Raised Motor Mounts ?

[Ace!]

Are there any/many differences between raised motor mounts sold by various manufacturers, or are they mostly all the same? I went out with a few guys this weekend and a friend of mine had a weld break on his Currie motor mount. It just got me to thinking about whether different manufacturers offer pretty much the same product, or if there are any outstanding raised motor mounts to keep in the back of my mind for when the day comes.

TIA

BTW, anyone notice I've got the most consecutive questions in the mechanically inept forum. I think that makes me the most inept One of these days I'm going to look up that word and see what that makes me!

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[mrblaine]

Ace- you need to check the angle of the total driveline on the mount that broke the weld. Some guys are using them incorrectly with a t-case drop. This really cranks too much angle and too much leverage against something that was designed to hold with the motor basically level.

The problem has been so bad on some jeeps that it squirts the urethane bushings out of the mount. These are very tough bushings to have that happen to them.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you

Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[This message was edited by mrblaine on July 16, 2001 at 09:59 AM.]

[Ace!]

Thanks Blaine, I'll tell him. Although, he's adamantly opposed to t-case drops and doesn't have one. There may be something in his set up relative to the angle though that I don't know about.

That brings up something I've always wondered about (metaphysical speculation ). It seems a motor mount lift would always put an angle/stress in the mix, as the transmission/t-case isn't being raised one inch. It seems you could draw a line from the front of the motor to the end of the t-case (I guess more of a plane) and there would be some sort of "slop" in the mounting of the t-case/transmission. It almost seems a belly-up would help maintain proper mounting angles through the transmission/t-case when using a motor mount lift. Is there ever a need to lower the transmission/t-case mount to mate better with the t-case skid plate, is there ever any space created by raising the motor which is bolted to the transmission bolted to the t-case having the t-case skid static? Else, it would seem that the new motor mounts would have to be made with an angle built in to them that helps alleviate that angle created by only raising the motor. Does that make sense? Is it addressed?

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[Ace!]

As a follow up: My friend that broke one has a 2" spring lift, 1" body lift and the 1" motor mount lift. He's running 33" tires. He also has a Detroit in the D44, 4.11s and a True Trac in the D30, and that's it, no t-case drop, ever.

When he called Currie they told him they couldn't send him a new one without getting the old one back first, or he could pay for a new one and when they received the broken one they'd issue a refund (I can understand that, they don’t want to send out something without knowing the guy really broke it I guess). Well, as his Jeep is his daily driver he paid for a new one and it should be here in a couple days (overnight shipping would have cost almost as much as the mount). My friend said they acted very cautious over the phone and said they have never heard of one of their motor mounts breaking, ever. They said they've never even had one break on their competition Jeeps, my friend's was a first. I thought that was interesting...

Does anyone have a recommendation on raised motor mounts? Would you recommend Currie over MORE for example, or vice versa? Is there much difference between manufacturers? And finally, how tall are one inch raised motor mounts

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[HIGLET]

I have the Currie motor mounts, 1" with the Urethane bushings. So far so good. (knocking on wood) They seem fine so far, the only thing I noticed was that they transmit a LITTLE, really LITTLE amount of engine vibration back to you.
I bought them at the same time I bought the Currie 1" BL.
Are they better than MORE or 4xDR? Prolly not BUT...
For the price of the MORE mounts I got both kits, that's why I went with them.

Sean M Higgins
higs@higsrigs.com

[Ace!]

I guess I'll get few (if any) opinions on who makes the best motor mount lift... My friend with the broken mount received his new one yesterday. He pulled the old one and noticed the difference right away. It was a crappy weld and the new ones are a different design. Here's his determination:

"That weld just about didn't exist. Guessing like 20% of the length of the
weld actually fused the two pieces together on one arm, maybe 50% on the other.
It was delivered basically broken but it took 2 years to snap.

Currie changed the design. I want another of the new design for the other side ...
I'll put the other old one aside as a spare. The new design is bent rather than
cut and welded so it has fewer welds to break."

I felt that was interesting and would share.

