quite common on 4 cyl cars, just not always mounted on the front crash beam.

Kool-Lude · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by ILoveMyLude:
I damper like that one is usually tuned to an appropriate frequency to reduce idle vibration. Therefore, the only time you'd notice any difference with it removed is while sitting at idle. They are quite common on 4 cyl cars, just not always mounted on the front crash beam.

I think ILoveMyLude is right. I looked it over this morning to see what could this thing possible do. Because its a "damper", which has nothing to do with safety, I figured..take it off and see what it does. Well, driving to work this morning, I found no differences, except when at idle when cooling fans kicked in. I felt slightly more vibration than before.

So far, my thoughts are that it simply helps reduce vibration at idle, especially when the fans turn on. I'm leaving it off unless someone can convince me it serves some other purpose..and I encourage other opinions.

Btw, it weighed exactly 8 lbs.

vabeach_lude · Mar 28, 2001

It only weighs 8 lbs people.

Take a dump and you just lost 8 lbs. You might as well take the door off your glove box's and hell while we're at it we can just chuck the e-brake out the window. Thats 3 lbs total right there. We're on a roll.

------------------
14.6 @ 93.6mph with I/E

Kool-Lude · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by vabeach_lude:
It only weighs 8 lbs people.

Take a dump and you just lost 8 lbs. You might as well take the door off your glove box's and hell while we're at it we can just chuck the e-brake out the window. Thats 3 lbs total right there. We're on a roll.

Good point..I guess its all relative.

But isn't the effects of removing 1 lb from windshield forward like shedding 8 lbs from behind? Thus, removing the damper is like taking out 64 lbs in the cockpit or trunk.

Oh, and my biggest dump was never close to 64lbs...that would be a mean sh*t man.

[This message has been edited by Kool-Lude (edited March 27, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Kool-Lude (edited March 27, 2001).]

vabeach_lude · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by Kool-Lude:
Good point..I guess its all relative.

But isn't the effects of removing 1 lb from windshield forward like shedding 8 lbs from behind?

I don't know. I have heard that a billion times but I am not sure it has ever been proven. I thought that it was anything above or before the front wheels (not the windshield) since we had a FWD car.

I dropped the kids off at the pool right before I drove a 14.6 at the track. j/j

------------------
14.6 @ 93.6mph with I/E

baked · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by Kool-Lude:
Good point..I guess its all relative.

But isn't the effects of removing 1 lb from windshield forward like shedding 8 lbs from behind? Thus, removing the damper is like taking out 64 lbs in the cockpit or trunk.

I can't even begin to imagine what your whole 8 lb theory is supposed to mean... As far as acceleration, 8lbs is 8lbs. It could actually hurt *minutely* since it's weight over the front wheels. For handling, yea it'll help, again *minutely*. Your statement still makes absolutely no sense though... and I know you're just quoting something you thought you heard somewhere.

ImagePree · Mar 28, 2001

unless you're racing at a track and all other competitors are preludes as well where 1/100ths of a second can determine the outcome of the race, then the -8lbs really isn't going to help you in any way.

Kool-Lude · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by vabeach_lude:
I thought that it was anything above or before the front wheels (not the windshield) since we had a FWD car.

I dropped the kids off at the pool right before I drove a 14.6 at the track. j/j

Wow! 14.6 and w/out kids..thats impressive. Now I see why 8 extra lbs is no big deal to ur ride..you're smokin fast.

Regarding before the front wheels (or windshield) issue.. I agree that I've never seen it proven, but it does sound pretty logical to me. I can't imagine that whether its before or after the wheels would make a difference, but rather that the weight is being reduced from the front of the car..not the middle or rear. I wonder if it has to do with weight distribution.

Kool-Lude · Mar 28, 2001

Originally posted by baked:
I can't even begin to imagine what your whole 8 lb theory is supposed to mean... As far as acceleration, 8lbs is 8lbs. It could actually hurt *minutely* since it's weight over the front wheels. For handling, yea it'll help, again *minutely*. Your statement still makes absolutely no sense though... and I know you're just quoting something you thought you heard somewhere.

baked..ur right, I am just quoting something I heard. But I thought it made sense. Anyway, I always would like to do something to better my handling. And I agree that 8lbs is nothing, but its more the concept I'm trying to discuss here. Please don't misunderstand me... I'm no expert - just relaying my thoughts. Hope I didn't come across as a dumbass..that wasn't my intent.

[This message has been edited by Kool-Lude (edited March 27, 2001).]

Removed Vibration Dampner

Top Contributors this Month