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ND Miata Front & Rear Sway Bars Available and Shipping Now!!

Details:
The JBR Tru-Torsion Front & Rear Sway Bars for the ND Miata significantly reduce body roll and greatly improve the vehicles ability to rotate.

They’re constructed out of 1.125″ diameter .125″ wall 4130 alloy tube for the front and .625” solid 4130 alloy bar for the rear. They’re then powder coated in your choice of red, blue or black for a beautiful look and long lasting corrosion resistance.

Both are 3-way adjustable allowing you to fine tune them for either the street or the track.
Included with each JBR sway bar is our very own sway bar brackets. They’re constructed out of .185″ thick stainless steel and come with 88 durometer bushings and grease fittings. These will never rust and never break. There’s also no need to reinforce the rear mounting points to use the JBR rear sway bar.

For those that must have the finer things in life, we also offer our Tru-Torsion billet aluminum sway bar brackets as an upgrade to the stainless at 30% off regular price. Both the stainless and the billet brackets carry our Lifetime Warranty.

Application:
– 2016 & up ND Miata all models

Features:
– Designed and Manufactured in the USA
– 4130 alloy steel construction
– Includes stiffer polyurethane bushings with thick stainless steel brackets and grease fittings
– FREE SHIPPING!! a $30.00 value!!

The JBR Sway Bar Kits Include:
– 1.125″ Front or .625” Rear 3-way adjustable sway bar
– New polyurethane mounting bushings & stainless steel brackets with grease fittings
– Installation grease
– Installation instructions are available in our support section
– Shipping is free in the US & our Hassle Free Lifetime Warranty is included on all included components

Important Notes:
– The Tru-Torsion Billet sway bar brackets require lowering for the the sub-frame (Front Only) one side at a time for installation. When done carefully, no alignment is needed. The included stainless brackets do not require the sub-frame to be lowered for installation front or rear.
– Installation of the front sway bar does not require disconnecting the steering shaft, lowering the rack and pinion or cutting off the OEM sway bar bushings.

 

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Suspension Part Two: The Breakdown

Going back to our last post (if you haven’t read Part One yet, you should), we discussed some suspension basics. We know that two major components in a suspension that can be upgraded to optimize performance are springs and dampers. Springs can be thought of as a coarse control, with the dampers  being a fine control. When looking for the most performance and flexibility for different conditions, a full replacement is best. This is commonly known as a coilover system.

When looking at coilover options, an abundance of offerings will be found. Where does one begin to make choices? Spring-rate, dampening, compression, rebound, and independent adjustability of these are all items to consider when choosing a coilover system.

Spring-rate is a large factor in how a coilover will perform. Simply put, the spring-rate is defined as the amount the spring deflects over a certain load capacity. This rating can be made in either kg/mm or lbs/in. You will see kg/mm often shown as “K” and lbs/in often shown as “#” or “lb”. To understand and compare different systems to one another, use this chart:

700 lb/in = 12.5 kg/mm
650 lb/in = 11.6 kg/mm
600 lb/in = 10.7 kg/mm
550 lb/in = 9.8 kg/mm
500 lb/in = 8.9 kg/mm
450 lb/in = 8 kg/mm
400 lb/in = 7.1 kg/mm
350 lb/in = 6.2 kg/mm
300 lb/in = 5.3 kg/mm
250 lb/in = 4.5 kg/mm

So what does this mean? The stiffer the spring, the more load it will take to compress it. Essentially, body roll in cornering will become less when spring-rate is increased. Spring-rate is generally fixed rate on a set of coilovers. This coarse control by itself would result in a very “springy” ride. Rather than a tire staying planted on the tarmac, with a load applied, it would waiver between loaded and unloaded. An unloaded corner makes for loss of grip. This is where dampening comes in.

Compression dampening is the rate of reaction to a change in compression. This is the car pushing down onto the surface. The rate at which the piston compresses directly relates to the amount of compression dampening. This essentially aides the spring in absorbing fine changes in force exerted. This can be bumps in the road, slight turns, or say the car ends up on the rumble strips.

Rebound dampening does the opposite of compression, go figure. Rebound force comes into play when force is lessened on the road, say at the bottom of a dip in a pothole, in the bottom of a bump in the road, or on the exit of a turn.  More rebound will create more response on weight transfer out of a corner.

