wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Had a strange thump coming from underneath the car and found that the driver side stamped metal bracket that mounts the tunnel mount TA cross-member, busted loose from the floorboard.

The bracket looks to have been spot welded in six places to the floorboard on the assembly line and I am wondering what the best way would be to repair it.

I can either weld or maybe even drill holes and bolt the bracket to the floorboard. The only benefit to bolting it up would be if I ever had to remove it to replace the nuts for the TA bolts should they ever strip out.

Anyone had this problem? If so, how did you fix it?

sjsingle1

iTrader: (1)

pics !!!

MYSTIC-1SC

iTrader: (14)

You can always weld it back up.

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

You ARE aware that the torque arms were NEVER mounted to the tranny tunnel as originally built, aren't you? The stock torque arms mounted to a bracket that attached to the transmission's tailshaft housing.

If you see where it was "spot welded in six places", that's where the mount had holes for bolting the bracket to the floor pan, and whoever installed it, decided to weld it instead.....

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Sounds like he might be describing the G-Load brace mount.

But regardless, LF is spot on. that area of the car is on 16g sheet metal and was never intended to absorb long-term loading that a torque arm will subject it to.

If you have ripped away the spot welds, further welding or even bolting will just move the stress point and the problem will regeneratte eslewhere.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Thanks for the replies guys. FTR I runnin the Midwest short tunnel mount torque arm and the main reason for that is it better allows me to run true dual exhaust.

Yes I am aware that those stamped metal brackets were not intended to have a torque arm bolted to them. However the tunnel mount torque arms are commonplace but I have never read a post where someone actually broke the mount off the floorboard.

Its the spot welds that have simply broken loose. I dont see any damage to any of the metal. I am just going to plan on welding the mounts to the floorboard and be done with it.

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

OK, I was thinking of the Jegs torque arm, which has a fabricated sheet metal "tunnel", which mimics the shape of the car's tranny tunnel, and bolts up to the underside of the floorpan. I also think that the "Unbalanced Engineering" and "Global West" torque arms are mounted in a similar fashion....

94FBIRD

iTrader: (5)

Uuugh, I haven't had any trouble with my UMI torque arm mounted in the same spot. But it has worried me, even before seeing your post. Gotta admit it is a pretty flimsy spot to mount the torque arm.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

It's not very common, but I have read about torn floor pans due to forces on the floor pan generated by a relocated TA.

I've ripped the blind nuts on my trans cross-member mount out of my race car. I'm using the stock TA and running ~250 RWHP.

Leverage is a bitch.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

My car is by and large a street car that rarely ever see the strip or stick tires for that matter. Seems if the brackets are simply better attached (MIG welded), its unlikely a serious issue will occur unless you are dead hooking the Hell out of it on a regular basis.

94FBIRD

iTrader: (5)

But dead hooking shouldn't be a problem because the T/A is pushing upward on the mounts. It's the heavy braking where the front of the torque arm is diving towards the pavement. I'm afraid that's what will rip the floor mounts off the body.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Yup thats right.

Well I welded the brackets to the floorboard. The floor is thinner gauge metal than the brackets and I burnt through in a couple of places. The clunk that it was making before is totally gone.

Odds are the weld repair will hold but I am going to fab some brackets that will fit on top of the floorboard too so I can run bolts through from the bottom and esentially sandwhich the floorboard in the middle. There is a crossmember in the area and the above method will allow me to leverage the strength of it as well.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Have you checked the spot welds in front of the passenger seat mount?

You could've also pulled the trans mount spot welds as well.

I'm even seeing cracks in the trans tunnel form radiating away from the shifter opening.

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Not sure what you are referring to.
I am running the short torque arm that bolts across the tunnel with a crossmember. Not the Jegs tunnel mount TA. These chassis mounted brackets are under the seats. Sorry for any confusion.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Sorry ... I typed that really fast ... and didn't intend to be an alarmist ...

If you are generating enough force to pull the G-Load mount from it's spot welds, I bet you are also pulling the spot welds for the trans mount cross member as well.

One is leverage from the torque arm and the other is leverage or torque from the trans mount.

You would have to pull the carpet up on the passenger side to see it. But I've been seeing on a lot of street only cars we are turning into road racers.

A sign to look for would be cracks forming around the blind nuts on the trans cross member mount.

95killerz

iTrader: (10)

i have seen a couple people have this floor ripping issue so I decided to go with the three point subframe connectors figured it would add that much more strength to the area so the torque arm doen't rip right off

y2k_ta

iTrader: (80)

Same here!

wrd1972

iTrader: (12)

Can you post a link?

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

Either UMI or BMR make the SFCs that hook into that factory brace...I have an old set from Kenny Brown Racing that also tie in there.

armyboyatc

iTrader: (29)

BMR makes a kit for a TA that welds to your subframe connectors. Might wanna check that out.