W Body mount on an H Body

[2003 SSEi]

This is a mod that I have been Planning for years.

The Stock Bonneville mount setup consists of 2 mounts on each side of the car and one lower front trans mount and a rear trans mount. There is only one mount that is a vertical support that physically attaches to the engine. The Trans case takes all of the restraint and all of the pressure.

The stock lower front trans mount is Jell-o and really lets the motor move around. All Bonneville, Lesaber, Aurora, Deville and Seville use this location for the front lower mount.

The Front mount is really terrible and tends to rip apart. I got mine changed before any thing bad happened to it.

The upgrade is the hockey puck mod

the Trans mount also needed attention also. When I installed the built trans I got a new mount and used Poly to fill it, and that also greatly improved the feel

The stock mount would totally compress the open areas. I could watch the compression when any power was applied.

New Poly Fill on the left stock on the right

The Combo made the car more drivable, and not as soft feeling.


Onto this mod. I had a few students that needed some live hours and said they would be up for this project....so it began.

Stock Parts

Planning the new stuff

Disassembly

Had to remove some metal from the car

This is what was cut out

And it belongs here

 

[2003 SSEi]

And it belongs here

Ok so on to the design phase

We decided to use 1 and1/2 inch round stock for this support bar for the mount

Let the welding begin.

Everything is measured, squared up and welded

and now to test on the car

Now fitted, time to sleeve the bolt holes

Final Size of the Sleeves

Sleeves being milled out

Installed

To Retain the factory appearance the Stock support is retained

Scribe line to cut the bottom out of the support

and totally cut

Now for the Mount

Took a stock W body mount and had to....modify it.

Cut in half

Took 2 Dog bones and fabbed up one.

First we Mig'd the Mount together with Tacks and then it was fully Tig'ed

 

[2003 SSEi]

Tig work

Once we mades flanges one more cut to the factory support

and the Final Result... (its not painted in the pics this was still in the shop. I metal finished the welds on the and painted the mount)

With the extra support upfront, the car is 'tied" together more, it does seem to handle better in the corners, and there is still a little Engine movement. Its impossible and not feasable to remove ALL movement. This extra mount adds enough bracing with out any real damaging effects. I have been driving on this setup for 2-3 months now and its like a different car (getting power to the ground) than it was with the stock mounts.

Best thing is that it looks totally stock and factory.....I even had people ask when the Bonneville started to use the dog bones :Thumbs

 

[BillBoost37]

Where's the final product picture? CF looks good on it.