One can see how having a fixed spring-rate means that compression and rebound adjustability shifts the burden of your choice onto these variables. Most coilovers will be advertised based on how many clicks are on the dial. This refers to how many different settings there are for dampening. Although more options are better, this is not always the whole story. The range that these choices cover is really the thing to be looking at. Most users will be wanting to track their vehicle, but also have the flexibility to have a bearable ride on the street. A set of coilovers with tons of adjustments on one end of the spectrum does the user no good on the other end. This is why range is key.

Not only is range of concern, but compression and rebound do not always go hand it hand. To really dial a vehicle in for a specific setup and circumstance, these variables should be able to be controlled separate of one another. Though this feature is not something that is seen on the bulk of the coilovers on the market, it is available on quite a few and should be sought after if budget allows.

Ultimately, one must consider the use of the vehicle to make a decision. Often times, paying a little bit more money for a gain in versatility is a good choice. The better range of options offered, the more likely the coilovers will be able to accommodate for the various situations to be encountered.

Next in the series Suspension Part Three: The Pertinents

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Free JBR Phone, Tablet, AccessPort & Desktop Backgrounds

Here’s a perfect pairing to go with the parts you love. Show off your support for JBR with these free Phone, Tablet, Ford MFT and Desktop Backgrounds. From your computer, click on the image, then right click and save. From your phone or tablet, tap the image then hold down on the image and download.

Enjoy and Thanks for your support!!

Phone & Tablet Background

Desktop Background

Ford MFT

COBB AccessPort Background

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New Product Release!! SKYACTIV Short Shift Arm Adapter

The JBR Adjustable Skyactiv Short Shift Arm Kit is perfect for those wanting to reduce the long stock shifter throw. Providing options to reduce throw by 20% or 40%, this kit is sure to accommodate every driver and driving style, on the street or on the track.

JBR designs and prototypes in house using the latest CAD and 3D printing technologies, then tests to ensure the product you receive is of the highest quality, form, fit and function that you demand.

With longevity in mind, 6061 aluminum and 304 stainless were used to make up the the key components of the kit. This is to ensure it will withstand the abuse on the track and the harsh elements all year round providing a lifetime of trouble-free enjoyment.

Final production is then followed with strict manufacturing and finishing processes. All products receive the TRU-Performance stamp of approval before making their way to the consumer.

With a very straightforward design, installation of this kit is a breeze. Following our online installation instructions found in the support section of our website, even those with the most basic mechanical knowledge will be enjoying short, crisp and accurate shifts in no time.

Features:
– Designed and manufactured in the USA
– Simple to install in 60 minutes or less.
– Anodized for corrosion resistance

Application:
– 2014+ Mazda 3, 6 and 2013+ CX-5

The kit includes:
– 1 Skyactiv adjustable Short Shift Plate
– 3 6mm x 14mm socket cap bolts
– 3 8mm x 45mm Hex Bolts
– 3 8mm lock washers
– 3 3/4″ spacers
– Shipping is free in the US & our Hassle Free Lifetime Warranty is included.
– Installation instructions are available in our support section.

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There’s Nothing Positive About the 2.0L SkyActiv PCV System!

Recently, we had a customer bring their 2014 Mazda 3, 2.0L to us to install an oil catch can kit and to perform its very first oil change. With the car being so new, we asked if it would be OK to have a look inside at the current condition of the valves and document our findings. The car wasn’t to be picked up until the following day so we were given the go ahead.  With only 4462 miles on it, wait until you see what we found!

OK, so what is the PCV system and why is there a need for one? PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. Simply put, the purpose of the PCV system is to ventilate the lower half of the motor that contains the motor’s crankshaft, connecting rods and balance shaft. When the motor is running under normal operating conditions, the oil becomes very hot. As the motors rotating assembly spins at very high RPM, a considerable amount of pressure is built up that must be relieved. For obvious reasons that we’ll go into more later, this can’t just be vented to the atmosphere. Instead, the hot vapor is released from the crankcase, routed into the intake manifold and burned as part of the combustion process. Sounds like a logical and efficient approach to the problem.  Unfortunately, the vapor released from the crankcase contains trace amounts of oil, fuel and water. Let’s take a closer look at what makes up the PCV system and the path it takes back to the combustion chamber.

Let’s begin with the removal of the intake manifold. It’s pretty easy and took less than 25 minutes to get out of the car.

IMG_2911

Immediately, things began to start looking ugly. With the manifold removed we found the presence of oil on the head, in the gaps created by seals between the cylinder head and the intake manifold. Click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

2LMZOCC-2

The next picture illustrates where the intake manifold mates with the cylinder head ports from the passenger side, port 1, towards the driver’s side, port 4. The seals that create the gap between the two are green and surround each intake runner. Take note of the proximity of the ports in relation to where the line leading from the PCV valve enters the intake manifold.

