Engine Mount And Axle Help

[76er]

Hello again fellows, don't get on here often, work out of town 5 days a week but need some help.Trying to make some desicions on what coarse to take on my 56 pick-up. Sure some of you guys have the latest LMC catalog, on page 37 it shows items 34-0301 engine mount and right below that item 34-0305 cross member engine mount. What is the difference between these mounts, has anybody out there used both that could recommend one or the other. Next question, Wanting to lower the front end of my truck but i will not spend $3500.00 for a mustang 2 front end, that would go a long ways toward my son's college education that i'm paying heavily for but am considering the 3" dropped axle that places like LMC and Brothers sells but it seems like it would put it so close to the ground that if you hit something it would take the front suspension out. Has anyone out there used this axle that could make some recommendations? One last question, want to put a seat in out of later model vehicle with fold down center armrest (bench seat no buchets), can anybody make a suggestion as to what kind of vehicle i could go to the salvage yard and rob one out of? Thanks for your help.

[klutz51]

Sids axle on the drop,www.droppedaxles.com

[_Ogre]

my opinion? both are very weak looking.
bolting an L bracket to your frame and expecting it to hold your motor is weak at best.
the tubular mount is universal fit and needs to be trimmed to fit and welded in.

if your going to trim and weld, save the $80 and fabricate your own to a better design than universal fit
buy item 6 motor mount and item 9 trans mount from any parts store and fabricate your own
motor and trans mounts are one of the easiest items to fabricate

mustang II kits: a fatmanfab.com coil over kit runs $2300 and includes everything hub to hub
with a drop axle you need to buy modified steering arm, kin pins, tie rod ends, shackles and pins, disk brakes, plus you need to rebuild your springs and live with the old steering box

[mknittle]

[quote=_Ogre;6128047]my opinion? both are very weak looking.
bolting an L bracket to your frame and expecting it to hold your motor is weak at best.
the tubular mount is universal fit and needs to be trimmed to fit and welded in.

if your going to trim and weld, save the $80 and fabricate your own to a better design than universal fit
buy item 6 motor mount and item 9 trans mount from any parts store and fabricate your own
motor and trans mounts are one of the easiest items to fabricate

Why spend money on somthing you can make better and cheaper!

[OrrieG]

If you look at my build thread you will see that very little is bought off the shelf. Use the aftermarket stuff as an inspiration and starting point. Brake booster, engine mounts, engine brackets, shock mounts, etc etc all made better, stronger, and for pennies worth of steel and a little welding and grinding. Universal stuff is always a compromise. A 90 day warranty means nothing a year down the line when the mount fails and drives the fan thru a $300 radiator. Start with heavy cardboard or foam core board and make templates, transfer to metal and weld away. If you go thru the build threads, there are countless examples of guys getting parts that are supposed to fit, then having to modify them to the point they should have started from scratch. There are also great example of simple elegant designs that work well. For me the design and fabrication are the fun part, I like it that the truck is something I built, not just assembled.

[mknittle]

There are also great example of simple elegant designs that work well. For me the design and fabrication are the fun part, I like it that the truck is something I built, not just assembled.[/QUOTE]

Me too.

[mr48chev]

Sometimes when your available free time to build a project is extremely short the "built my own mounts or other trinkets and saved 60 bucks" thing eats up entirely too much build time. By shopping around a bit you can find the tube crossmembers for not much more than buying the material and making them.

You can get a Transdapt crossmember for 60.00 from Summit http://www.summitracing.com/parts/TRD-4810/

You might also want to look at the threads where guys installed Jag XJ-6 front suspensions under their Task Force trucks. It's a fairly simple install and gives you the whole suspension, steering and brakes in one package that should cost under 500 complete.

[parkwood]

I'm sure I've posted these before but here goes... make pattens out of cardboard and cut the mounts out of steel and weld up... easy to do..

[Katrina/10]

Originally Posted by parkwood

I'm sure I've posted these before but here goes... make pattens out of cardboard and cut the mounts out of steel and weld up... easy to do..

That's a good way to do it, uses easily available factory motor mounts.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Sometimes when your available free time to build a project is extremely short the "built my own mounts or other trinkets and saved 60 bucks" thing eats up entirely too much build time. By shopping around a bit you can find the tube crossmembers for not much more than buying the material and making them.

i have to disagree here mr48. i can build a set like parkewood posted in half the time that it takes to find one on the net.
not to mention a lot less time than it takes to fit and weld in a universal kit.
glad parkwood posted that pic, his motor mounts are the poster child of diy and kiss.
mine in truk were simple too, a piece of 1.5x1.5 tube and some welding.
we had a 32 ford in the shop today with a similar set, i thought of this thread and took pics.

i'm like orrieg. i kept the cost on my truk low by making stuff, lots of stuff.
$60 trinkets, searching the net and waiting on the brown truck, add up a lot quicker in my book, than $2 and an hour of time

i could make parkwood's mounts, both side, in under an hour with scrap laying around.
i made some similar for my truk when it was basically stock.

my truk's motor mounts.
maybe $2 and an hour in these.
if i had to buy the material.
most of the time was grinding flux core welds.



32 ford with sbc. cheap, diy and kiss

[dubie]

i bought and installed the L bracket style motor mounts as well as a 3" dropped axle and 3" dropped mono leafs on my 56. It drops it pretty damn low. If you're looking for a nice stance on a daily driver, I'd remove 2 or 3 leafs from the rear and install a 3" dropped axle up front from Sids. I won't be driving mine daily so I went a bit lower

[mknittle]

Here's mine. they use 70s Camaro shackle bushings.

[parkwood]

Originally Posted by mknittle

Here's mine. they use 70s Camaro shackle bushings.

very nice looking..... great job..

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by parkwood

very nice looking..... great job..

Thanks parkwood, They were fun to make.

[sqrlnts]

I am using the L brackets welded and bolted to the frame, daily driven so far so good. Also using a CPP 3" dropped axle with only 3 springs up front. Its not optimal, it needs more springs up front to hold the weight but it gave me the stance I was after. You must also consider bump steer when lowering our trucks. Sids can rework your steering arms to mostly eliminate it. I am using a second row 99 Suburban bench seat with a fold down armrest. Its like a 60/40 split, the seats fold up and the backs fold forward for rear cab access.

[76er]

Are you speaking of the mounts from LMC? I will be using the 3" dropped springs and no other means of lowering, do you think i will have bumpsteer not going anymore radical than that or will i need further mods? Do you have a problem with pitman arm flex.
Thanks

[sketchy57]

I used the L bracket-style mounts, (coming up on 20 years ago), when I dropped a small block in my Jeep and they're still there. That's before I knew how to fabricate and had to rent a welder to put them in. Today there isn't much I won't try to fabricate but it's not always an option for some. Just my .02 worth.

[76er]

Yeah, I know you guys are right about the mustang ii suspension, but here is the problem. I don't have welding skills, therefore no fab skills so whatever i use has to either bolt on or i have to farm it out. Now by the time i pay at least $2000.00 for the kit, $200.00 for the dropped spindle kit, $200.00 for the power rack option, $129.00 for the line kit, $150.00 for the motor mounts,then pay someone to install it all ( only 2 places in my area that do that kind of work, one says bring and i'll chrg $75.00 an hour, the other says $1500.00 minimum to do it) then i've got close to $4000.00 in it, thats never gonna happen, that money will get me a paint job.