[Steve B]

Originally Posted by skipper

I have a OME 2.5 lift and everything is stock. if I do a body lift and mml can I do this and not have to have a SYE?

If you make a flat skid you will have to get a SYE/CV Driveshaft.

I got my jeep up to 3.5" lift with a 1" mml and no transfercase skid drop with no vibes but I think that is the max. I held off on the SYE/CV until I finished my flat skid so I did not have to re-purchase any driveshafts as I modified my jeep.

I am now happy with the final height and also another 1/4" and it won't fit in the garage

Steve

[TJSport01]

great write up i just have a a few questions i cant weld so is there a thickness i should use that wont warp in the middle without braces??? and why did you need the engine bracket thingy just because you wanted to cover your transfer case to??

[Kiwi Jeeper]

Wonderful idea, details and write-up. Good job.

I am tempted by this for two reasons:

- Bugger all Jeep stuff is available in New Zealand; and
- Freight kills the economics of importing anything heavy from US.

How well would this work with a 3-speed auto? Other than the trans mounting holes being in a different position, it should not matter. Am I correct in thinking that?

Also, if I stick with stock mount and try to work out the design for a cross member like 33 Engineering one, what are the chances of making it work without too much re-engineering of your handy work.

I am downloading a free CAD programme and will experimenting with dimensions using frame dimension from your handy work and FSM.

[abnormal]

^ I think I read somewhere that the measurements on the 03-06 tj/lj are different from the 97-02 tj's so you might need to get your own measurements. But I could be wrong.

[Kiwi Jeeper]

Originally Posted by jeep-jeep-01

^ I think I read somewhere that the measurements on the 03-06 tj/lj are different from the 97-02 tj's so you might need to get your own measurements. But I could be wrong.

Thanks for the warning, I will use his measurements as a guide. But plan on doing all checks myself. I have some leave coming up soon, just need to stay focused.

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by diverdude2890

... is there a thickness i should use that wont warp in the middle without braces??? and why did you need the engine bracket thingy just because you wanted to cover your transfer case to??

My 1/4" plate was not bowing much, I just felt better about the bracing plus I was looking for a good first welding project. You could alway get someone else to weld them on. I would not go over 1/4" plate either way.
If by "Engine bracket thingy" you mean my Budget Motor Mount, I used that to help with my drive line angles. In hind site it also made it easier to mount my engine skid to my TC skid with out having to angle it down.

Originally Posted by Kiwi Jeeper

Wonderful idea, details and write-up. Good job.

I am tempted by this for two reasons:

- Bugger all Jeep stuff is available in New Zealand; and
- Freight kills the economics of importing anything heavy from US.

How well would this work with a 3-speed auto? Other than the trans mounting holes being in a different position, it should not matter. Am I correct in thinking that?

Also, if I stick with stock mount and try to work out the design for a cross member like 33 Engineering one, what are the chances of making it work without too much re-engineering of your handy work....

Thanks, glad to see it helping others out.
I don't see a reason why this would not work with the auto (EDIT: Klimb2sx had to drop his a little with the auto, see below), although I have not checked out the size of the auto so you should measure. As for the crossmember , I would make a frame from some 2x1 with a crossmember and a plate in the middle. Then let the skid bolt up to that frame and have it 1" below the frame rails.

Originally Posted by Kiwi Jeeper

Thanks for the warning, I will use his measurements as a guide. But plan on doing all checks myself. I have some leave coming up soon, just need to stay focused.

Very good Idea even if you had an 05 LJ.

Glad to see others making their own stuff

[PBR]

Thats awesome! Im going to be making a flat skid ASAP! I have a 1" body lift with no motor mount lift. But i do have a Hp 9" in the rear and a sye so i think i wont have any vibes? But my question is if i run the stock tranny mount how can i bolt the tranny to the skid? because if i have the bolts running through the skid it beats the purpose of a flat skid.

[Scotch740]

Originally Posted by REDTJ35

Thats awesome! Im going to be making a flat skid ASAP! I have a 1" body lift with no motor mount lift. But i do have a Hp 9" in the rear and a sye so i think i wont have any vibes? But my question is if i run the stock tranny mount how can i bolt the tranny to the skid? because if i have the bolts running through the skid it beats the purpose of a flat skid.

Your either going to have to mod the factory mount so it takes seprate bolts, or just make some gurads for the ones on there which could be as simple as a couple bars on the bottom of the skid on either side of the nuts. Or weld a piece of plate between the mount and skid and drill some holes large enough to use a socket on in the skid. Then the nuts will be slightly recessed in the skid how ever thick it is.

Also if you do not change your mount you will be raising your TC about 4" so if your drive shaft is the correct lenght now it may or may not be too short. If you do change your mount to the low profile type you will only be raising your TC 2.5" and may get away with your current drive shaft.

EDIT: Correcting myself, the mount is only for 03-06 transmissions!

[Steve B]

Originally Posted by scotch740

Also if you do not change your mount you will be raising your TC about 4" so if your drive shaft is the correct lenght now it may or may not be too short. If you do change your mount to the low profile type you will only be raising your TC 2.5" and may get away with your current drive shaft.

This is confusing me? I used the standard mount and I keep looking and I cannot see how any other mount could give more clearance. Here is a picture of my set up and you can see on the left the bolts which bolt to the actual gearbox and bar a few mm the skid could not be and closer to the gearbox and definitely not the 1.5" as suggested. I must be missing something somewhere

[Scotch740]

The 33 Engineering mount replaces the stock one. I did a comparison of the two (link in my sig). I used machine screws that fit flush with the counter sinking in the mount.


Thats the 33 eng mount. The tranny mounts to the top of the plate thats dips down and those rubber bushings have a metal piece on their bottom that sits on the skid. I had to use a 1/4" spacer under them. The mount is only for 03-06 jeeps. I was incorrect in suggesting RedTJ35 use the mount.

[Kiwi Jeeper]

Originally Posted by scotch740

The mount is only for 03-06 jeeps. I was incorrect in suggesting RedTJ35 use the mount.

I have a 01 TJ with 3-speed auto, thus my headache!! Short of designing a mount myself, my (or people with similar situation) options would be limited for the mount. How different do you think the mounts be for an older auto? I might try to find photos of both kinds of factory mounts and see what the difference would be.

[Steve B]

OK, I see your mount now. It's definitely an improvement from your standard mount. I guess they change quite a bit depending on the year of the jeep and the type of gearbox.

I was lucky with mine, I took off the standard mount and put it to one side and started to look at what I had to do to make the mount fit nice and snug, I made some measurements and drew it up and then thinking again to make sure it would work. For some reason I picked up my original mount I had chucked to one side to see if I could use any of it and it was almost the same as what I was about to make

Bolted it back on with some shallower head bolts and it was perfect!! lucky me

[klimb2xs]

I just finished up a tummy tuck for my 05 Unlimited w/ an auto. I used this thread as much as I could. Thanks Scotch740.
Finishing touches with the welder.

Here is the finished skid before paint and install.



I added a 5/16 plate on each side to protect the bolts.


I also used the 33 Engineering transmission mount for an Auto. I will have to upload a pic for it because it is different than the mount for the manual transmission. And between the mount and the size of the auto trans there wasn't enough room for me to go completly flat against the frame. So I had to space it down an inch.


Next weekend I plan on making the engine skid.

[Scotch740]

Looks good klimb2xs, I like how you protected the bolt heads. I need to address that this summer.

[TEXAIR]

Klimb2xs,

Did you have to use a MML? Do you have drawings? And how did yo bevel the holes for the tranny mount?

Wow that is a lot of questions. LOL