The next series of pictures will show the astonishing amount of carbon accumulation we discovered on the valves beginning with cylinder 1, the furthest from where the crankcase vapor enters the manifold.

2LMZOCC-3

As you can see from the pictures above,  the valves for cylinder 1 are pretty clean and what we expected to see. As we moved to cylinders 2 thru 4 though, we can see significant accumulation, the worst being cylinder 4. The oil in the vapor is adhering to the back side of the hot valves and subsequently, it’s being baked on forming an impressive crust for such low mileage. The assumption for the increased build up from 1 to 4 is due to their proximity to where the crankcase vapor enters the intake manifold.

Why is this build up of crust bad? The valves are designed to seat in machined surfaces within the cylinder head. This creates the needed compression when it’s time for that particular cylinder to fire. When the build up of carbon becomes excessive, the valves are no longer able to seat properly, reducing power that robs your engine of performance and increases the amount of money you spend at the pump.

We reinstalled the intake manifold, changed the oil and installed our oil catch can kit. When the customer came to pick up the car we explained what we found, reviewed the pictures and agreed, this motor will certainly benefit from an oil catch can.

So that brings up the next question, what is an oil catch can and how does it work? An oil catch can is a can that contains some form of baffling that captures the oil present in the vapor released from the crankcase. The can is plumbed in-line between the crankcase and the intake manifold. Let’s take a deeper look into the catch can and the PCV system.

In this cut-away of the JBR oil catch can, you will see the inlet, the outlet and the baffling that separates them. The crankcase gas enters the catch can through the bottom port. Due to the size of the can, a pressure drop occurs as the gas enters allowing for oil to begin falling out of suspension. As the gas travels around and eventually up towards the outlet, it must pass through a series of three perforated baffles with hundreds of .063″ holes in each. Not only do the holes in the baffle plates greatly increase the amount surface area, a capillary action is also created. That, combined with surface tension, results in adhesive forces between the oil and holes in the baffles. The oil clings to the baffles and as it accumulates it drips off and is collected in the bottom of the can to be drained off at each oil change.

Well if this is such a problem why isn’t Mazda including one? Well, they are, sort of. It’s called an oil separator and it’s located on the side of the engine block behind the intake manifold.

When we removed the oil separator from our 2016 Miata with the same 2.0L motor as our customer had, we found oil making its way past the baffling headed towards the outlet of the oil separator. It appears to work, just not very well.

At the time we tore into our new Miata it only had 31 miles on it so everything was nice and clean. After seeing what we saw on the same motor with only 4463 miles, a catch can was going on immediately!

With just over 900 miles it’s time for us to change the oil in our Miata.

With the drain for the catch can located right by the filter housing, we can easily open the valve and empty its contents.

We were pleased to discover that we had accumulated a mixture of oil, water and fuel just shy of 50ml! Our catch can is doing its job well and our valves are being kept as clean as possible.

Below is a picture of the typical amount collected from our Mazdaspeed 3 at its regular 5k mile service interval. After it’s allowed to sit for a few days, there’s pretty clear separation of the oil, water and fuel that’s collected.

We’ve been making and testing Oil Catch Can Kits for most Mazda’s and  a few Ford vehicles for several years now. It’s our opinion that any engine utilizing direct injection fueling can only benefit from an oil catch can.

On a separate note…Many customers have asked if warranty claims can be denied for having a catch can installed? The answer is yes however, it’s highly unlikely and the burden of proof falls on the dealership to prove the catch can was the direct cause and ultimately the reason for the warranty claim in the first place. We’ve never heard of a warranty be denied for a vehicle having a catch can installed.

We’ll be sure to provide future updates on both our customer’s Mazda 3 and our Miata in the upcoming year to see how both are doing.

 

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New Product Release!! 2014 MAZDA 3/6 & CX-5 (2WD) True Torsion Rear Sway Bar

The JBR True Torsion Rear Sway Bar significantly reduces the vehicles tendency to push the front end during hard cornering, drastically reduces body roll, and greatly increases traction.

The only rear sway bar for the 2014 Mazda 3/6 and CX-5 constructed out of 32mm 4130 Chromoly tubing with thick solid steel arms. The JBR True Torsion Rear Sway Bar is TIG welded inside and out then the ends are capped. Powder coated for ultimate corrosion resistance. The 2-way adjustability allows you to fine tune the handling for the street and the track.

