Transmission Mount for e4od

[bossind]

These are in my SAS build thread. been getting some questions on it so I thought it would be nice to put all the pics together.

To make room for the Cage Radius Arms mounts, it is necessary to relocate the OEM transmission cross member back a couple inches. Thus requiring a fabrication of a new cross member.

Some OEM pics









Purchase some square tubing 2 X 4" 1/4" thick


remove the transfer case skid plate




Cut to length (37")


Trial fit


The OEM cross member can stay in place while fabing, notice the notching on the passenger side OEM to make room.




Making the bridge for the transmission mount (4.5")


Cut at 45% to ease nut access


Using a tall Axle stand to support the transmission so OEM cross member can be removed


Tack everything together







Take it off and weld it up


Painted and installed










Plenty of room now!

[zainyD]

Nice job! Would you be able to make a template for others?

[bossind]

Originally Posted by zainyD

Nice job! Would you be able to make a template for others?

Thanks, I'm pretty sure you could make one with the info I've given.

[plug ugly]

I dont like the frame mounts. You should use the sides of the frame also, and could raise the mount higher for increased belly pan clearnace.

[bossind]

Originally Posted by plug ugly

I dont like the frame mounts. You should use the sides of the frame also, and could raise the mount higher for increased belly pan clearnace.

Nothing would be gained by doing so. Also the mount can't do much higher with out running into the front drive shaft. Can't tell by the pics maybe but its higher than factory and is up between the transfer case and the back of the transmission. Radius arm mounts are even lower than the trans mount.

see. Don't want my transfer case being the lowest thing on the belly.

[plug ugly]

I disagree that nothing would be gained. Currently, you have a 300 plus pound tranny and Tcase assembly hanging off 3/16 flat metal pice of frame. Your frame mounts are two pieces of 1.4 that have been bent witha break, which arguable pre weakens the steel and makes it prone to bending. Couple that with a 6500 pound bronco, and iff you hit that xmember on a rock, or get hung up, there is not much in the way of reinforcing to keep from bending or tearing the frame. You have two C type pieces of metal that will leverage off each other, and bend the frame, which will in turn twist the tranny mount as one side raises, which will affect your shaft angles, motor mounts, and potentially all the way up to your fan, whcih will then hit the fan shroud.

I understand your point about the tcase and not wanting it low, but that is what a well built skid plate is for. And, instead of an approximate 6" square area where the belly pan would need to dip down to clear the tcase, you have an entire 2x4 piece of steel hanging down. Moreover, that is right at the breakover angle on our rigs, so if you are climbing a ledge, its gonna hit.

Its well built, Im not trying to bash your work, Im just telling you from experience what the truth is. Take it or leave, but I think you need to redesign the mounts.

[bossind]

Originally Posted by plug ugly

I disagree that nothing would be gained. Currently, you have a 300 plus pound tranny and Tcase assembly hanging off 3/16 flat metal pice of frame. Your frame mounts are two pieces of 1.4 that have been bent witha break, which arguable pre weakens the steel and makes it prone to bending. Couple that with a 6500 pound bronco, and iff you hit that xmember on a rock, or get hung up, there is not much in the way of reinforcing to keep from bending or tearing the frame. You have two C type pieces of metal that will leverage off each other, and bend the frame, which will in turn twist the tranny mount as one side raises, which will affect your shaft angles, motor mounts, and potentially all the way up to your fan, whcih will then hit the fan shroud.

I understand your point about the tcase and not wanting it low, but that is what a well built skid plate is for. And, instead of an approximate 6" square area where the belly pan would need to dip down to clear the tcase, you have an entire 2x4 piece of steel hanging down. Moreover, that is right at the breakover angle on our rigs, so if you are climbing a ledge, its gonna hit.

Its well built, Im not trying to bash your work, Im just telling you from experience what the truth is. Take it or leave, but I think you need to redesign the mounts.

Pretty sure the frame is 1/4". And a class 3 trailer hitch mounts the same way but on the back - I won't have any problem with my 5/16" brackets that spread over an area of 8" held in by grade 8 bolts. Yet to build the skid plate and yes I should get to it. Regardless I've yet to find any rocks in my part of the world that I would be crawling over, lots of swamp and mosquitoes though.

EDIT: plug is right about the frame being 3/16"

[reptillikus]

Trailer hitch isnt a good comparison, it only sees one load, directly in line with the frame. its not putting side-loads on it like the trans xmember would see while wheelin.
I have to agree with plugugly on how it mounts to the frame; just having a heavy gauge plate on the outside that bolts to both the frame & the xmember would probably help stiffen it up as well. It scary how much stress the front susp will put on the frame.
I wont argue having it below the frame; its all about the vehicles intended use, and yours is definitely used differently than pluglys.

[bossind]

Originally Posted by reptillikus

Trailer hitch isnt a good comparison, it only sees one load, directly in line with the frame. its not putting side-loads on it like the trans xmember would see while wheelin.
I have to agree with plugugly on how it mounts to the frame; just having a heavy gauge plate on the outside that bolts to both the frame & the xmember would probably help stiffen it up as well. It scary how much stress the front susp will put on the frame.
I wont argue having it below the frame; its all about the vehicles intended use, and yours is definitely used differently than pluglys.

