i already have. mainly im concerned about the damage to the hood because of the flex and popping sound (ie. sound like popping out a dent). its only the underside aluminum though. not the top of the hood. i solved the gap problem by placing the bracket like you did.

it seems as though it still works fine. the sides do pop in and out each time, but they're not cresting any sharp bends or making any stress cracks so i don't think there will be any puncturing of the hood anytime soon.

thanks.

 

Man, I'm just crushed to hear about that.

I know it's stupid but I feel responsible since I posted about them here first. I'll be keeping a very sharp eye on mine for any signs or sounds of trouble.

 

Don't scare me, folks... I ordered my set but it wasn't shipped yet. If there is such a problem, I better cancel my order.
Last thing I want is to mess up my hood.

 

Well, I also received my dampers, but the brackets are wrong. There is not enough clearance between the hood and the ball end, so it's not possible to attach the damper to the ball end. Even if I'd force it on, it would rub against the hood which I definitely don't want.
I believe the bracket needs some rework, possibly a longer post for the ball end to provide a sufficient gap. I even tried to add a washer to further raise the bracket from the hood but it still didn't give sufficient clearance.
Also, it appears the aluminum extension tube that has to be attached to the damper is too long, so it would push the hood too high which the hinges probably won't like much. All in all, the concept is good but the execution needs improvement.

I suppose there's not much else to do but send them back to Donny at RPM.

 

photomunkey told me the bracket were universal cuz the rx8 sales dont prove enough for the production of specific ones. however, i too noticed all the problems you had and everything i consulted with photomunkey. i still have them on, and though they open high and look great, the popping and flexing i get when closing scares me every single time.

i might just take it off and ask for a refund as well, but the ball joints and brackets are pretty scratched up and what not.

 

Ngo: sorry to hear you're having issues with the dampers.
You better not mess up your ride before SevenStock

 

haha. when i get a repaint the car will go in storage.

 

then you'll just walk everywhere...

 

I've had mine for over a month now and I'm extreamly pleased. The installation instructions sucked but the product is great. Some of the posters have had experiences with flexing of the hood but nothing like that is happening to me. I am doing a lot of work under the hood so the dampers are really being used.

 

I contacted Donny, and he replied that they were not offering the hood dampers anymore at this time because of problems people have had.

 

I sent mine back and am waiting for the refund, due to the problems mentioned.

 

I have the prototype NRG Innovations 1/2 charge hood rams installed on my car, by them.

You have installed the upper mounts 100% wrong. The ram mount should be overtop the hood hinge, not sandwiched between the hood and the hinge.

I posted an earlier thread with photos. Search is your friend...

 

i ended up installing the hood dampers back on laythor's way because after the hood started flexing, it lifted up at the edge by about 1/4 of an inch. and after that, no matter what i did (ie take everything off) the hood was still lifted by 1/4 of an inch. putting it laythor's way lowered the edge back to normal. but i still get the flexing in the hood...

 

You should use a thick washer between the mount bracket and the hinge plate. The hinge plate MUST sit against the hood or the aluminum hood will flex, possibly causing the popping noises.

Mine fit perfectly, and after trimming the rubber seal slightly at the rear edge of the engine bay, the hood closes without any rise at the rear (unlike the Tein dampeners). I have no issues with popping or wierd noises. They work like a charm!

There's no need to return a perfectly good hood dampener kit because you've installed it wrong. At least not in my opinion.

 

i understand that photomunkey. as you remember, i did ask you about everything before i did the install. i used a thick washer and installed it your way, and it worked perfectly for a few days. and then it started flexing and lifted.

 

Why anyone would get hood dampners is beyond me, Looks mebbe, but our engine is behind the front axle. Good idea, now they will be in the way of working on the car. The front post is the best and only way to have it.

 

Well, my opinion differs of course. That's why I returned them.

I installed them the way they were intended. However there was no way to attach the dampers to the ball stud of the bracket because there is no sufficient clearance between the ball and the hood. Even if you'd force it on, it would rub on the hood. Not good enough.
I don't even understand how people could possibly attach the dampers to the ball stud after installing the bracket sandwiched between the hood and the hinge, as that would allow even less clearance.

I then tried to use a (fairly thick) washer between the bracket and the hood hinge (washer is NOT included in the kit, so this is just an attempt to fix a problem of the product). That would still not increase the distance sufficiently, unless I'd use an even thicker washer. But what it does is to not allow the bracket to properly "catch on" the upper edge of the hood hinge, so as to be fully secure and avoid the possibility of the bracket rotating over time. It's hard to explain, but those who have the dampers will probably know what I'm talking about.

Then there is also the fact that the aluminum extensions that attach to the dampers are simply too long for the RX-8 application. They try to push the hood against the factory hinges' maximum travel point, and I just don't like that. Using the previously mentioned "washer method" just pushes the hood up more, further worsening this problem.

Now these might not be an issue for those who are happy with their dampers, but they are for me. I'd like to see a product to match the vehicle perfectly instead of requiring users to add washers to fix something that should be correct in the first place.

I think the issue might be that this particular kit is the same for the Mazda 3 and the RX-8. So instead of that, it should be vehicle-specific only for the 8. Fixing the two problems is simple, really. Just weld the ball stud on TOP (or bottom, depending how you look at it) of the bracket instead of directly to the side (allowing more clearance for the ball end), and include extensions with the correct length. That's all it would take.

According to information I received from Donny, NRG does not plan on making changes to this kit in the near future.
I suppose Donny decided to stop offering the dampers to avoid similar problems others also must have experienced.

 

I'd talked to them when the kit was created about this, and the need for washers. I'd thought they'd fixed it.

 

Update: I received the full refund from RPM - however NRG refused to reimburse me for the delivery cost of returning the dampers.
So basically, they made me pay for the return of their flawed product, which is a sucky attitude. I certainly won't ever buy anything again from NRG because they obviously don't stand behind their products.

 

Semantics, but if the kit doesnt come with all the parts required for the install(like a simple set of washers) then the kit is either designed poorly or incomplete.

I think both qualify for reasons to return it.

 

Thread revival! Does anyone know where I can order these from a legit website in carbon fiber? Also, are there any fitment problems with the stock hood, or have those issues been resolved? Thanks.

 

I have not seen them shown on any of the vendors product lists any longer. I purchased a set from the first batch and have had zero issues. The instructions sucked but with a little thought they worked perfectly.

 

I was able to snag a set from www.evasivemotorsports.com but after checking their site I don't see the NRG set listed. They only had the polished version as i was looking for the CF as well. They did have the 1/2 PSI set. Only issue I had was related to my Seibon hood allowing the mounting bracket to turn thus popping off the strut.

Otherwise fittment and use have been good. According to my parts guy, NRG has no plans on making anymore sets for the RX8.

 

That's too bad. Several of the Vegas crowd lov mine and were looking for a set - especially the CF version. You know since it was also supposed to fit a Mazda 3 hood also, maybe they still make that version and a little rework of the brackets would all that is necessary?

 

Phil's dampers are great, it felt great lifting the hood because it felt so light and you didn't have to put the hood stand after you opened it. Didn't really care for the brand of the dampers, but it's great to have!