Mr. Orange

Has anyone converted from solid body mounts to rubber and like the results?

Who makes the best parts to buy?


thanks

0Willcox Corvette

You can run the 1973 body mount kit on your car but I'm not sure why you would want to. I can assure you that you'll not see any difference in how the car rides or handles with the solid vs. the rubber cushions.

The solid mounting cushions are aluminum and while you might think they would outlast the rubber cushions, our old friend galvanic corrosion will take its effect on the dissimilar metal properties chart and decrease the life of the aluminum cushions.... Unless you take some little measures to prevent it before you install them.

Little measures for us means that we take tar paper and cut them in a circle and then place this below, above and between the aluminum cushions when installing. This prevents (to a degree and is not seen) galvanic corrosion from happening between the aluminum biscuit and the metal frame stand.

Willcox

Alan 71

Hi W,
"You can run the 1973 body mount kit on your car but I'm not sure why you would want to. I can assure you that you'll not see any difference in how the car rides or handles with the solid vs. the rubber cushions."
Thank You!!!!
Regards,
Alan

zwede

I'll have to disagree with Willcox. I swapped my '71 over to OEM rubber body mounts and there was a very noticeable improvement in ride quality. Especially going over the little reflectors in the road is much better absorbed.

Solid LT1

If you drive the Vette hard....the later candy *** soft mounts will keep the body freer of stress cracks....I've always considered those a "badge of courage". Years ago when I was a fabricator on a SCCA Trans Am team....the shop foreman at the owners business was also a racer named Frank Search....Frank's street ride was a totally spider webbed 68 Vette big block....Frank was an interesting Nor Cal racer with a reputation for driving at his limit and having a few on track incidents.....I can only imagine what that poor Vette was subjected to on a daily driver basis.

gbvette62

Before I take this post completely off topic, the best 73-82 body mount kit is made by Bair's. It's the more expensive kit on the market, selling for around $140.

I remember Frank Search. From what I know of him, he mainly ran the west coast races, in particular Laguna Seca, Sears, and Portland. He only came east once, to run the 83 Trans-Am at Summit Point.

We were racing a GT-1 Corvette in 83, and building a new tube frame 84 Corvette, to move up to Trans-Am with in 84. I think that was the only time I ever saw him race, and by 85 when we went racing full time, he'd retired from Trans-Am.

Here's his Corvette at Summit in 83.

0Willcox Corvette

And this is why we all discuss these things on this forum.. While I may not agree with others, this is why this forum is awesome.

The last swap we did, I didn't notice enough change to warrant the swap and combined with longevity.. I'd stay the course.

Maybe I'm just too old to feel the pain.. lol. I was talking to one of my guys the other day about taking a 200 mile road trip in one of my cars.. and instead I took my truck... LOL.

E

zwede

Maybe it also depends on the roads in your area? Ours are concrete and the rubber mounts help with the expansion joints. That was the biggest change I noticed: small, quick bumps. If your roads are blacktop you probably wouldn't notice much difference.

fishslayer143

I have to agree with zwede... we did many back in the day and not one customer ever came back and said...that was wasted money.. I did 3 of my own early cars and with our terrible excuse for roads here in the swamp, you could definitely feel it..or "NOT feel it ", as much ,I guess would be a better description... altho, I wouldn t do it again unless it needed servicing anyway in my old age.........................BTW, Wilcox is absolutely correct about 2 metals corrosion issues, be sure to separate the metals if you stay will solid mounts

Mr. Orange

Great, does it matter which supplier I get the rubber mounts from and is installation different? (rubber is a different shape from the aluminum)

fishslayer143

Have not bought any in years so I can t recommend brands, installation is simple, you just need more room to get them in... they are taller ... I m sure Wilcox has the kits ... I try to avoid any rubber product that's imported.. quality is not job 1 in China

1974ta

Somewhere I remember seeing the body mount height on the frame is different beginning in 1973 to accommodate the rubber mounts.

You may want to double check before you set the body back on the mounts only to see it sits too high.


Kind rRegards,


Bill

The13Bats

Seldom if ever are the body mounts the only thing touched during that job of changing them, but they get so much credit for ride,
I recall another thread where a cat said how horrible body roll is with rubber over solid, and i recall that outcome,
Im sure i will be told no way man, all that was changed was the mounts and it made a huge difference...so be it but i would have to see feel it to believe it.

zwede

I keep hearing this as well, but I compared a 72 and 73 frame side by side and he body mount brackets are in the same location.

zwede

I changed only the body mounts and the suspension was in good condition when I did it.

Rubber mounts don't make a huge difference, but it is noticeable.

Mr. Orange

OK so 68-72 had hard mounts from the factory.
Thanks, so I guess the rubber squishes down and the body doesn't ride higher than aluminum?

zwede

It does ride higher on the rubber mounts, about 3/8". There's enough adjustment in the rear bumper mounts and steering column, but I had to add some shims to the front center bumper mount.

The13Bats

My 69 had old rotten rubber bushing when tommy started on the body off so someone had been there before, and the story of how long my 69 just sat in a garage is up for scrutiny because it has recovered 80 seats,

I had to research as i didnt want any extra height, i didnt really want solid mounts, i found one place that sold poly bushings, good ones the correct height for 69 that included all of them, i recall tommy being impressed with them,

Primoz

Wouldn't this fit also?
https://frsport.com/energy-suspensio...ette-1963-1969

CrossedUp

We used to call him "Sideways Search" back in the days when I crewed for Gary Carlen.