Torque arm relocation crossmember
Torque arm relocation crossmember Who has used a transmission crossmember torque arm relocation kit. It uses the stock type torque arm with a clamshell mount mounted to the crossmember. Just wondering how it performed and if there were any drawbacks or benifits. Iv'e got to much **** mounted where the tunnel brace is. SLP subframe connecters, and safty loop. Also welding anything to 14,000 mile car is just blasphemy. So I am pretty much limited to this style set up. The only draw back is adjustment. I has several positions to adjust the clamshell up and down for IC adjustment. But due to the length I would imagine it greatly limit that feature. I believe for all intensive purposes it would serve my needs. Just a weekend cruiser and it does visit the track twice to three time a year. With the power I am putting down the rear end pinion is pulling the torque arm out of the bushing a good bit and then bending it over and hitting one of the Lakewood safty loop bolts. Iv'e got a nice little bolt impression about and inch in-front of the area where it is hitting. If that tells you how much it's moving around down there. I am not going for the tens or anything like that and would like to her some feedback from some of you members that might have delt with this type of set up. Thanks gentlemen.
I've had a UMI one for years, I've come across no drawbacks whatsoever, the clear benefit I've noticed is that the car puts the power to the pavement better, since the front mount isn't moving around allover the place like the factory TA mount directly on the trans tail.
FYI, I have one of the earlier UMI models that doesn't have any TA adjustment.
FYI, I have one of the earlier UMI models that doesn't have any TA adjustment.
I have the BMR type. It works well. Getting the arm off of the tranny tail shaft helps out alot. I had to heli coil one of the mounting holes. It stripped out over the years of use. An after market arm is well worth the coin.
The relocation kits are nice pieces and work excellent for what you are experiencing. The relocation kits are designed to work with the factory torque arm or any aftermarket torque arm that bolts into the factory location. If you decide to run the factory torque you would just need a 1 piece polyurethane bushing, the two piece factory bushing won't work. You may already have a 1 piece bushing, if not we also have it for under $15.
I posted a link below to the UMI kit for your vehicle. If you have any questions I would be glad to help.
98-02 F-Body Torque Arm Relocation Kit, M6
Happy New Year!
Ryan
I posted a link below to the UMI kit for your vehicle. If you have any questions I would be glad to help.
98-02 F-Body Torque Arm Relocation Kit, M6
Happy New Year!
Ryan
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
I bought the BMR piece from a member on here. Haven't run it much but I will tell you that you feel when the rear end goes over ripples in the pavement. The sound comes through the floor.
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
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You guys must be doing something wrong for it to be noisy. My UMI trans mount w/ the TA relocation bracket is completely quiet. Are you guy talking about the shorter tunnel brace mounted TA mounts?
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Verdad Gallardo They have to be becuase this is essentially the same as a stock mount just a different support set up. But with the clamshell type bushing mount It shouldn't cause any noise. This is another reason I was looking at this type of set. I thought those tunnel mount jobs with the rod end connection would cuase some NVH. So my thinking was just that keep the stock type bushing mount for a smoother transfer. I could see how a poly bushing would cause a little difference but It shouldn't relate to all that going on down there.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
I am specifically talking about a BMR torque arm relo trans cross-member with a stock torque arm and poly bushing (no rubber option). When the rear end hits bumps (I actually meant rather harsh bumps, not small ones), you can feel it in the center of the car. And why wouldn't you, the torque arm is mounted to the floor with NO deadening rubber.
We usually don't notice much of a difference in ride quality with the relocation kits. Like JimmyBlue mentioned bumps will be a little more noticeable since the torque arm is now attached to the crossmember. Other noise issues and vibrations are usually contributed from using a polyurethane transmission bushing. The poly trans mount usually increases the harshness a lot.
I hope this helps,
Ryan
I hope this helps,
Ryan
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
Likes: 89
From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
As a clarification, I was meaning with the stock rubber trans mount. With the relo cross-member there isn't much point of going with a poly trans mount.
From the factory the torque arm is isolated from the body by 2 rubber bushings, the torque arm bushing AND the transmission mount. This is ideal for controlling driveline noise but absolutely terrible for performance. The relocation crossmember pulls the torque arm off the transmission, eliminating the trans mount isolation. Additionally a firmer bushing is used for the torque arm. You are going to introduce a little driveline noise, it's inevitable. The purpose of this part is to minimize torque arm movement, provide IC height adjustability and eliminate potential tailshaft breakage. For me the additional noise is barely noticeable and easily justified. You will get people from both sides of the fence on this one. What is tolerable to some will not be for others...
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
So for more of a compromise, wouldn't the relo trans bracket with a rubber bushing be better? I came from a stock set-up with a poly torque arm bushing and poly motor mounts.
I hope this helps,
Ryan
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
Likes: 89
From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
UMI, please see my post below
With the horror stories of poly trans mounts, I wont touch one. I know people who have them and their car rides fine. But I have heard of local people with awful vibrations as well. What I was saying is, what if you ran the relo crossmember but with a rubber torque arm bushing instead of the supplied poly. I mean this is your ONLY isolation point from the body since you have eliminated the stock trans mount from the equation. I will need to put more miles on mine before I decide how bad or good this set-up is. With my car, if I have anything out of whack, I get a vibe upon initial power apply during acceleration. Often times this comes with removing the torque arm and replacing it. I can usually loosen the torque arm with the suspension loaded, it will settle into place better, retighten and everything is back smooth again. I am currently having this same vibration again, but haven't tried the loosen/retighten trick yet. We will see if that helps. I dont know if all cars are this picky about driveline angles or if its only some.
With the horror stories of poly trans mounts, I wont touch one. I know people who have them and their car rides fine. But I have heard of local people with awful vibrations as well. What I was saying is, what if you ran the relo crossmember but with a rubber torque arm bushing instead of the supplied poly. I mean this is your ONLY isolation point from the body since you have eliminated the stock trans mount from the equation. I will need to put more miles on mine before I decide how bad or good this set-up is. With my car, if I have anything out of whack, I get a vibe upon initial power apply during acceleration. Often times this comes with removing the torque arm and replacing it. I can usually loosen the torque arm with the suspension loaded, it will settle into place better, retighten and everything is back smooth again. I am currently having this same vibration again, but haven't tried the loosen/retighten trick yet. We will see if that helps. I dont know if all cars are this picky about driveline angles or if its only some.
I have no rubber mounts at all on my car, and no additional noise. The only difference I see is the different shape of the nose of the TA, mine has the factory E shape compared to BMR and UMI, O shaped front TA nose.
May be the the front TA poly bushing (w/round hole) has already began to cold flow causing a slight amount of slack between it and the TA nose, causing the vibration?
May be the the front TA poly bushing (w/round hole) has already began to cold flow causing a slight amount of slack between it and the TA nose, causing the vibration?
Last edited by 99Bluz28; Jan 1, 2011 at 04:14 PM.
I run a BMR full length adjustable torque arm with a BMR relocation crossmember. The tranny mount is the factory rubber and the torq arm mount is poly. Mine does have some additional noise, Anything that happens to the rear end gets stethoscoped to crossmember and the floor board it's attached to. It's tolerable and just a new noise to get used to.