S10 body mounts

[Cautrell05]

What is a good height for the cab mounts that would leave me with little or no transmission hump? Running a small block Chevy with a 700R4. Thanks

Nick

[joedoh]

from the skymangs thread, 4 1/4" tall (measured off the top of the frame) mounts will let you use a flat floor.

this is what the cover looks like with 2 3/4 tall mounts



on my 49 I was able to drop the motor and trans a little and so it wont need even that much.

[Cautrell05]

Thanks. Were those measurements to the top of the pedestal or the top of the S10 body mounts?

[joedoh]

top of the pedestal, the mounts add additional thickness.

In my cruddy opinion only, the tall mounts look like you could get a homeless shelter in between the cab and frame just to have the running boards even with the frame.

people who have never bagged an s10 think that is a great idea, lay frame = lay running boards. people who have bagged an s10 know that laying frame, especially on 18" wheels or larger, makes the caster and toe go all wonky because of the angle of the upper arms. you can use bumpstops to keep the running boards from supporting the weight of the truck, and you dont need to buy fancy tube arms or toe correcting steering linkages to lay out on bigger wheels/tires, combined those two things will cost over 1000 dollars!

[Clay54]

I think I am confused and don't want to be argumentative, but, referring to post#15 on skymangs S10 build thread and the attachment to that post you see "Version 2" with measurements scratched out and new values added for the cab stands. I questioned Chris (skymangs) about this when he posted it and Chris sent me a copy of the original which I will attach to this post. Also note that the phrase "Flat floor at this height" is included. I believe this phrase should have been crossed out as well for Version 2. The "penciled in" scribbling on my attachment was made by me and not a part of Chris' original copy.

Keep in mind, I have not made my cab stands as yet so I don't know from experience which is the correct height for a flat floor and would appreciate someone providing this information. Clay

[HUSSEY]

What kind of height are you going for? If you like you can use mine for reference. I got my body as low as I could without having to do any tunneling for the drive shaft. Also left for a moderate transmission hump.

I drew up a set of plans for the cab mounts I came up with.

For reference, from the frame to the top of the front mount was 4 inches. I have more reference pics in my build thread. Here's the dimensions of my mounts.





Downloadable PDFs which are a bit clearer are available at the following links:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B29...ew?usp=sharing

[HUSSEY]

From the top of the frame to the bottom of the cab floor support measures 4 in.

Here are some shots of the cab mounts with the cab bolted in place.

[Cautrell05]

Thanks guys. That helps a lot. Looking at maybe a 235/60/15 on 15x8s. Forgot to take measurements last time it was together but I was basing the height on having the lower control arms level.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Clay54

I think I am confused and don't want to be argumentative, but, referring to post#15 on skymangs S10 build thread and the attachment to that post you see "Version 2" with measurements scratched out and new values added for the cab stands. I questioned Chris (skymangs) about this when he posted it and Chris sent me a copy of the original which I will attach to this post. Also note that the phrase "Flat floor at this height" is included. I believe this phrase should have been crossed out as well for Version 2. The "penciled in" scribbling on my attachment was made by me and not a part of Chris' original copy.

Keep in mind, I have not made my cab stands as yet so I don't know from experience which is the correct height for a flat floor and would appreciate someone providing this information. Clay

if I had made my mounts 4 1/4, I would be able to use the flat trans cover no question, only the small part of the bellhousing pokes through.

its important to set your motor and trans correctly, for example if I moved the engine back another inch or so all bets would be off for a trans tunnel.

I guess my advice is, stop planning so much. That can be misinterpreted or misunderstood, so let me explain.

Originally Posted by Helmuth von Moltke

no battle plan survives contact with the enemy

or from a different direction but same basic meaning,

Originally Posted by Engineers everywhere

dont spend an hour fighting about the supposed outcome of a 5 minute test

you have to be flexible, especially building your truck "on the bench" as it were before starting for real. I have seen a lot of guys (myself included) talk themselves out of perfectly good projects because they got to a stopping point in their thought process and said "whew! glad I thought about that before wasting a bunch of money".

Cut some steel, make that project start. even if you just trim the last 5 inches off the back of the frame (which needs done, not necessarily first haha) You are going to run into snags you couldnt possibly forsee that require you to think creatively and keep moving past it.

some guys write their to-do list on the windshield and cross things off, making each step a work line and not going to the next until you have finished everything on that line. It could say "install engine" and take a week and a half because you thought you got the right mount but didnt, or tacked it in and dropped the cab on and figured out the water pump and radiator cant possibly exist in the same space, whatever, but keep working on it.

if your goal is a flat floor, all the mounts in this thread will keep your floor mostly flat, a few (like the version 2) will let you install a flat trans cover, and the 6" set will let you install subaru brat seats under the floor and make your truck a 4 seater. (thats just humor, but the 6" set will really look goofy with the running boards off) Figure out WHY you want a flat floor. dont care about lowering? want the running boards even with the frame? dont want to make a bump in the trans cover? whatever your reasons, figure out what you would do if your plan suddenly didnt work. you will be much better off.

I have seen projects just STOP, hit a snag and STOP and be listed for sale cheap.

edit: one of the neatest guys I ever knew, we were talking about how trucks looked really cool rolling low but had to raise up to turn and that looked pretty silly, I said offhand "so just narrow the front suspension, that would fix it". A week later he sent me a picture of his truck with a narrowed front suspension turning lock to lock an inch off the ground. I had said it just thinking about it and dismissed it immediately, but here was this guy who just DID it. That has stuck with me, every time I think I am stuck I just try something and sometimes it doesnt work and I have to start over, but most times it works out amazing. The guy isnt like that anymore, he plans and plans and draws and erases, but I have always learned that lesson from him.

[Cautrell05]

Well put

[Lookin4the1]

I had planned on using "figure 3" from the s10 post that way the running boards would be 8.5" off of the ground with 2" lowering spindles and 3" blocks. I'm noticing some inconsistencies after cutting out these on cardboard first. why are the top plates a little longer than the side pieces. also, why are the heights from the frame to top of the mount different lengths from front to back. on the illustrations above they are the same height correct? i plan on plasma cutting the side pieces in order to just get one piece then welding the top and back on. can anyone clarify what, if anything I'm doing wrong here or straighten my thinking out? haha

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Lookin4the1

why are the top plates a little longer than the side pieces.

because the rockers curve inward toward the center as they go forward, and also curve inward as they go down. The rears have more room, but the outside mounting is wider than the front. if the mount was as wide as the top, the rockers would hit it and keep it out of alignment. As it is right now, you cant put the cab straight down, you have to tip it one side then the other.

Originally Posted by Lookin4the1

also, why are the heights from the frame to top of the mount different lengths from front to back.

because the front mounts will mount to the original boxed support under the cab which is about 3/4" thicker than the rear support which is just a doubler (a second piece of metal). You need different heights. you can see the boxed mount in hussys picture looking at the passenger front mount, that picture is taken through the battery cover hole.

Originally Posted by Lookin4the1

on the illustrations above they are the same height correct?

if you are talking about husseys drawing, no, they arent the same heights, and Hussey used a piece of box tubing on top of the s10 bushing and adjusted the height of the rear mount.

if you are talking about skymangs drawings, again, no, there are different heights front to back.

[Lookin4the1]

ok thanks. i'm just going to cut it out, tack weld it and see where i'm at

[joedoh]

yes, thats exactly what I was trying to say in the post from last night! "cut it, weld it, see where you are at", so much more concise haha.