A440 swap to H55F custom cross member/skid/track bar mount?

[Wheelingnoob]

Anyone done anything like this?

We are swapping a H55F into my brothers HJ60 in the next few months. One place I have been toying of doing something a bit different is in the cross member area. His being a auto now has the frame mount to far back (same as a FJ62 for reference). I was toying with using that frame mount as the rear mount area for the skid plate and track bar mount. Then making a forward frame mount to kind of go across where the factory H55 cross meber sits (allowing room for the front shaft).

3 things I hope to achieve with this is a strong belly pan (skid plate) a rear cross member to mount future track bar too and a front trans mount for new H55 trans mount location.

Anyone ever done anything like this? I have searched a few days and come up mostly dry.

Thanks for your ideas and pictures if you have done it!

If it matters truck is SAS on 37's turbo 2H.

 

[40Habits]

Something like this? It was built for a Tacoma SAS but it has the front and rear frame mounts with a skid plate.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Yeah something like that would work with some changes to suite the H55 split case set-up. How do you find those frame mounts hold up? I was thinking about making a bolt on solid mount system and letting the factory H55 mount absorb the vibrations.

 

[40Habits]

It is just tubing with bushing inserts and then welded the plates to the frame.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Yeah seen it done a lot in the mini trucks. Makes removal a breeze.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Any idea what size material I should use? I was thinking 1/4" plate would be good for the skid plate. If I was to make the structure out of pipe what thickness? Also DOM or poopipe?

 

[40Habits]

BudBuilt has alot of different crossmembers that might give you some more ideas. They use the stock mount and bolt to the frame.

BudBuilt - Crossmembers

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

having installed a let H42 into my 62 series, I know exactly what you are thinking of, as this same concept came to me when relocating the tranny xmember. I used the correct xmember for a late fj60(same as the H55 xmember, including mounting location. I had to fab new mounting pads for the xmember on the bottom of the frame forward of the auto mounts. rather than cut the auto mount pads off of the frame, I've opted to leave them to use as a rear mount location for the some day skid plate I will fab up. I'll prolly just use some 3/16-1/4" plate, cut and weld to shape. It'll prolly have some heft to it, but hopefully that helps with center of gravity a bit. black iron is pretty tough and in short lengths, it is hard to bend. You are not relying on it protecting your head/neck as if it were a roll cage. I figure, a nice pan bolted to the forward and rear crossmember would do OK w/o a bunch of support beams, just maybe some "preload" to its shape and some gussets in the right places.......the way I see it, any kind of under pro is better than none.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

having installed a let H42 into my 62 series, I know exactly what you are thinking of, as this same concept came to me when relocating the tranny xmember. I used the correct xmember for a late fj60(same as the H55 xmember, including mounting location. I had to fab new mounting pads for the xmember on the bottom of the frame forward of the auto mounts. rather than cut the auto mount pads off of the frame, I've opted to leave them to use as a rear mount location for the some day skid plate I will fab up. I'll prolly just use some 3/16-1/4" plate, cut and weld to shape. It'll prolly have some heft to it, but hopefully that helps with center of gravity a bit. black iron is pretty tough and in short lengths, it is hard to bend. You are not relying on it protecting your head/neck as if it were a roll cage. I figure, a nice pan bolted to the forward and rear crossmember would do OK w/o a bunch of support beams, just maybe some "preload" to its shape and some gussets in the right places.......the way I see it, any kind of under pro is better than none.

Yep that is what I am thinking as well. I know for sure the stock H55 cross member is going to need to be heavily notched for the front shaft so might as well make something better. Do you happen to have any pictures showing the H42 mounted under your truck so I can get an idea of space between the A440 mount and H42 mount?

I think black pipe will be fine as you said, I plan to have keep all the lengths short. I could even use 2" 3/16th wall square for the cross member's, its cheap and easy to work with. Nice thing with tube though is its round so slides on and off objects better. Wish I had a bender would make the decision easy.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

here...

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

I'll snap some more later, those were from months back....I measured 14 5/8s" from center to center of the old and new mount pads.....the tcase hangs down a bit, needing a bowl underneath it built into the to be pan. I tink that with the shape, it will be quite stout out of even 3/16s.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

That's perfect, it gives me a visual to work with. Does not look like it will be to hard to set up a decent belly pan/skid plate.