It is a good thing that I took pics.      I spaced the diff down with timber while measuring the new brackets, then cut, drilled, weld, grind and paint.  I am pretty happy with the brackets.  I think they will hold in there longer then the alloy housing.    I may fab up a new rear mount bracket, but I am undecided as to if it would be any great benefit.  I would like to support the rear mount on both sides of the pinion.

RH bracket


LH bracket


Old and new brackets

nice job.
those would be a nice addition to a budget lift.

they look sweet. good job. well, seeing as my vits off the road, i may have some spare time to have a good closer look. how much are those brackets dropping the diff? i take it you've only dropped the front of the diff.

does the rear mount bind, did you change the rear mounting bushes?

thanks again.

Thanks.

They lowered the front of the diff 50mm.  Which means that I can drop the struts down another 50mm.  

I haven't changed the rear diff mount as yet.  Yes it has binded up a fair bit.  I am thinking that I should put a re angled mount so that it doesn't bind up and also a more rigid bush as the original one is very soft and even though it is binded almost to its limit, it still manages to flex up and allow the drive shaft flange to foul the gearbox bellhousing when wound up and driving downhill.  There is not much clearance between the pinion and the cross member, so I can't lower it much.

FITY, what bushes are you using in your new drop brackets? are the urethane ones like what are used in leaf springs?

the OEM ones seem to have a bit of movement in them, like a shock absorber. i was thinking if you used harder ones like urethane ones, then it may be easier to break the housing itself.

i suppose you can get rubber bushes, but some sizes are hard to find, and cost a bit more than the aftermarket urethane ones.

I am using some leaf spring bushes from a Sami, chassie end.  I just had to cut them down around 4mm so they would fit into the chassie bracket.

They are urethane ones.  I thought about the extra movement of the OEM bushes, but I figured that with that extra movement that they have it may cause a hammering effect as the hole diff housing can jump up, down, left and right.  There is no difference in driving with the harder bushes, I was worried about vibrations.  I have seen the Calmini brackets and I think they use urethane ones.

I gave it a test run last weekend with no problem, but long term it may lead to housing fractures.  I think I should have extrended the RH bracket to pick up some of the bolts holding in the diff centre for added support.

Ed,

I was looking at this

And was wondering if your wheel alignment is correct?  The two adjusters seem to be in different positions.  I am thinking that if everything was straight, then the lower camber adjusters should be symetrical (ie; in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions).  Yours are 9 o'clock and 7 o'clock.  

Wheel alignment is okay, not the best possible, still a little like this: / \ I'm pretty sure the car isn't completely straight anymore after a 45mph crash into a Alfa Romeo   so that'd be the cause I think  
It was all a little guessing at the alignment shop because I had some play in the steering  :-/

Just as a note...

I first installed my ProComp lift with the strut spacers backwards. I thought I had the directions right, but the camber angle of the tires was more like / \ . So, I spun the mounts, so that the tabs for the shacks was to the rear. The camber was closer to | |  . The problem? It takes away some of your caster angle... and on-center feel and return-to-center.

I just put 30's on it. With the spacers backwards, the tires rubbed LOUDLY on the front bumper when the wheels were tunred close to full stop ... but only while backing up. Since I spun the mounts back like they are "supposed" to be, I get light rubbing on both the front bumper and the plastic bachind the front tires while braking and turning. This is pronounced when hitting those side streets with the drainage dips.

Just my opinion... but I like Whitfield's front mount. The ProComp control arm drops sit pretty low for giving "lift". I whacked mine today on something in a mud hole, and this is what I got:


I guess I shoulda put the skid plate on... but I left it leaning against the wall in the shop...  :-/

Hey b1, great tip, have to try that one might have done it wrong too because there were no instructions with it.
I have made my own front skid because I have a 3" body-lift the original one was to short, just have to bent it and install it now  

What was too short? an OEM skid plate on the front?

The one that was a part of my lift is a flat one that runs between the two drop brackets. I figure it might have lessened the bend I got when I hit the uh...  ,, something....

I see the need for a prerunner style skid to a custom bumper.

It is an optional skid plate brom the front bracket to the oem bumper   that's why it's too short I have no oem bumper and the body-lift causes the bumper to be even further away from the front bracket.  

I was gonna do the same to my GV soon hmm sami bushing im gonna measure them up this weekned great work guy