 

The JBR Sway Bar Kit Includes:
– New Polyurethane Mounting Bushings & Brackets with Grease Fittings
– Installation Grease
– Lifetime Warranty
– Online Installation Instructions

JBR 2-Way Adjustable Sway Bar Settings:
Stiff setting is 140 – 155% Stiffer than stock
Stiffest Setting is 250 – 265% Stiffer than stock

 

Priced at $205.00 shipped, we’ve taken the guess work out of where to buy the rear sway bar for your 2014+ Mazda

All the products shown above are available in our online catalog. For more information and to purchase, visit our website.

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New Product Release!! – JBR 70 & 80 Duro Focus ST Passenger Side Motor Mounts

The JBR Passenger Mount for the Focus ST is a vertically oriented mount. This mount can and will handle all the abuse you plan to throw at it. From street to strip it’s the only true 1 piece Passenger mount you’ll need for your Focus ST.

We’ve gone a step further and  replaced the weak cast aluminum factory support which has been prone to cracking with a support constructed out of 3/16″ steel and powder coated.

The actual mount itself is constructed of 1/4″ steel, TIG welded then powder coated.

Custom, Proven Poly Urethane bushings in your choice of 70, & 80 Durometers allow you to choose the amount of stiffness you want to run without sacrificing comfort.

Wheel Hop? What wheel hop? Torque Steer? Gone. That bang…gone too!!

Why a JBR Motor Mount?Custom Durometer urethane bushings
Aesthetically pleasing
Reduced drive train slop
Better throttle response
Precise shifts
Improved 1/4 mile times
Bolt-on installation

Includes:
1 Passenger Motor Mount
Class 8.8 Mounting Hardware
Installation instructions are available in our support section
Shipping is free in the US & our Hassle Free Lifetime Warranty is included
Focus-ST-PMM-70_01 Focus-ST-PMM-80_02
Priced at $185.00 shipped, we’ve taken the guess work out of where to buy the passenger mount for your Focus ST!

All the products shown above are available in our online catalog. For more information and to purchase, visit our website.

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New Product Release – 2014 MAZDA 3/6 & CX-5 Spherical and Cylindrical Shift Knobs!

2014 MAZDA 3/6 & CX-5  Spherical and Cylindrical Shift Knobs are here!

IMG_4005

The JBR Cylindrical Shift Knob weighs in at a blistering 625 grams and the Spherical at a whopping 680! These heavy shift knobs not only look sick in the cabin but they also perform. A heavy shift knob allows for buttery smooth shifts by putting the weight at the end of the shift lever. This gives you greater mechanical advantage and lets the stick glide into gear. Powder coated in Wrinkle Black Red, Blue and the super sexy Silver Vein for superior grip.

SRed-Red-6RUL_01 Silver-Red-6RUL_01 SBlue-Sil-6RUL_01 SBlack-Sil-6RUL_01 ERed-Red-6RUL_01 ELimited-Red-RUL_01 EBlue-Sil-6RUL_01 EBlack-Silver-6RUL_01

Starting at $75.00 shipped this is a must for any enthusiast.

All the products shown above are available in our online catalog. For more information and to purchase, visit our website.

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JBR’s Free Shipping is a Scam! Or is it?

Recently, I’ve received a lot of questions about our free domestic shipping. Most asking if it’s actually free or just marketing BS and deception? I’ve also read a post or two on the subject and I was direct to an actual shipping disclaimer that said  “Free Shipping” is a trick. Period. Anywhere that offers you “free shipping” on your order is crazy and losing money, or builds the cost of shipping into the cost of the part. You are always paying for it somewhere whether they tell you or not.

So, I felt compelled to address and dispel the myth that the free domestic shipping offered by JBR is in fact NOT a trick or a scam. Period. I will disclose a few of the ways we’re able to accomplish it and why it it’s so important  that you take a closer look at shipping costs and the total you pay for the parts you buy with your hard earned money.

How do they do it?

