Solid transmission mount?

[Jon B.]

I’m thinking about removing the rubber mount that bolts between the Novak adapter and the crossmember, raising the xmember, and bolting the adapter directly to the crossmember. I can gain about two inches of clearance by doing this.

Is it a dumb idea? It’s not like the extra vibration would be noticeable.

I had to shim the crossmember down from the frame to keep the SM465 lower than the floor, and to improve the rear driveshaft angle.

Jon B.

 

[FinoCJ]

If you hard mount the transmission to the cross member, then you will need a absorbing mount between the cross member and frame.

 

[Jw60]

This is one reason I went with the AA adapter. Best idea I had for the Novak was to bolt a bracket to the adapter and mount the isolator off the bracket onto the crossmember.

 

[CJ51973]

I have done this a few times. I ended up using YJ spring bushings at the frame instead to gain ground clearance. Takes some fabrication

 

[cj2atruck]

I just finished building my flat belly plate and needed a new cross member for the SM420 for the same reason you are wanting a different one, ground clearance. I used a piece of 1/2” thick flat stock, added a couple of bends and welded to DOM tubing with poly bushings that attaches to the frame with tabs. Bushings came from Barnes 4WD, and are cheap.

IMG_3286 by Rick , on Flickr

The new cross member is bolted directly to my Novak adapter, but as noted by others, you need something at the frame as an isolator if you are eliminating the stock rubber mount. For the transfer case, I cut a piece of pipe on angle and slipped it between the Dana 18 torque mount and the 1/2” bar, welded it in place and bolted it solid. I’m now set for sliding over rocks.

IMG_3302 by Rick , on Flickr

I have a lot of design pictures in my build thread if you would like to see the details on how I built the new cross member and flat skid.

 

[nickmil]

I have used poly body mount bushings as insulators. Seemed to work ok. Rubber would be better. You definitely don’t want metal on metal or bolt threads will start to be pulled out to flex of components.