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[sethmark]

I wouldn't do Currie again... I've getting really tired of their balogna.

The driver's side motor mount failed when the exhaust manifold cracks melted it... fine. So I call Currie asking for a new bushing. They say no.

So I call back and talk to the manager, he sends it out no sweat. Fine. Happy customer.

Next I notice cracks along my Currie Body Lift. So I call and ask for the manager... he tells me they've NEVER had one fail and my body bolts must be too tight. So they'll send me pucks but only if I buy them. I walk out to the garage and ALL of the pucks were spot on at 35 ft/lbs. Enough of that. So I ordered the MORE pucks... I bet the al doesn't fail.

Needless to say, I'd buy the MORE motor mounts...

I just don't understand why its ALWAYS a fight when I call with a customer service issue.

<a href='http://seth.rockcrawler.com'>Tightey Whitey World</a>

[mrblaine]

Seth- Currie is just like anyone else in business. It is run by humans and we all make mistakes and have bad days.

I also suspect that with the exception of axles and related parts, very little of what we buy from them is actually manufactured in house.

To go a step further, I would be very interested in a side by side comparison of the MORE and Currie mounts.

My friend Clark has the PA body lift and it looks identical to the one from Currie. His also have the splits around the lower edge in the thinner material. My answer would be the aluminum pucks, but with the recess in them to fit over the flange on the mount just like the PA pucks do.

I did see on the pirate board where too much angle from a dropped t-case skid, did in a set of Currie mounts. They are designed to work mostly in a more parallel arrangement, and not angled.

I have also heard where the vendor who welds up the swing-out had some welding issues and caused some failures because of it.

Seems like more of a QC problem than intent to sell a faulty product.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[sethmark]

I agree with your comments generally Blaine, but I've done a fair amount of business with Currie (albeit chump change for them) and there's always some hiccup or headache.

At this point, I've basically decided to use other vendors when I can, for that simple customer service issue. It simply is too difficult to deal with them, and in the case of the motor mounts, there are other options.

Regarding the manufacturing... well, nobody makes anything... everything is jobbed out, so I attribute little value to a vendor based on that. My interest is in how they treat me after the sale.

Seth

<a href='http://seth.rockcrawler.com'>Tightey Whitey World</a>

[This message was edited by Seth on July 21, 2001 at 04:02 AM.]

[mrblaine]

Perhaps I can help. Interested?

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[sethmark]

I'm not sure I understand... What do you mean by help?

Seth (appreciative, but confused)

<a href='http://seth.rockcrawler.com'>Tightey Whitey World</a>

[This message was edited by Seth on July 21, 2001 at 08:57 AM.]

[mrblaine]

I know John Currie and I am certain that he likes his customers to be happy. I know that he has gone out of his way to make me happy. I also understand that there may be mitigating circumstances involved, and I would like a chance to get things back on the better side.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[sethmark]

Thanks... but no need. These are little, nagging issues that are resolved.

More than anything else, I just found that when I've dealt with Currie in the past, they were amazing about taking my order and getting it to me fast. (Body lift, motor mounts, SYE, anti rock, steering brace...)

If anything went wrong, I got the run around. It shouldn't be so hard...

Bestop is the perfect example. I bought soft doors from them and one of the windows was cut wrong. I called customer service and within 3 minutes she had apologized, and gotten a replacement shipped to me; it arrived the next day. No charge, no hassle. I'll buy bestop forever.

Currie got my business because I believe that their products are superior. Some are (steering brace, anti rock), some aren't (body lift, motor mounts).

When Ace! said 'I guess I'll get few (if any) opinions on who makes the best motor mount lift', I posted my experience.

Seth (Thanks... I really appreciate the offer though!!!)


<a href='http://seth.rockcrawler.com'>Tightey Whitey World</a>

[Ace!]

Well Seth, I appreciate your comments. And my friend, not me, had similar experiences to you. His motor mount was the first ever to break at the weld, per Currie. I thought that was interesting, in that it seems there would be less than 99.9% (I'm assuming they've sent out a 1000 of these motor mounts) perfection in what goes out the door, but I still give them the benefit of the doubt. Based on never having a failure of a motor mount, Currie sounded (to my friend mind you) like they didn't believe him.

