Mazda has recently said they would like to have AWD in most models, but the current generation has some space/packaging constraints. I was scratching my head over this statement trying to figure out why the existing model Mazda 6 is offered in AWD in Europe with the Skyactiv diesel engine and Mazda is saying they cannot get it to fit.
I think I may have stumbled onto the answer after having a conversation with a friend recently. It is no secret Mazda is working on offering the diesel Cx5 to the US market, but it has been held up in government regulations with the EPA courtesy of VW and FIAT cheating on their engine mapping and emissions. Mazda has the setup which will pass and get the power they want to offer but here lies the problem.
Say you were going to offer a Mazda 6 diesel model that now meets the US emissions with the urea injection. Where are you going to put the tank to hold in the car? In the Cx5, which has more space to put something like a urea tank, it is not as much of a problem with packaging to find a spot. The Mazda 6 doesn’t sit off the ground as high and allow you a space to get everything to work out and be able to still fit the transfer case, drive shaft, and rear differential.
Why doesn’t Mazda offer both? This is a question I wish I could sort out. It wouldn’t be the first time Mazda would have models with different floor plans. Mazda has done this in the past with the 323s and Protégé, so I don’t think this is the reason why. This could be a possible play on the overall strategy with North America and only offer the AWD as a diesel model. This goes against what we have already with the Cx5 2.5 gas engine and the Cx9 gas 2.5 turbo motor, so I don’t think this is it which leaves this question for me to puzzle over a bit longer.
With the announcement of the Mazda/Toyota plant in Alabama and the statement by the chief of Mazda saying Mazda is going to build something different, this could be the queue that they will find a way to give us AWD turbo fun again. If anything the announcement of the new plant will finally get the EPA to give the green light to the Skyactiv diesel engine.
Overall Mazda desire to give us AWD still has me hopeful for the 2.5 Skyactiv gas turbo with all-wheel drive, but all the current signs say nope. Please Mazda, I don’t mind being wrong on this one.
We here at CorkSport are proud to announce the relaunch of the Mazda 3 Rear Motor Mount.
Yes, you read that correct, this is a re-launch. At CorkSport we push ourselves to design and develop new and interesting products every day, with that, we try new and innovative manufacturing designs and methods in an attempt to create exceptional, competitive, cost-effective products for our loyal customers.
Sometimes those new and innovative manufacturing methods end up not being as awesome as we originally expected. This is just part of the designing and learning process. Let’s get into the details.
The original, let’s call it V1, Mazda3 RMM used a new-to-us manufacturing method of applying the polyurethane to the billet aluminum body called vulcanizing. The billet aluminum body and the steel sleeves are mounted in a fixture then liquid polyurethane was poured into the assembly and cooled until the polyurethane had set to the final hardness. This process appeared to be very promising; each part was set up identically, it was nearly impossible to have any missing parts not sent to you, and most importantly the polyurethane was adhered to the billet aluminum body and therefore could not fall out. More on that last bit later.
We moved forward with the manufacturing method and had a few samples made with various polyurethane durometers ranging from 60A to 80A. After various testing, we determined that 70A was the best compromise of response and NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) experienced by the driver. We continued testing for a few months to verify long-term durability and found no issues. Hooray! We moved forward with production to get this new great Mazda6 RMM out the door to you.
Unfortunately, it appears that our testing period just wasn’t quite long enough. Eventually, the polyurethane would fail but fail in a style we had never experienced before. Long story short, polyurethane has excellent compression strength compared to the tensile strength. The polyurethane was being pulled/split apart due to the forces of the engine.
Now we had a few options of how to redesign the Mazda 6 Rear Motor Mount after going through the failure analysis.
We could have simply stuck with the same design and just increased the stiffness of the polyurethane. Increasing the durometer rating of the poly increases the tensile strength, but this would have resulted in an unsatisfactory driving experience for you which was unacceptable.
The other option was to start from scratch again to create a new design that did not compromise the driving experience or the durability; with challenge comes innovation.
Again we went through many different designs, with the greatest challenge coming in the form of retaining the polyurethane pucks. Typically the polyurethane pucks are retained by whatever the mount is bolting to, but with the Mazda motor mount, the steel sleeves extend far past the outer edge of the polyurethane pucks. This leaves the pucks free to slide out of the billet aluminum body and cause a major failure.
Using the conventional polyurethane puck style, we developed a design that would work, but more than doubled the number of parts needed which increased the chance for something to go wrong and drives up the cost. This design is shown below:
The red arrows show the direction the conventional polyurethane puck would slide out of the body. The red circles show the puck retention system to hold the washer and pucks in the body. This retention design required many parts to be successful.
With the cost going through the roof we had to go back to the drawing board. There had to be a better way… and there was.
