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Fabbing a transmission crossmember

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danleym View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote danleym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fabbing a transmission crossmember
    Posted: Sep/15/2022 at 5:12pm
I dont really have any questions here, I just wanted to share my process for creating a transmission crossmember. I figured some other members may be doing similar work and this might generate sime good discussion. Any input or ideas are welcome- I'm not by any stretch an expert- I'm a self taught/YouTube taught welder with a $100 harbor freight flux core. I'm comfortable with my skills and pretty confident about this project, but I certainly still have more to learn so please share any thoughts.

Back story- I'm putting a T5 behind a 258 in a Spirit. The T5 I'm using uses the "S10" style mount, and that mount is a little further to the rear than the 904 mount was. Repurposing the original mount won't work. 

I considered still using the original bolts, but I didn't like the angles that would be involved- honestly doubting my ability to pull that off cleanly. So I'm going for a fairly simple bar straight across between the frame rails, with a dip in the middle to get the transmission at the proper height, made of 1x2 square tube with 1/8 inch wall. I'm going to plate over the frame rails with some 3/16 flat stock, then run bolts through that to a plate on the end of the crossbar section. 

First bit of work was done today- got the plates rough cut and holes drilled.

Cut and edges ground clean.


Clamped the plates together and tack welded them so there would be no movement while I drilled.


First use for my spiffy new harbor freight drill press. Can't belive I've been hand drilling all these years...


Holes drilled! This is where I sit right now, I need to do a little more shaping on the plates and then weld them to the frame rail, after that I'll start working on the crossbar. Progress may be slow because I keep myself too busy, but I'll post back as I move forward.


Edited by danleym - Sep/24/2022 at 11:46am
Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258
2000 VW Jetta TDI
2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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danleym View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote danleym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2022 at 11:45am
Next step, a little more progress.


Here's the transmission mount I'm using.



This piece will be drilled out and bolt to the transmission mount. Once that is attached, my plates welded to the frame rails, and driveline angles set, I'll build the pieces in between this and the frame rail plates. 


Anyone know why my pictures are upside down, or how to fix them? They aren't upside down on my phone, and I've never had this problem before.
Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258
2000 VW Jetta TDI
2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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304-dude View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 304-dude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2022 at 12:23pm
The only way is to rotate your phone accordingly or use the edit feature and save in proper perspective. My LG and Samsung don't have the issue, but allow to adjust orientation, by edit.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bingagain24 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2022 at 2:12pm
How does the front look? I'm putting one of these in my Rambler.
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danleym View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote danleym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/24/2022 at 8:00pm
I bought mine from Modern Driveline, it came with an adapter plate to mate the front of the trans to the AMC bellhousing. Even then, their adapter plate had to be machined, but at least they told me that when I was buying it. I assume it's a direct fit for some other bellhousing? Other than that pretty straightforward putting the two together.

No luck on the pictures- I took them with my phone right side up, and they're right side up on my phone. I tried to upload again, still came in upside down. So then I flipped it and saved it upside down on my phone, uploaded that, which also showed up upside down... I'm out of ideas. Mayne a mod can flip them?
Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258
2000 VW Jetta TDI
2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/25/2022 at 5:47pm
The adapter look ls great. The trans will be worth the effort!!

Photos: it's your camera/phone doing you a "favor,"....

It will take a photo at any rotation, which is nice, but it guesses where "real" up is, and instead of actually rotating the image, it stores a (small) hint in the image that tells the phone and often the computer, how to orient it for display. 

When you upload the photo they hint is stripped off, and it displays in the orientation they the phone last remembered. 

The easiest way to prevent this is, before you take the photo, hold the phone in that orientation for a full second. To be sure I hold the phone vertically for a sec, then tilt to arrange as necessary, then press the button. 

To fix wrong rotations, I use the (Mac) PREVIEW (image viewer) program to rotate the photo --- even if it looks right -- four times 90 degrees then save. That fixes it. 

Usually any other photo  edit causes the program to rotate it via the hint and delete the hint. 

I usually crop photos I take before upload, and usually have to reduce resolution to meet the files size maximum. That fixes them too. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr_Roboto Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/26/2022 at 8:36am
This should come out nice. I will say that the last one I did I used a Chris Alston kit that was modified to work.
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danleym View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote danleym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/04/2022 at 10:08am

Next step done, just need to finish with the plates on the end and the plates that will be welded to the car. Another hour or so and it should be good.


Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258
2000 VW Jetta TDI
2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Buzzman72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Oct/05/2022 at 10:01am
I can tell it's "not your first rodeo" with a welder. Nice work! And the engineering is solid as well.
Buzzman72...void where prohibited, your mileage may vary, objects in mirror may be closer than they appear, and alcohol may intensify any side effects.
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danleym View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote danleym Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Nov/05/2022 at 12:59pm
Finally got this finished up!

I don't know how much the stock frame section could handle as far as loads, so I decided to reinforce it on both sides where I was bolting through. Next step was to attach the cross member to the transmission, and line up one of the plates with the end of the crossmember, and tack it to the frame. Then I drilled those holes through the frame, then tacked another plate to the outside of the frame. 


Then I put a third plate in between the frame and the crossmember, with bolts running through everything. Tacked that one onto the end of the crossmember. Repeat the same process on the other side (plus realize I now need to move brake lines and fuel lines...).

Now I have a finished crossmember (photo taken with primer on), and with a little grinding and some paint on the reinforced frame section, it's all ready to go.



My stupid phone is playing games with me again, but even with that picture sideways it gets the point across. I just painted today, so hopefully I'll get it fully and finally installed and get one more finished product picture tomorrow.

I read back through, and forgot to mention measuring driveline angles. That was step #1- I measured everything and set a bottle jack on the tail housing to hold the transmission exactly where I needed it to be. Then I could work with it in the right place, and as long as whatever I did held it there I was fine.


Edited by danleym - Nov/05/2022 at 1:03pm
Hollis Danley
1980 Spirit, 258
2000 VW Jetta TDI
2002 Jeep Wrangler, 4.0
2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek
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