Transmission Cross-Member: Little Rubber Bit: Anything Else?

[Begle1]

1: Do all first gens have a transmission cross-member that looks like it was designed by a high school girl's prom committee? I have this four-piece monstrosity that takes about 30 different bolts and nuts and is a jigsaw puzzle taking it out and putting it in. I don't really have a problem with it, it just strikes me as hilarious. I guess I wouldn't mind replacing it with something easier to remove and reinstall if there was such a piece.

2. After taking my transmission out I realized that the little horizontal rubber piece that is supposed to hold the transmission to the cross-member is ripped through. Are these rubber bushings available new anywhere? Is there something available that won't tear through nearly immediately?

3. Has anybody taken out the rubber piece and rigidly-mounted the transmission to the crossmember? Probably would be a bad idea unless you did it to the engine as well?

[Sutter1stgen]

There should be 6 bolts on each side. There is the bottom three, then another short piece that comes down from the upper part of the C-channel frame. At least that's how it was on my truck. The little rubber biscuit bushings I called around on in my local area. Everyone said they'd have to order it. I showed the piece to my dad and he went over to a huge peach bin and said "dig through here you might find something." well I found something similar.

As a alternative I've thought about using a polyurethane or teflan homade replacement. Kind of like body mounts.

[bmoeller]

3. Has anybody taken out the rubber piece and rigidly-mounted the transmission to the crossmember? Probably would be a bad idea unless you did it to the engine as well?

I hope you are trolling and not asking a serious question.....................

You do NOT want the engine and drivetrain bolted solid to the chassis. Do that, you'll need to keep a welder and radiator on the truck. Stuff WILL crack and break!

[CumminsPower59]

Bryan, the ONLY troll we had around here was given a vacation, Begle1's question is a legitimate one...

[RCCUMMINS89]

I've used body mount rubbers before. In a pinch one could also use hockey pucks.... but those are very stiff and crack quickly.

Any Poly style body/transmission type of bushing will work....

[dazedandconfused]

Are you talking about the rubber transmission mount or something else?

[RCCUMMINS89]

Me? That's what I'm talking about (rubber tranny or t-case mount), because that's what I'm assuming the OP was about.

[dazedandconfused]

No the original poster.

[Begle1]

I'm talking about the rubber transmission mount that mounts horizontally and holds the transmission to the 5-piece crossmember.