What he expected was Currie would apologize for the inconvenience and say 'box it up so we can look it over, we're always interested in making a better product, and your new mount is on it's way.' I understand that this type of customer service can lead to loss (what if there really is no broken motor mount), but it can also lead to as you are with Bestop, a lifetime customer. Instead, what he got was, 'hmmm, that's never happened before. purchase a new one and we'll refund the purchase price when we receive the old one.' (he was also given the option of sending the broken one to them and when they received it they'd send back a new one). An acceptable solution to the problem, but not the best one for the customer (my friend has one vehicle that he could drive with a broken motor mount until the new one arrived). My friend feels Currie is building decent products, but not necessarily concerned with whether customers are happy in dealing with them. There is something to be said for buying a good product, and then being assured of quality after-sale support.

It's of course a caveat emptor world, and anyone can buy from any company. I asked the question because at some point I'll be in the market for a motor mount lift (probably), and am looking for the best thing out there. I want the highest quality, and I want the friendliest service if I ever need to call upon it. I'm not flaming Currie, because I haven't personally dealt with them, and because of those I know that have had somewhat mixed experiences. What I was hoping for in this post was, 'so-and-so makes the highest quality product, and has always been more than helpful.' It doesn't look like I'm going to get a response like that I do however appreciate everyone's input, and it seems based on very few responses that it doesn't really matter and price may matter more than manufacturer (or no one here has raised motor mounts )..

Áron O'Proinntigh is ain

[mrblaine]

OK Ace, I will give you the response you are searching for, I doubt that you will believe me though based on past experiences.

I have personally installed 5 sets of the Currie mounts and have not had one stinking problem with the fit, finish, or function of any of the sets. Without exception these are in rigs that are capable of doing, and do the Hammers. Some, like my wife's are freshly installed and others like mine are well used after 18 trips to JV, and tons of trips elsewhere.

Garry competed on his set and did nothing to hurt them. If I had it to do over again, I would buy another set, wait, I just did that, and put a set in Kat's rig. If I build another rig, I will also use the Currie mm's. They just work for me. I am sorry that not everyone has had the same experience.

Does this resounding endorsement make you want to run out and buy a set? Instead I think that all it will do is bring to surface more comments to the contrary. This is why I have refrained from making these points. If someone has a different experience, I also want to hear it.

I also tire of debating the finer points and nuances of a part that retails for less than 70.00 dollars. They are just motor mounts. Pick a set and run with them. May your choice be as satisfying as mine has been, and not just once either.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[Ace!]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mrblaine:
OK Ace, I will give you the response you are searching for, I doubt that you will believe me though based on past experiences.

I have personally installed 5 sets of the Currie mounts and have not had one stinking problem with the fit, finish, or function of any of the sets. Without exception these are in rigs that are capable of doing, and do the Hammers. Some, like my wife's are freshly installed and others like mine are well used after 18 trips to JV, and tons of trips elsewhere.

Garry competed on his set and did nothing to hurt them. If I had it to do over again, I would buy another set, wait, I just did that, and put a set in Kat's rig. If I build another rig, I will also use the Currie mm's. They just work for me. I am sorry that not everyone has had the same experience.

Does this resounding endorsement make you want to run out and buy a set? Instead I think that all it will do is bring to surface more comments to the contrary. This is why I have refrained from making these points. If someone has a different experience, I also want to hear it.

I also tire of debating the finer points and nuances of a part that retails for less than 70.00 dollars. They are just motor mounts. Pick a set and run with them. May your choice be as satisfying as mine has been, and not just once either.

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.[/quote]

I don't know why you'd think I wouldn't believe you. I didn't ask for opinions because I'd made up my mind on what to, or what not to buy (I don't even know of more than two mfgs of motor mount kits, as I asked here first, before I did much 'research' elsewhere). I'm surprised by your comment in fact, in re the past experiences. Is it because when you give me an opinion I take it as a person's opinion and ask for more, rather than 'run out and buy' whatever it is?

