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54 trans crossmember

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NYG6995

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Hello,
What I've done is installed a saginaw 3 speed in my 54 Chevy 3100, with a 12 bolt rear from a 70 suburban, and made up a drive shaft. (runs good) Now i need a crossmember to keep it all tight and reduce vibration. Has anyone done this, and will the "universal crossmember" that CD or others sell work with this setup? I called several companies tech departments, including CD, (they say it will work) however i don't feel completely confident on the details. Thanks for any help or advice on this one. Garry G. :)
 
Are you sure your driveshaft is in good balance? A crossmember won't cure a vibration problem by itself. 55-57 chevy cars and 55-59(maybe more) trucks just had the transmission hanging out in the air since the rear mounts were on the bellhousing. Also, what angle is your pinion to your trans output shaft. If this angle is too great it can cause vibration.
 
Thanks Evan, actually the vibration is not too bad, only when I go like 65, and bearing in mind that the truck sits on its stock 50 year old suspension, and has the original 50 year old wheels that the tire shop says they cannot balance, I'm real surprised it isn't a lot worse. Those are good questions you asked. I'm not really sure about the driveshaft, I just found one the right length, and had new u-joints pressed in. As for the pinion angle, I had a professional set up the rear, so I think its okay. And It has a 235 I put in, so its no hot rod. I'm just working on getting the whole truck in good shape to be an almost daily driver again. Thanks again, NY G.
 
Garry. on my 50, I installed a 10 bolt, along with a driveshaft, and did not use a rear crossmember. The truck actually had one in place with a mount, but not bolted to the frame. Who knows. I removed it as was suggested by others. I have not had any vibration problems. If you are mainly having them at higher speeds, and are using original wheels, you can almost bet the tire/rim combo is causing it. Why did the tire shop say they could not balance them? Are they out of round, bent, no way to mount them on the balancer? Seems like a likely source to start with. Also, have you done any ride height modifications, such as lowered springs, etc.? If so, this can change alignment angles, and even cause vibration issues........Mike
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON Aug-17-05 AT 11:33 AM (CST)]Hm , something amiss here , the most excellent Saginaw tranny needs -NO- rear crossmember .

If there is room for it , I'd re-install the original cross member as it helps frame rigidity , always a good thing .

The pinion flange should be a 3* increased angle .

Any tire shop that cannot balance your tires is a worthless joint , the sheels have zip to do with it unless they're severely (and obviously!) bent .

Much more likely is the driveshaft is either out of balance -or- it was assembled " out of phase " ~ this means the front & rear yokes are not lined up , a very common and simple mistake that will create a serious vibration problem .

Keep at it , you're almost there .

-Nate
 
Hey there Mike,
thanks for the response. My truck did not come with a crossmember, and yes two tire shops said the wheels were out of round, whatever that means. I think I'll just get some plain steel wheels, and have the driveshaft checked to see it thats correct. Springs are stock, except a previous owner beefed up the rear springs, they are no less than 13 leaves each. I should have taken out a few leaves when I had the rear done, I believe stock is 8 leaves. However the ride height appears stock. G man.
 
Thanks Nate, the Saginaw came from a 70 Suburban, and did have a crossmember. It is half again as long as the original 4 speed the 54 had. This truck also came with the enclosed driveline, no rear crossmember for the tranny. Too bad, I really liked the 4 speed, but the one my truck came with was damaged real bad. Looked like the P.O.s severely overloaded the truck and the drivline exploded at the ball which contains the u joint. The iron case of the tranny was actually cracked, and missing a large piece. the yoke was damaged, and they had drilled through it and put 4 different size bolts in there. I changed the whole driveline. (my first time) I must check that driveshaft, I never thought of that. G man.
 
13 leaves!!! Wow you could probably haul a house in the bed of that truck. Ha Ha.
Out of round just means just that. They are not round. Think of the wheels being either egg shaped, or wobbling side to side. That would certainly be potential for vibration. I think I would look into that before going into the driveshaft too much, especially if a professional shop set it up. I know that doesn't guarantee it is good. Fix the obvious problems first, then see how it is. It just sounds like a tire/wheel issue to me. Keep us posted......Mike
 
Thanks mike,
It will probably be a bit before i get to it, I have to find a set of wheels first. I'd like to weld or rivet the clips for original hubcaps, in keeping with my stock look. I think my hubcaps are from a 49 car. I work at Pebble Beach, now they have the Concours D'elegance, the cars are outrageous, some are worth millions. I'd like to go to the auction and see what they are actually bidding on these cars. Like they trade them like stocks, the cars being worth so much. Alright, I ramble...
peace, G man.
 
I've been to that concours. Beautiful cars, beautiful scenery, doesn't get much better. A former girlfriends uncle drove some of those cars around to shows. On occasion he would haul cars from the Harrahs collection. They would easily top 1 million dollars value. Kinda scary to think about while driving over the 17 summit being chased by all the valley idiots. Try not to work too hard.....Mike
 
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