  1. Here at JBR we have created an order fulfillment process that is very, very efficient. The time it takes once we begin to process an order, to the time it’s ready for pickup by the shipper is usually less than 10 minutes. We do this by having our products well inventoried, stocked on open shelving and pre-wrapped or pre-packaged. We also have a shipping department that was carefully designed around our business and setup up in such a way that the final packaging process is very streamlined saving our employees time and our company money.
  2. We don’t use fancy boxes or tape with our name and logo on them. If we felt it would make the parts perform better or the car handle better we’d do it. It doesn’t so we don’t.
  3. We have scoured the country for the lowest cost on the proper, quality packaging materials that we need to ship our products which save us money.
  4. Many of the supporting components that accompany the parts manufactured by JBR come to us in boxes full of packing pillows, peanuts, and craft paper. So, instead of sending all of that to the landfill, we keep and reuse it to ship our products. Even the clean cardboard boxes are also cut up and used to insulate and protect the heavier parts from damaging each other while in transit so, the parts you buy arrive to you safely and undamaged. About 40% of the packaging material used by us is recycled which saves us money and our planets resources

So when you combine an efficient order processing system, good inventory management, and cost controlled  materials used to package our products it allows us to offer truly free shipping.

Still don’t believe me? Let’s do some cost comparison analysis.

  • A set of shifter bushings from one of our competitors will cost you anywhere from $24.99 to $39.00 + 6.70 shipping. Shifter bushings from JBR, $25.00 shipped. You save at least $6.70 shopping with JBR
  • A rear motor mount from one of our competitors will cost you anywhere from $119.99 to $135.00 + 16.70 for shipping. A rear motor mount of the same durometer from JBR, $125.00 shipped. You save at least $16.70 shopping with JBR.
  • An SRI and turbo inlet pipe, often referred to as a stage 2 intake system from one of our competitors will cost you anywhere from 249.99 to $354.00 + 21.66 for shipping. A similar stage 2 intake system from JBR, with no up charge for any color options, will cost you $250 shipped. You save at least $21.65 shopping with JBR.

Just these 3 products alone would leave a minimum of$45.05 in your pocket if purchased from JBR. It really adds up and when the budget is tight, don’t waste money on shipping.

We also don’t try and pass along any hidden costs either. Such as the 2-3% that PayPal  and Credit Card companies charge us to process transactions. There are no additional charges when signatures or insurance is required. There are no special handling charges either. Nada, zilch, zip. It’s FREE. When we say we pay the shipping, We mean it!

I have also read that the product quality must be inferior from those that offer free shipping in order to cover the cost of shipping. Well, you already know that’s not true when it comes to parts from JBR. We would’ve been run off long ago if that was the case.

Now, many of you have watched JBR rise up from selling short shift plate kits and AP mounts to one of the leading manufacturers Mazda aftermarket parts. We started out offering free shipping and were continuing to do it today.  All while being priced the same or less than our competition. So I ask you, does it look like we’re losing money by offering high quality parts coupled with bar setting customer service and FREE SHIPPING?

The holidays are coming and you want your money to go as far as it can. Shop and compare, then please consider buying from JBR. And beware, just because they say it’s “On Sale” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less or that you’re saving any money when you add on the cost of shipping.

Thanks for your support.

-Jamie

Where the F#%@K has JBR been!!

Where have we been?!?!? We’ve been expanding our operations!!

For the last four and a half years JBR has been for the most part, run out of our home.  Our entire manufacturing and development operations consisted of 400sq/ft spread across two locations an hour apart! With our product line growing at a record pace we no longer had the space to store our inventory anymore either so… Something had to change.

I really, really enjoy working from home and with that in mind my wife and I bought two acres last August to build the new JBR HQ. It’s been a long and challenging build but, in two weeks it will all be finished and fully operational.

Over the last 4 weeks we’ve been closing down the old location and preparing it for closing on the 16th. During that time we had to build up enough inventory to carry us for a few weeks while we actually make the final cut over to the new shop. And on top of all that we filled a massive 4 pallet order full of JBR goodness that shipped off just last week.

The new shop is massive and it will take JBR well in to the future. All of our manufacturing and R & D will now be under one roof. We’ve made a significant investment in new equipment and now all prototyping will be done in house. We will be expanding our powder coating operations to include a much larger booth and curing oven. We have a separate building onsite strictly for the assembling finished parts before heading to packaging. The shipping department has been completely overhauled and inventory will be all electronic by year’s end.

Phone lines are being installed soon so now you’ll be able to call in, get answers to your questions faster and place orders over the phone. And believe me….I give good phone.

All in all JBR has gone from 400sq/ft to over 4000 and all aspects of the business have been or are being improved. So keep an eye out for some great things to come from JBR in the very near future.

I would like to also take a moment to thank of all of you for the PM’s and emails expressing concern about our absence online and our slower than normal response times. Starting immediately we will be online as much as possible and quick to reply to PM’s and email.

Thanks again for your continued support.

-Jamie