ZUKIWORLD Online | Suzuki 4x4 Editorial and Forum
ZUKIWORLD Discussion Forum => Build Diaries, How-To, DIY => Topic started by: Quaddawg on March 19, 2007, 08:54:21 AM
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Well... I decided to make a quick and easy, no-weld front diff mount...
Nope, it's not pretty and perfect, but works great
Two pieces of steel strap, a torch to heat it (not needed) a drill and you're done.
(http://www.forumsigs.com/users/quaddawg605/Diffmount/mount4.jpg)
(http://www.forumsigs.com/users/quaddawg605/Diffmount/mount2.jpg)
It leaves the front diff rubber mounted (except in reverse...) and seems to be pretty darned strong. The "ear" for mounting is broken on my front diff, but with this redneck-engineered strap set-up, it's STRONG! (strong enough)
all pictures here:
http://www.forumsigs.com/users/quaddawg605/diffmount/
Sorry, I didn't take any pictures while making it, but it's simple and straight forward.
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I like the detail that you put into it, that the rust level is the same on the new mount as the crossmember and other steel parts around it.
Looks like the pinion seal is leaking just a fraction.
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heh heh, yeah, the mount has been broken for a while and everytime I would make a long climb, the diff would deflect down,and cause the pinion seal to leak.....
finally decided to fix it, and it works great now. The upper strap had been on there for a few trips already, I just finished the lower strap this last weekend.
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Quaddawg, I recently broke my mount. What gauge metal did you use, and is it still working or has it broke or bent. I'd like to do the same quick and easy fix. If anyone else has a fix other than removing and reweldind let me know. Thanks.
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Quaddawg, I recently broke my mount. What gauge metal did you use, and is it still working or has it broke or bent. I'd like to do the same quick and easy fix. If anyone else has a fix other than removing and reweldind let me know. Thanks.
from the pictures, it looks to be 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 X 1/4 flat stock. I don't know for sure but, I am sure it has not broken.
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You have the right idea there all right BUT those alloy front diffs break apart after a while and destroy all the internals :(
I will take some pics tommorrow of a broken nugget and a home grown steel replacement - please note: the steel diff is NOT a new idea and I can and will not claim to be the founder of such ( basically I aint going to take someone elses credit for it ;) )
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Yours is fancer than mine. I made just the top strap, got rid of the rubber in the mounting and strapped it all down to the cross over. I don't get any noise at all from grounding the diff to the frame.
I'm a convert from a sand buggy, and all the powertrain was strapped to the frame (no rubber mountings.
I also have a steal third member out of a sami. There's no mount on those, so thats another reason for the strap.
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Mine's pretty much the same as those, but when I lowered my diff, and made new front mounts, I also dropped the output down till it's almost on the crossmember. Eliminated the bottom half of the mount. Still holding up fine, with no broken parts in 2 years now. I finally got ahold of a steel front diff and carrier out of a 99 GV, and one of these days I'll swap my gears into it, and do a 37kicker Toyota cv swap. Make that baby idiot proof. Then all I'll need is some heavy duty rear axles and 33's.
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Just wanted to say thanks for the info. I'll give it a go next weekend will take some pics of it and some custom bumpers I'm working on this week.
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I've seen this diff mount mod a couple times before and always wondered the same thing. How do you drill out the hole in the crossmember for the bushing on the outside side of the diff? It doesn't look like theres alot of room to get a drill in there. Did you just use an existing hole on the member?
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I've seen this diff mount mod a couple times before and always wondered the same thing. How do you drill out the hole in the crossmember for the bushing on the outside side of the diff? It doesn't look like theres alot of room to get a drill in there. Did you just use an existing hole on the member?
There isn't a LOT of room, but there was just enough to get a drill in there... I MIGHT have used a right angle air drill, sorry I don't really remember, it's been a while now.
I do remember it being a bit difficult to get the drill where I wanted to get it, but it's doable.
