Guest HBskinheadZ Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 For all those thinking about changing their front diff mount or making a new one I have posted some pics of the mount I just finished in my personal gallery. I copied it from Jeromio, http://240z.jeromio.com/diffmount.html but I did change a couple of things. I liked his set up because it is cheap ($6 the way I did it) and it lowers the mount 1/2 inch. The first one I did was a crossmember from a 72 240 but when I was swaping them out I noticed that the early 260 (same as the 280) was almost 3/8" lower on the top. The later crossmember does not have the little rise in the center like the early one does. So I started over on the later crossmember and that is the one you will see in my gallery. The bushings are shackle bushings from a jeep wrangler energy suspension part # 2005. The sleeves that are through the crossmember are actually the tapered ends from some galv fence pipe from home depot. I did not have to cut the top of my crossmember because the sleeve fits perfect. I left about 3/8" seperation from the underside of the modified factory mount to the top of the crossmember so it would have some space under deceleration/downshifting and slotted the bolt holes a little for some adjustment to raise it more if I have to or lower it. I will be posting some other pics in the near future after I get a web site up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 The pics are great, thanks! I like the way you did that modification using the later style cross member. I also like your motor and the detail you put into it. Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Great idea in providing a means to positively control both up and down movement . Have you done any "strength" tests comparing it to an unmodified member? With the vertical portions of the member removed for the bushings, I'm curious about its long term durability in regards to high torque applications. The four bolts holding the member to the unibody should help in preventing any weakening in the middle. Just brainstorming here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nic-Rebel450CA Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 I saw a mount on someone else's page that was a combination of two mounts put together in a way that it took the left portion (in this pic) and the same half of another mount and welded them together. They said this allowed for a little more room for dual exhaust. Anyone recall seeing what I am talking about and know who's it is? Would it be possible to combine these two designs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 You are probably talking about these pictures Pict#1 Pict#2 Pict#3 but I don't know who did it. Pete also did one but by welding in 1/2 a piece of tubing on the right side as this picture shows Pict#4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Nic-Rebel450CA Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Ya, those are pics of the one I am talking about. Is there anyone with good fab skills that could make one similar for me? I think my mount is getting a little clunky and it would be a good idea to just upgrade now, rather than when I do my swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeromio Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Just to be clear, I can't take credit for the idea. I copied it from Simon deGroot (who lives in Australia and has built an amazing 240Z). Those pics appear to show 2 diff cross members, cut in half, with the 2 big humped pieces welded back together. I could make another one, but I'd have to charge you $10,000 for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Those pictures are indeed two halves welded together for the "double hump" so that my dual exhaust pipes would be of even height, and up as high as possible. This mounting though is a solid type of mounting (as is the rear of the differential), so it does not allow the advantages of Jeromio's mounting of compactness, and it's insulation of some of the drivetrain noise (which is music to my ears anyway). I have since modified it to include an overhead band that can hold the front of the differential in place should my lower crossmember ever decide to break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HBskinheadZ Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 I thought of sectioning the crossmember but I will be keeping my stock fuel tank so i will be using a flowmaster y pipe. If I ever go to a fuel cell I would section it and reinforce the sides where the poly bushings are and the bottom so that the front of the diff could stay in its lowered position for driveshaft angle. I will sell the 240z crossmember I made if someone makes it worth my time, but you will have to make the diff mount from your old rubber one (not very hard if you have a welder) I will post a pic in my gallery. Jeromio, How has your mount worked so far? Have you had any problems with your setup? Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HBskinheadZ Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 blueovalz, Hey Terry I have not done any strength tests but it is solid. I did not cut the top or bottom of the crossmember and I think that adding the tubes going across actually would make it stronger. The stock mount just has 1 bolt attaching it to the crossmember, in the center at the top of the crossmember the steel is double thickness. By adding the two sleeves it should actually keep the diff from twisting because it has a layer of poly keeping it from going up on one side and from going down on the other (or twisting) any of you engineer types can school me if i am wrong I think having the sleeves inside the crossmember also give you more clearance for the two bolts that attach the mount to the diff. I shaved about 1/8" from the top of the diff bolts so I would maintain clearance from the crossmember. If the sleeves come through the top of the crossmember you will have to raise the mount so the bolts will clear the crossmember. That will raise the front of the Diff. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Matt, if you notice in the Pict#4 (For larger view, click here:) http://home.comcast.net/~pparaska/image/drivelinemods/front_diff_mount_installed_highlightedv.jpg that shows my front crossmember for the rear a-arms, my diff isn't mounted to that crossmember at all. In fact, just above that crossmember you can see the bolt heads of the bolts that go up into the Ron Tyler designed diff mount. The bolts go through the bolt holes in a Chevy transmission mount (TH350, etc.) that is has it's stud going through Ron Tyler's u-shaped diff mount. More info here: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~rontyler/diffmount.html and here: http://home.comcast.net/~pparaska/drivelinemods.htm#Differential_Front_Mount Ron lists these as the advantages of this method of diff mounting: - No more torn bushings. - No more vibratons under acceleration from the diff lifting. - Allows you to adjust the pinion angle to a more desirable position for V8 swap My Z has 6000+ miles on it since the conversion. And quite of them under full throttle, some on the street, some at the drag strip, some on the road course. No driveline vibration has ever been noted. And no breakage of the driveline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 13, 2003 Share Posted October 13, 2003 Funny that this should come up. I just PM'd Jeromio this morning asking if he tried to find a poly bushing that would be small enough so that you don't have to cut the top of the crossmember. This post answers all of the questions I had. I like PParaska's mount or Ron Tyler's if you prefer, but I think I'm going to go with Matt's because I have an extra crossmember and diff mount to take measurements from... I love this forum, Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HBskinheadZ Posted October 14, 2003 Share Posted October 14, 2003 Hey Pete, I also thought of doing the mount you made, and may at sometime if this one dosent work well. I think the theory is the same, and I already had most of the material to make this one and it only took a couple hours. I also like Jeromios Idea because it removes all the clutter above the diff and drops a couple pounds in material, the factory strap,bolt and mount weigh 2lb 5-1/4 oz, I also cut the factory mount in half but I,m not sure of the weight difference between the stock mount and the material I used to make my mount but it removed some more weight. Im not getting craze about the weight being that I weight in at a slender 250lbs myself but for those skinny guys just a little lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RB26powered74zcar Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 There is one more pic in my pic gallery>>http://www.hybridz.org/phpBB2/album_personal.php?user_id=1090 [/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted October 16, 2003 Share Posted October 16, 2003 Yep - that's the deal. Glad to see you didn't go with the colored urethane - kind o ricey if it's other than black . That looks just like what I have in my car. The diff pushes against the urethane that's showing and that the extra plate that the mount comes with presses against, so I see no reason that the mount should because of leaving the plate out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluex_v1 Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Just a tad to add to this thread... I just did the same diff mount as the HBskinheadZ modified Jeromio modified DeGroot mount using jeep shackle bushings and the ends of chainlink fence horizontals (had to buy 2 ten foot sections just for the ends though, because they don't have just individual junction peices or anything, however they were still cheap). At home depot, I found a blu-mol 1 1/8" bimetal hole saw that managed to cut 4 perfect sized circles for the tubing and still has plenty of life left in it. all they had at the parts store was ricer red for the bushings though BTW, does anyone know what specific gasses are produced from welding on galvanized steel? The dude at home depot told me vinegar would take it right off, but no luck with that so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HBskinheadZ Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Good point about the galvanized pipe, I welded it with a fan blowing away from me and plenty of fresh air. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j260z Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 you should really strip the galvanizing off first. all you need is some muriatic acid (old name for hydrocloric acid). you can pick it up at either a paint store or Home Depot. it is primarily used to etch concrete floors before painting them. that stuff will strip those pipes in seconds just watch out for the fumes and don't get any on you. it's not too strong but it will burn you if you don't rinse it off with water right away. the proceedure would be put your pieces in a pail and pour in just enough acid to get the job done probably less than a cup. when finished grab the pieces with pliers and rinse them off thouroughly. you can either pour the acid back into the origional container or get another container and fill it with a gallon of water and put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in it then slowly pour the acid into the water.(always pour acid into water never the other way around) if you do this it will neutralize the acid and you can flush it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bluex_v1 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Thanks for the tip. I found some 30% HCL 'muriatic acid' and striped the pieces with that. They came out nice and clean, however it did take about an hour of soaking. It bubbled and smoked like crazy for a long time and now I have a nice clean spot on my driveway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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