One of the most popular upgrades for Hondas and Acuras is Hasport Performance motor mounts for good reason. Their mounts are one of the most cost-effective mods you can do to increase performance that is noticeable from your first drive post-install.
We figure we should write up a quick Q&A based on our experience and customer feedback with hundreds of mounts sold over the years.
I guess to start, it's important to understand why you would want or need upgraded motor mounts...
Your OEM motor mounts aren't bad, they were just designed with compromise in mind, just as all OEM parts typically are. The compromise here is between NVH and performance available from Honda's choice of bushing.
What is NVH?
Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) are the noises and physical forces you feel in the cabin as a result of the various parts of your car - everything from your choice in motor mount, endlinks, coilover top hats (and many more) all contribute to experienced NVH whenever you drive your car.
Remember the compromise talk just before?
Sure Honda could have cranked up the "stiffness" on a lot of factory components (including your motor mounts)...
But it would lead to the average enthusiast having something a little "too edgy" from the factory. Thus OEMs compromise on absolute performance in favor of comfort and decreasing NVH, in some capacity. All manufactures must do this, on a sliding scale of where they are emphasizing inputs and outputs of the driving experience.
Here is where an upgrade like Hasport mounts come into play really nicely for an enthusiast looking for an extra edge while knowing they will get some increased NVH along the way.
The other end of that OEM compromise is how much movement and slop the mounts will allow to be exerted in the drivetrain at any given moment.
Ever notice how some larger header or downpipe setups rattle with a factory rear mount?
Or have you noticed that with more power, you get more wheel hop off the line, where the front end feels like its almost "skipping?"
Or have you noticed that under harsh driving and shifting... it almost feels like the drivetrain isn't "staying put."
These are all results of that compromise towards softer NVH... and thus more flex and slop allowed for with the OEM bushing durometer spec.
Now for the enthusiast who has gotten this far, there are some common questions.
Q: Will my car turn into a rattle box?
A: Not with 62a or 70a durometer, and not with just a rear upgraded especially. You'll notice increased stiffness and a minimal increase in NVH, but the performance gains from drivetrain stiffening are exponential.
Q: Is 62a "way stiffer" than stock?
A: Stiff enough to notice an appreciable performance increase, not "stiff enough" to make your car unpleasant.
Q: Is the rear mount hard to install?
A: Not at all... jack up the car, support your motor, and swap in your new rear mount! You should be able to do this in 30 minutes or less from start to finish.
Q: Should I also get the upper pitch mount?
A: Its super easy to install right in the engine bay, helps with motor flex paired with an upgraded rear. If you have the extra $100-150 (depending on chassis), it might be worth a second look. The majority of your performance benefit will come from the rear mount on your Honda or Acura.
Q: When during my build should I upgrade my rear motor mount (or other mounts)?
A: Typically its recommended to upgrade your rear mount when you install a larger header or downpipe than stock. Other than that, its a great modification for someone wanting to stiff up their powertrain flex even in an otherwise stock car.
Q: What about the "full" mount kit?
A: Lots of our bigger builds go for these... not required at all for the typical bolt on setup or even mild boost. Guys buying these are either really trying to lock down drivetrain movement OR their power levels are really necessitating of the upgrade OR its someone who wants to have "it all" for an attention to detail build (the two upgraded mounts in the engine bay look great!).
Q: What durometer is right for me?
62a: You want a slight upgrade from stock, but still want to minimize NVH.
70a. You want a little more "edge" over the 62a... without getting into "harsh" NVH territory
88a: You have a high power build/performance over NVH concerns/track frequently
94a: You basically want solid mounts, also the inserts are red to distinguish the "race only" durometer, looks awesome!
Solid: Self-explanitory, it's a solid mount!
If you're wondering what the dispersion is in durometer selection among our Honda and Acura enthusiast customer base, we can share some guidance from what we've seen over the last decade.
Almost half go with 62a. Another "almost half" go with 70a. The remaining 10% would be split among 88a, 94a, and solid... but basically the stiffer you go, the less that sell at a rapidly declining rate.
And that is kind of the point. Just because you're upgrading your motor mounts, doesn't mean you need to sacrifice all of your comfort and have unbearable NVH. You can really tailor the feel and outcome with durometer selection and dial in your car to your specific taste and goals.
Most enthusiasts we've worked with go with the softer durometer options (62a, 70a) and love it.
For the few hard core guys... the 88a, 94a and solid variants are always available to them. And at that durometer selection, you know what you're getting into.
We would like to emphasize, some new-to-modding enthusiasts pick a higher durometer assuming that a higher number is better. Based on what we've discussed above, we would advise you to stick to 62a or 70a durometers unless you "know what you are getting into." Especially on newer platforms such as the 11th Gen Civics or the new DE5 Integras, Honda and Acura have gotten fantastic at creating a refined driving experience especially versus the enthusiast cars that were built 10+ years ago. If it's your first time modifying your car, the increaes in NVH from stiffer Hasport durometers such as 88a and 94a may come as a surprise, and it certainly isn't for everyone.
And after reading our Hasport Performance insights, some people may realize they're happy with their OEM mounts after all.
But for most of you, we'd highly recommend adding at least a rear mount from Hasport to your mod list. You won't regret it!
If you have any questions about Hasport Performance mounts or any other go-fast parts, don't hesitate to reach out to our team of experts. We'll give you one-on-one guidance to help you select the combination of parts that will help you achieve all of your goals.