Oh, I remember, I dropped the spindle off the passenger side control arm, and got the drill in from underneath
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I unbolted the bottom ball joint so I could push the control are down, then I drilled the hole. I have diff drop brackets on my set up so the pinion sits on the cross member. I originally built a strap to go over the pinion, and after a couple trips out I noticed that it started to bend, and was pulling the metal around the hole I drilled in the cross member up. I re bent the strap back into shape and welded another piece of flat bar over the strap and then added a couple of gussets. I also added some large washers around the hole in the cross member to distribute the pull on it. I have not had any problems since.
Here are a couple pics
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no fair, yours is pretty!!! Mine is all redneck... lol..
Seriously, that is nice, now that I actually have a garage and welder set up and everything, I guess it's time to re-do it and make it nice like that..
Good work!
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no fair, yours is pretty!!! Mine is all redneck... lol..
Seriously, that is nice, now that I actually have a garage and welder set up and everything, I guess it's time to re-do it and make it nice like that..
Good work!
naw, just paint it blue ;)
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no fair, yours is pretty!!! Mine is all redneck... lol..
Seriously, that is nice, now that I actually have a garage and welder set up and everything, I guess it's time to re-do it and make it nice like that..
Good work!
Thanks
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Hi guys, nice work.
I like your mod and will probably be chopping up my existing brackets to make drop brackets to take a little strain off the cv joints.
Why did you not weld your new bracket right to the existing left mount bracket? I recall hearing that these mounts were already broken in one case and that there is some concern about the holes stripping. Maybe there is another really obvious answer to this question that I am not aware of or maybe it is just to make it easier to remove etc. I am thinking I would like to just beef up the existing mount assuming that I find nothing loose in there already (pretty likely as I bought my sidekick from a little old lady and it was obviously never offroad.)
Thanks for the info so far.
Aaron
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Hi guys, nice work.
I like your mod and will probably be chopping up my existing brackets to make drop brackets to take a little strain off the cv joints.
Why did you not weld your new bracket right to the existing left mount bracket? I recall hearing that these mounts were already broken in one case and that there is some concern about the holes stripping. Maybe there is another really obvious answer to this question that I am not aware of or maybe it is just to make it easier to remove etc. I am thinking I would like to just beef up the existing mount assuming that I find nothing loose in there already (pretty likely as I bought my sidekick from a little old lady and it was obviously never offroad.)
Thanks for the info so far.
Aaron
The mount on my third member is broken. The reason that I did not weld it to the mount on the left is so that it is easily removable, if it was welded on I'm not sure you could get it off
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Thanks! I will have to look hard at the whole thing when I am in there. I am guessing that it would not be removable because the exiting mount goes at least partially under the diff and that by welding on the crossover piece you would effectively trap the bracket to the diff. Either way I am going to try to use the existing mount bolts.
Of course, I just figured out that I can't cut up and extend the existing diff brackets :(. I have welded with impunity to cast differentials, etc with a tiger torch and packing sand but these brackets are a mite small. Anybody fabbed there own that is on the site? I am just wondering if they just used the existing brackets as templates or if they found they had to tack everything up in situ (it takes a lot longer and usually involves some hot bits dropping the wrong side of your chaps while you are balancing on your head with your feet wrapped around an axle - ask me how I know.) I ask because my mig welder is a ferry ride and a two hour drive from where I live so it would be a lot easier to weld bits on the bench and rip the truck down all at once. I am sure I could pick up a cheap stick rig but I haven't used stick in a long time and these are small bits.
On a side note, has anyone attempted any more dramatic diff lowering than the one inch ... perhaps relocating the crossmember downward a bit?
Another side note, I believe that I read these frames are not tempered and, therefore, one can weld with abandon (that said, I actually had the motor vehicle inspector tell me he wanted a fabbed crossmember welded to the frame of my Subby and, so, I am a lot less hesitant about welding on the frame than some people.)
Thanks in advance for all of your answers,
Aaron
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On a side note, has anyone attempted any more dramatic diff lowering than the one inch ... perhaps relocating the crossmember downward a bit?
X2 ;D
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Made my own diff brackets, and lowered aprox 1.5". Pics at www.flickr.com/photos/bentparts.
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I dropped the entire IFS 4" (Front mounts, rear cross member, and diff brackets).