Do you know that I bought the same springs you have, and that Kathryn has (I think), and that I'm buying RE control arms based on your and Mark Faulkner's input (as well as others)? I didn't buy my SYE/CV driveshaft based on your recommendation though, as there was a discount on what I bought and it better serves what I think I'll need in the long run. I don't take your word as gospel on all Jeep parts, but think you have a very good understanding of what works and what doesn't and take that into consideration when asking for and receiving advice from you. I give more credence to some people's opinions, and you're one of those people. When I look for parts there is a lot of crossover between what you do with your Jeep and what I'd like to, at the point mine is ready. I've actually learned a great deal from you, and others online. You have seemed less and less interested in giving me input though, over time, and I'm sure that's due to something I am doing to make you less interested in what I'm doing with my Jeep.

Had you responded earlier that they were just motor mounts, pick a set and run with them I would have understood that as an answer to my original inquiry, that there probably isn't enough of a difference to warrant paying more for a set than a lower priced set. I didn't know you were debating the finer points of the $70 item, I actually didn't read much from you at all on this subject, and certainly not 'fine' points. I have no clue what the differences are between say a Currie mount and a MORE mount. When you mentioned the bushing issue I looked to my friend who's broke as a possible cause (not because I thought you were full of sh*t, but because I value your input). In this case though, my friend's set up is not like the example you gave. It doesn't mean it's less valued by me though.

Do you not like me? Tell me, I can handle it, and I will not e-mail you or expect responses from you (because I actually do miss not seeing your input on issues I raise in a forum like this). As a matter of fact I won't invite you to the Rubicon or to my home in Oregon, which I've done by e-mail in the past with no response. You tell me Blaine. I value what I perceive as a friendship between the two of us, but if it's one-sided, tell me. And, no one is reading this particular post it seems, so go ahead and tell me how you really feel, or e-mail me if it's not appropriate

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[mrblaine]

Ace- It is not an issue of whether or not I like you. It is not an issue of whether or not we would wheel together or are friends. The issue is your tendency to over analyse things and then beat that dead horse incessantly.

It does take a noticeable amount of effort to answer questions truthfully and with as much objectivity as possible.

I get a little cranky when I spend that time answering to the best of my ability, explaining spring design, arranging a first hand demonstration, and after all of that, being asked what the spring rate is. It is not an apples to apples comparison. Spring rate has little to do with what we look for in a spring. This implies to me that my explanation and recommendation was less than adequate.

You also implied that there was no-one paying attention to you and that came across as a little snivelly. At last count there were 135 page views of a 15 reply topic. Someone was reading. Maybe they just had no experience. Just because a question goes unanswered does not mean we are ignoring you, nor does it mean we need to be chided for our lack of response.

On top of all of our efforts, you finally say that this is a "probably", or "maybe", or "sometime in the future" if it fits into your mod schedule. Just exactly how much credence should we put into a scenario such as that?

It is not who you know, It is who knows you
Jeeps do not make jeepers, jeepers make Jeeps.

[Ace!]

Point taken, I understand where you could think I'm beating a dead horse. Although, I now have a database of mfg and spring rates, both aftermarket and stock, which I get asked for (regardless of relevance).

The two happy faces were meant to show that it was not chiding or snivelly, I'm sorry you saw it as such. So too were the parts about being appreciative of everyone's input. And, it wasn't finally that I said it might/probably, it was in the very first post that I said so I can keep in the back of my mind for when the day comes.

Anyway, I'm glad I know what p*sses you off (at least something that makes you cranky). Now I can use it against you in some manner to get some pieces of fiberglass cut

Oh yeah, and of the ~35 members of Jeepbbs, thanks for viewing this five times each, now I feel feel like someone's paying attention

Áron O'Proinntigh is ainm dom

[Wumpy]

Well, I'm glad that's settled. I though I was going to have to moderate or something.

I am doing this from home.