You can’t be serious about the trailer hitch not seeing much load. You have side loads in turns, tongue weight, emergency braking and maneuvers, uphill down hill. If anything it would see more than a simple transmission mount. Of course I'm thinking full trailer load, or pulling a flat bed with a car, not your lawn mower. Here are the specs of a class 3 trailer hitch 6,000 WT Distributing, 600 Max Tongue WT

My front suspension isn’t attached to my trans mount so I don’t understand why you mention that, and yet no one has had an issue with the mounts.

Lets keep this simple,

The OEM trans mount worked fine. Many if any have never had an issue with it. The only time they might have an issue is when they drag it over some rocks and it bends as a result. It’s of very light steel, don’t know off hand but much lighter than what I used.

My trans-mount is of heaver metal and mounts over a larger area then the OEM one. Therefore it’s much stronger than factory.

The trans mount its self is rubber!! Surly to god my mount is stronger than rubber.

And how about this - its been 9 months of no problem, no flex marks on this mount. Its proven. Looks like the day I installed it.

[BigDumbFord]

That does look like a hang up point. IS there a way maybe to contour the xmember into the frame rails? You would think that the first bad stump in the swamp you'd get stuck on, would rip that thing right out. Although the OEM member is not nearly built that tough, it won't see nearly the impact that that one will..... just my .02, then again its prob more like .01, have you seen my Fordcoction?

[bossind]

Originally Posted by BigDumbFord

That does look like a hang up point. IS there a way maybe to contour the xmember into the frame rails? You would think that the first bad stump in the swamp you'd get stuck on, would rip that thing right out. Although the OEM member is not nearly built that tough, it won't see nearly the impact that that one will..... just my .02, then again its prob more like .01, have you seen my Fordcoction?

Well maybe hook up, but wouldn't rip it off. Id fetch up hard, it is higher up than the factory one. And certainly a lot higher than my front axle, and only a 1/2" lower than my transfer case. So If a stump was to somehow miss my front axle I would perfer it be the trans mount and not the Tcase. Why wouldn't the an OEM see nearly the same impact? Not everyone runs cage arms and needs to move their T Mount and are in fact running the OEM mount. Keep in mind I've yet to build a skid plate.

[BigDumbFord]

As long as the skid plate goes almost the full width of the member.... on the OEM member, only the part that is under the drive train is below the frame rails, where as all of your member is below the frame rails.... but I imagine it could be resolved with a good skid plate... good fab job though, wish I could figure out how not to weld in bugers...

[reptillikus]

No need to get defensive, im not questioning your work It just seems to me that a trans xmember w/ radius arms attached to it would see alot more sideloads than a trailer hitch since 99% of the time the trailer is right there behind you, not swerving way to the left or right pulling hard, sideways, on the vehicle. I have no doubt that your trans mount is beefier than stock, only agreeing with plugly that when ford designed the xmember, they mustve attached to more than just the bottom of the frame rails for a reason, and that maybe yours would be even stronger if you did so too.

[bossind]

Originally Posted by BigDumbFord

As long as the skid plate goes almost the full width of the member.... on the OEM member, only the part that is under the drive train is below the frame rails, where as all of your member is below the frame rails.... but I imagine it could be resolved with a good skid plate... good fab job though, wish I could figure out how not to weld in bugers...

Take a look at my first few pics up there, the oem went from side to side and hanged down a long ways as well. Yes I really should make that skid plate to show what I have in mind. School will be out in a couple months so I'll have the shop to myself again. Thanks bud.

[bossind]

Originally Posted by reptillikus

No need to get defensive, im not questioning your work It just seems to me that a trans xmember w/ radius arms attached to it would see alot more sideloads than a trailer hitch since 99% of the time the trailer is right there behind you, not swerving way to the left or right pulling hard, sideways, on the vehicle. I have no doubt that your trans mount is beefier than stock, only agreeing with plugly that when ford designed the xmember, they mustve attached to more than just the bottom of the frame rails for a reason, and that maybe yours would be even stronger if you did so too.

I wasn't getting defensive, just typing fast. Certainly having the radius arms attached to that mount would add a lot of stress; if I had I would have gone a different route. As for the factory mount it didn't mount up on the sides like Plug is suggesting I do, it mounted top and bottom and formed an X, I think the X bracing was to add more strength to the cross member to hold the transmission and tcase. . I was able to reuse the factory holes when I built my mount.


Correction: I went out and looked at the old mount. On the passenger side it mounts with 3 bolts into the side of the frame but none below, on the drivers side it mounts via one bolt in the underside of the frame and than uses and extension to reach the top of the frame where its help by 2 bolts.

[bossind]

Heres the old mount, I don’t see it adding much strength to the frame

[Shadofax]

I'm not seeing an issue with da member. It is a little different than what plug did, and what I did in following, and it does hang about 1" lower than mine, but that also means it clearances the front DC style driveshaft easy and mine is going to be really close (have not done this yet since I'm sure it will fit, but GKR's does and his 'member is like mine). In any case, skid plate I went with:

[plug ugly]

I have no driveshaft issues and I run a DC shaft. It wont dropp near as much as you think it will, and if a straight shaft fits, a DC will fit better

[RussLightning]

ty

[silent one]

Since this was brought back up and since the new cage arms are bigger than the old ones and would make the mount to far back, i had any idea for a trans mount.

I want to take 2 stock cross members and cut the driver side off of one and the passenger side off the other and make one mount kind of like this pics i stole from Bossind and cut up. What do you think, i would reinforce it as well.