Rubber Body Mount Cushions
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
Rubber Body Mount Cushions
The body is going back on my 71 soon, I decided to go with the Rubber bushings vs. poly or aluminum. Wanted to do what I could to improve ride quality and minimize the vibs from the solid motor mounts for the 490 ft lbs of torgue. I know I am sacrificing some handling but will not be autocrossing.
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 16,978
Likes: 7
From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
Originally Posted by b71vette
The body is going back on my 71 soon, I decided to go with the Rubber bushings vs. poly or aluminum. Wanted to do what I could to improve ride quality and minimize the vibs from the solid motor mounts for the 490 ft lbs of torgue. I know I am sacrificing some handling but will not be autocrossing.
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,441
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by b71vette
The body is going back on my 71 soon, I decided to go with the Rubber bushings vs. poly or aluminum. Wanted to do what I could to improve ride quality and minimize the vibs from the solid motor mounts for the 490 ft lbs of torgue. I know I am sacrificing some handling but will not be autocrossing.
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Anyways my question is , could I soak the new rubber cushions in anything before installation to help increase service life ?
Let me know if you have any suggestions.
Thanks
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Oita, Japan
Just curious for those that have changed to rubber or poly -- I've read that when Chevrolet switched from aluminum, the body mount brackets on the frame were also dropped 3/4" because the rubber mounts were thicker. Assuming that's true, are you guys using the thicker mounts on the '68 - '72 and if so, is the 3/4" body lift you get noticable? Or, is someone making replacement rubber mounts for the older cars that are the right thickness? I'm not trying to hijack b71vette's thread here, just curious and seriously thinking about this swap as well.
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
Zwede / Yukon - Thanks for all the feedback ! more questions
Zwede, I was just assuming it may affect handling based on what others have said, I'm not sure since I haven't driven mine yet.
Yukon, that's an interesting point , I hadn't compared the original alum to the new rubber bushings I just got. Little concerned now.
Zwede did u have any issues when you switched your 71 from alum to rubber ? Did u lower the mounts on the frame ?
Yukon, that's an interesting point , I hadn't compared the original alum to the new rubber bushings I just got. Little concerned now.
Zwede did u have any issues when you switched your 71 from alum to rubber ? Did u lower the mounts on the frame ?
Racer
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Oita, Japan
The body mount change to the frame is mentioned here if you look at the change to '73 frame:
http://www.71corvette.com/frames.html
and I can't find the link now but I read a step by step on this and they mentioned having to loosen the steering column to re-line it up with the box since the body sits a little higher with the rubber mounts.
http://www.71corvette.com/frames.html
and I can't find the link now but I read a step by step on this and they mentioned having to loosen the steering column to re-line it up with the box since the body sits a little higher with the rubber mounts.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 11,361
Likes: 383
From: Plano TX
Originally Posted by b71vette
Zwede did u have any issues when you switched your 71 from alum to rubber ? Did u lower the mounts on the frame ?
The body sits maybe 3/8" higher. Not noticable.
I heard of the lowering of the mounting bracket on 73-up but I have my doubts if that is really true. I helped a buddy swap a 73 frame into a 72 and the mounts looked the same to me. He started with 72 aluminum mounts and if they really did lower the brackets on the 73 frame his body should have hit the frame. Well, the body didn't hit and fit just fine. He later swapped to rubber mounts and they fit fine also.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
Man this Forum is Soooo Great!!! Thanks
Yukon and Zwede Thanks For all the help. Sounds like there will be about 3/8" higher, not enough to chop and reweld brackets. Glad to know about the steering column adjustment required too.
Zwede, how did u go about shimming to get the body alignment. When I removed the body I recorded the number of shims at each mount, now that I am switching to rubber should I use the same # of shims or try to reduce since the rubber mounts are thicker ?
Zwede, how did u go about shimming to get the body alignment. When I removed the body I recorded the number of shims at each mount, now that I am switching to rubber should I use the same # of shims or try to reduce since the rubber mounts are thicker ?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,128
Likes: 21
From: North Alabama
Originally Posted by b71vette
Yukon and Zwede Thanks For all the help. Sounds like there will be about 3/8" higher, not enough to chop and reweld brackets.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Great thread. I have always wanted to do this mod but have been afraid to do it because of some of the horror stories I have read about the nuts breaking loose in thier mounts. If you have Steeroids this may even help with that alignment also.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,043
Likes: 4
From: Va
Eddie70, if you are really going to be doing this
start soaking the body mount bolts periodically with PB blaster, there are a total of 8, 4 mounts each side. The more you soak them the better change of it getting into the threads and freeing them up.
I hesitated about changing over to the rubber on my 71, but the more I read the better I feel I am going the correct route. I was glad to hear from forum members like Zwede who have moded their engine and going to the rubber and getting good results with no impact to handling and smoother less gut wrenching/road pounding ride.
I hesitated about changing over to the rubber on my 71, but the more I read the better I feel I am going the correct route. I was glad to hear from forum members like Zwede who have moded their engine and going to the rubber and getting good results with no impact to handling and smoother less gut wrenching/road pounding ride.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,273
Likes: 14
From: Austin TX
I replaced the solid mounts with GM rubber about 15 years ago and have had no problems. Body sits about 1/2" higher. Inserted the same shims as OE.
Huge improvement in ride quality - especially when coupled with composite springs.
Huge improvement in ride quality - especially when coupled with composite springs.