The third major iteration shown above solved the problems of the V2 design and got us away from the vulcanized polyurethane of the V1 design. Things were looking good. With the V3 design, the polyurethane pucks are pressed into the billet aluminum body. The pucks have ribs, shown with the red circles that are just large enough to keep the puck in place, but small enough to let the puck be pressed into the body.
With this, we were able to make some clever designs to the RMM to keep it centered in the engine and chassis brackets on the vehicle. The smaller diameter puck extends out to the ends of the steel sleeves; this keeps the entire rear motor mount centered. The large diameter puck retains itself in the body and allows the associated steel sleeve free to slide for easy installation; shown with the red arrows.
Now… does it work? YES! Pretty fantastically, we might add!
We have had this design on a handful of vehicles, one of those being the CorkSport Mazda 3 Racecar during the SCCA Run-Offs at Indianapolis Speedway. Other than some dirt and grime, the tested RMM looks great.
You were probably expecting this blog to be all about the details and reasons you should buy this performance RMM for your Mazda 3, Mazda 6, or CX-5. All those details can be found on our website, and I invite you to check them out.
What we really want to get across here is this:
First and foremost, we will always do the best we can to take care of you and your car if there is ever an issue or concern with your CorkSport part.
Second, if you are a driving enthusiast, if you go driving for the sake of just driving, then you need this RMM in your life. It will completely change and improve your driving experience, plain and simple.
-Barett, CS Engineering
The Mazda 3 Rear Motor Mount 2.0: Back & Better September 13th, 2018CorkSport
The exhaust system on your Mazda is a loved and cherished part of your car’s character and performance.
It emits glorious sounds that keep you entertained and smiling from ear-to-ear, but if you can believe it, is only attached to your Mazda by a few soft rubber hangers.
Yes, your hard-earned stainless steel exhaust is ONLY suspended by small pieces of rubber…
Here at CorkSport, we think it’s time that you show your exhaust system some love… it’s time to take the rubber off.
We present to you: the CorkSport Performance Polyurethane Exhaust Hanger kit.
The exhaust hanger kit replaces the four rubber exhaust hangers that would otherwise be used to mount and suspend your CorkSport Performance Exhaust System; the two rear hangers on the axle back section and the two mid-pipe hangers.
But why is polyurethane better?
Well there are a few reasons:
First, polyurethane is more durable and heat resistant than rubber so the hangers will perform better for a much longer period of time.
Second, and most importantly, the polyurethane used in the CorkSport Performance Kit uses a stiffer compound compared to the OE. The polyurethane hangers have 75A durometer stiffness vs the OE rubber at as low as 50A durometer. The increased stiffness helps minimize the movement of the exhaust while still providing the necessary flex between the car chassis and the exhaust system.
All-together, this means your performance exhaust system for you Mazda 3, Mazda 6, or Mazda CX-5 will not be able to move around under the car during spirited driving such as back roads, auto-crossing, or whatever motorsport event you prefer.
Keeping your exhaust system in place reduces your chance of damaging your beloved Mazda or the exhaust; it’s a win/win.
-Barett @ CS
PS: In addition to these hangers, we also carry the following other exhaust hanger options:
It’s fair to say that we all love the look of a lowered car, especially when it’s your car right? However what we don’t love is lowered headlights, but sadly that’s a result of your ride’s new look. There are less desirable ways to fix the new lowered headlight issue and there are correct ways. Here at CorkSport, we wanted to provide you the correct method to get your headlights back in line.
Whether you want a lower center of gravity for better handling or you want to get rid of that ugly wheel well gap, lowering springs are a great buy.
From hitting the track on the weekend to a spirited drive through the countryside, CorkSport lowering springs are the upgrade you’ve been looking for. By adding our lowering springs, you’re lowering the center of gravity. This allows the car to stay more planted to the road.
One of the biggest things to note on the stock suspension is how far upward the suspension travels when hitting bump. It can make the car feel like it wants to lift off of the road, depending on how fast you’re taking corners. Lowering springs help correct the car’s suspension travel when you hit a bump in a turn.
Lowering springs also have about 25% increased stiffness. For the Mazdaspeed platform, increased stiffness in the rear is a must. Mazdaspeeds like to squat pretty hard when hitting full boost, so any way you can manage to stiffen up the rear is a great modification for your car.
Adding lowering springs also gives your baby amazing eye appeal and a much more aggressive look. Whether you drive a MS3, MS6, Mazda 3, or MX-5, lowering springs will get rid of that ugly wheel well gap. If your model wasn’t just mentioned, springs will still work for you too! The result is a Mazda that carries a much cleaner look and gives you the ability to take it to the track if you want to.
Some people want to drop their Mazda as much as possible, and some don’t. CorkSport lowering springs don’t deliver a super aggressive drop. If you’re not interested in scraping your front bumper on every road bump, the CorkSport lowering springs have the right drop for you and provide the increased handling capabilities you’re looking for.
