Any one ever thought of welding a plate to mount the ta mount to the xmember, and reuse the stock TA and mount, instead of going with the aftermarket set ups?

What if you took the same Idea and made a L, and bolted the bottom of the L to the Xmember, and then use washers, or spacers to adjust your pinion angle? and then bolted or weleded the old mount to the L?

Any Ideas? It would be pretty simle for some one with some plate, and some angle iron to reinforce the xmember. I might give it a shot with an extra xmmember and TA mount when it cools off a bit.

 

I've thought of it for a 350formula I'm about to pick up. I think it could be done with a little cutting and little welding. I would probably build a new crosmember though, as the factory is just so chinsy anyhow. The only thing I'd have to look closer at would be getting the mount far enough away from the trans to not have any rattles, but at the same time keeping it far enough away from the floor boards....

 

If it was properly thought out, it would work. You have to allow the front to be able to move forward, and back, as the rear suspension rises and lowers. I remember Tory Hess saying he had performed that in an old GMHTP article. After speaking to Madman about it, he did somthing very similar, IIRC.

 

able to move forward and back eh? That's why our stock torque arms have that clamshell mount, so it can slide in there? hmm, I wonder if mine is too tight?

A telescoping link would do the job right? I know some guys here have made a homemade TA with a "telescoping link"... I'm curious to see what that's like...

 

I dont think its too tight. There is alot of energy that will make it slide. Do you have a rubber, or poly one?

 

I was planning on reusing the clamshell so that It would beable to move forward and back. I think it could work decently well, and could possibly help with keeping some of the engergy wasted in the rubber mounts.

 

I have poly... It was near impossible to get the bottom half of the mount to get squished together enough to get the bolts to engage, I had to use a c-clamp to hold them together so I could get bolts in it. I couldn't force the mount to slide back on the TA for the life of me. hmm, actually maybe I did, in order to line it back up to bolt it to the trans.

nifty idea though, would like to see your plan put into action.

 

Yes, either vise grips or a C-clamp, then the top bolt holes in the clamp, still wont line up...LOL. I also replaced the top torque mount bolt with a 5/16 socket head bolt, then you can pull the 5/16 allen head off of a allen head socket.Then tighten it up. Way more room this way, over trying to put a ratchet on it. It makes it WAY easier IMO. After you pull these cars apart dozens of times, you learn alot of tricks.

 

I installed a stud and slotted the bolt hole in my mount so it would slide over.

 

Well look what UMI just released.

UMI Performance Inc.

 

Too bad they don't have one ready for 82-92.

 

I bet they will at some time.

 

I'll take that bet. Every day, third-gens are getting totaled, and the market is getting even smaller. Maybe not every single day, but often enough.

I hope I'm wrong, though.

 

gust look at that one and your stock one for the 82-92 and fab up your own. it dosent look to hard to make. and if u fab up your own it will save u 340 dollers.

 

wow! - I hadn't gone as far as to see that $240 price tag> - wholy criecky batman! - for a trans crossmember? maybe $20 worth of material so $220 welds?

 

I modded my who x-member for a TH350 trans and the torque arm. I used 1/2" plate steal and messure it forward for the trans mount, and then I used 2" box steal on the driver side of the trans mount, entended that back to where the TA was originally at, weld a 1/8" plate to the box steal up right, and then bolted/welded the one side of the TA mount to the upright steal and then bolted the clamshell shut with the torque arm in it. I had to reinforce the x-member by welding 1/8" steal rods along the long edges (back and front) or the x-member because I was twisting the x-member because of the car hooking....OPPS!

But I have NO problems out of my x-member and the car rides fine, plus it puts all the torque from the rear end into the body and not the trans, so that helps stiffen the car up and get it launching harder.