Sideways Fab Solid Transmission Mounts Review

[DarkPira7e]

Due to the lack of information on the forum about this product, I decided to buy some, install them, and provide feedback. Please also feel free to ask me anything about the installation.

Tools -
14mm socket
6" extension
1/2 drive ratchet
Floor jack

Installation -

Removing the old trans mount is extremely simple - if anyone is thinking about removing it to add the mount bushing, please do it. This took me about 40 minutes on my back from key off to key on.

First stage - after supporting the car however you choose without a jack actively supporting it, use your jack to support the transmission. You should not be looking to lift the transmission - just support it. This is where you may want to remove the front pipe, but I was able to do this easily by working around it using a 6" extension on the 2 right side bolts. Now remove the 4 14mm bolts, and the 2 14mm nuts that are holding the cradle to the mounts and car frame.

Second stage - Now that you've removed the cradle, the mount has 4 14mm bolts securing it to the transmission. Remove these, and the mount should fall onto your face / the jack. Great job, you did it! Half way there.

3rd Stage - With the old junk trans mount out of the way, go ahead and bolt your solid mounts to the transmission. Please make sure you're starting all of these bolts by hand, and not with tools to avoid cross threading since you're working with some slight angles. Tighten down the trans mounts as much as you're comfortable with, since you can't get to them once you've bolted the cradle on!

4th Stage - Place the cradle over the mounts and thread in the bolts that secure it to the frame. With those mostly tight, you may be freaking out a little because there's no thread for the nut to catch onto! Did Sideways fab goof and make the bolts too short? Lower the jack holding the transmission slowly so that the transmission can come down. My transmission need some jiggling before it came down and rested on the cradle again. Thread the nuts onto the solid mount bolts ( Don't forget the washers!) and tighten everything down.

I'd also like to advocate taking the time while you're here to add the Mtec shifter springs. I did mine and it is an excellent modification that gives you a nice shifting feel upgrade. Ok, drop the car down, and you're done!




After Installation Test Drive Thoughts -

I decided to do this because I really like knowing one extreme from the other. If the standard transmission mount is wobbly and weak, what is the other extreme of this? In my car (As you'll see in the video), I had a lot of drivetrain lash, particularly during my 1st to second shift, and during on/off throttle transition. This removed 90% of the drivetrain slop I was hoping it would fix. I think the rest lies in the diff mount bushings, and subframe mount bushings. I would be more than happy to just leave it like this, but both of the items I just mentioned are very cheap, so I'll be doing them at some point. The car definitely feels more direct during on/off throttle transition, I love it!

And now the part you've been hoping I wouldn't say - the NVH.

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness describe a variety of things that may change in the car based on your modifications. This could be how the car reacts to bumpy roads, or how loud it is on the interior, it could be what you feel through the steering wheel.
In this case, it adds a LOT of noise. My car has stock headers, stock front pipe, stock catback with a muffler delete. It got VERY loud. Louder than my friend's car with the Invidia N1 catback with catless headers on the inside. It's not a joke, it takes a special person to tolerate this. I happen to enjoy it a lot.
I can now feel in my seat, the gas/brake pedal, and steering wheel what I would like to call the car's heartbeat. The pulses of the exhaust, you feel them. At higher driving RPM, this translates to buzzing and other noises from the dash and other things.
There is no extra perceived harshness.

Here is my comparison video. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsJrs63_ohw[/ame]


WORTH IT. Comments? Questions?

[Gamace]

Originally Posted by DarkPira7e

Due to the lack of information on the forum about this product, I decided to buy some, install them, and provide feedback. Please also feel free to ask me anything about the installation.

Tools -
14mm socket
6" extension
1/2 drive ratchet
Floor jack

Installation -

Removing the old trans mount is extremely simple - if anyone is thinking about removing it to add the mount bushing, please do it. This took me about 40 minutes on my back from key off to key on.

First stage - after supporting the car however you choose without a jack actively supporting it, use your jack to support the transmission. You should not be looking to lift the transmission - just support it. This is where you may want to remove the front pipe, but I was able to do this easily by working around it using a 6" extension on the 2 right side bolts. Now remove the 4 14mm bolts, and the 2 14mm nuts that are holding the cradle to the mounts and car frame.

Second stage - Now that you've removed the cradle, the mount has 4 14mm bolts securing it to the transmission. Remove these, and the mount should fall onto your face / the jack. Great job, you did it! Half way there.

3rd Stage - With the old junk trans mount out of the way, go ahead and bolt your solid mounts to the transmission. Please make sure you're starting all of these bolts by hand, and not with tools to avoid cross threading since you're working with some slight angles. Tighten down the trans mounts as much as you're comfortable with, since you can't get to them once you've bolted the cradle on!

4th Stage - Place the cradle over the mounts and thread in the bolts that secure it to the frame. With those mostly tight, you may be freaking out a little because there's no thread for the nut to catch onto! Did Sideways fab goof and make the bolts too short? Lower the jack holding the transmission slowly so that the transmission can come down. My transmission need some jiggling before it came down and rested on the cradle again. Thread the nuts onto the solid mount bolts ( Don't forget the washers!) and tighten everything down.

I'd also like to advocate taking the time while you're here to add the Mtec shifter springs. I did mine and it is an excellent modification that gives you a nice shifting feel upgrade. Ok, drop the car down, and you're done!




After Installation Test Drive Thoughts -

I decided to do this because I really like knowing one extreme from the other. If the standard transmission mount is wobbly and weak, what is the other extreme of this? In my car (As you'll see in the video), I had a lot of drivetrain lash, particularly during my 1st to second shift, and during on/off throttle transition. This removed 90% of the drivetrain slop I was hoping it would fix. I think the rest lies in the diff mount bushings, and subframe mount bushings. I would be more than happy to just leave it like this, but both of the items I just mentioned are very cheap, so I'll be doing them at some point. The car definitely feels more direct during on/off throttle transition, I love it!

And now the part you've been hoping I wouldn't say - the NVH.

Noise, Vibration, and Harshness describe a variety of things that may change in the car based on your modifications. This could be how the car reacts to bumpy roads, or how loud it is on the interior, it could be what you feel through the steering wheel.
In this case, it adds a LOT of noise. My car has stock headers, stock front pipe, stock catback with a muffler delete. It got VERY loud. Louder than my friend's car with the Invidia N1 catback with catless headers on the inside. It's not a joke, it takes a special person to tolerate this. I happen to enjoy it a lot.
I can now feel in my seat, the gas/brake pedal, and steering wheel what I would like to call the car's heartbeat. The pulses of the exhaust, you feel them. At higher driving RPM, this translates to buzzing and other noises from the dash and other things.
There is no extra perceived harshness.

Here is my comparison video. [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsJrs63_ohw[/ame]


WORTH IT. Comments? Questions?

It would have been nice for you to accelerate faster so that I could hear how bad the whine can get. I just came across these and I love the sound.

Toyota 86 in the building!