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Thread: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

  1. #1
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    BOBBLE STRUT MOUNT on LeBaron LE

    Hi, everybody,

    I need to put a lower bobble-strut mount onto my car for the transmission swap. I'm putting an A543 5-speed into my 1993 LeBaron LE in place of its old automatic transmission. But there's a problem. The shell-type upper bobble-strut mount on the A543 puts the damper (shock-absorber) directly in line with the power-steering pipes, where they bend downward and then run over to the right. I could make a lower mount that extends the bottom-attach point forward, toward the front of the car, enough to miss the pipes, but that gives too much leverage to the damper, and I suspect the bottom attach point would not last.. Is there a way to move the damper (the shock absorber) to the left, away from the pipes? Or do I have to change the power-steering pipes? Maybe rebend them? . . . but that could easily break them. I have the shell-type strut mount that actually places the damper to the right a bit, close to the intersection of the engine and transmission. Is there a factory mount that moves it left? Any suggestions? I haven't found anything about this in this forum's archives.

    Thanks in advance to anyone reading this. You've all been extremely helpful in my swap operation.

    ........RayO
    Last edited by RayO; 08-19-2017 at 04:17 PM.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff 135sohc's Avatar
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Got a picture ?
    1994 Shadow Sedan. 2.2 N/A, A568 400,000 miles. "the science experiment"
    1987 Shelby CSX #418. Long term rebuild and restore ?

  3. #3
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    I can get all kinds of photos but can't post 'em here. Looking down through the hole in the top mount I see the power-steering tubes, (two pipes, metal, about 1/2" diameter) before I see the ledge of the cross-member to which the lower mount should be welded or bolted. The two pipes are right in the way, in a direct line to where the center of the lower mount bolt should be. I've seen other power steering lines that run farther to the right, out of the way. My setup sucks for adding the bobble strut.

  4. #4
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    What about one of the solid/adjustable bobble struts? They are thinner than the stock damper and you could modify the upper mount to tilt the strut forward a little if need be. If you can weld you could make one quite easily.

  5. #5
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Hey, lightbulb, I'm thinking about that. I just got the trans torqued in place and will take a good look at my options today. That might be easier than moving the power-steering lines.
    .........R

  6. #6
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    I gotta ask do you have the front motor mount installed yet ?

  7. #7
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    No, Doc, am about to do that today (Sunday). I suspect it'll require the motor to come forward slightly, but it ought not to move a lot right to left.

  8. #8
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    I'm thinking it may improve the angle the bobble bracket installs on once the front mount is in as it usually rotates the engine slightly

  9. #9
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Yeah, I usually have to grab onto the motor and yank it towards the front of the car to get my front mount to bolt up.

  10. #10
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    My engine will come forward only half an inch and won't rotate at all. However, I did the "fix" today. The power-steering lines run through a stand-off, which is a strap lined with rubber. This stand-off holds the lines an inch or so from the back wall (frame crossmember). The strap had a dog-leg shape, for what reason I don't know, and held the lines too far forward. The lines don't need to be that far from the frame. Therefore I took off the strap, straightened it, and bent the pipes back a bit toward the frame. Now I have room for the lower mount I have designed, which will essentially bolt on.

    Onward!

    Thanks, guys, for your time.

    ............Ray

  11. #11
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    need some pics of this setup please.

  12. #12
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    I'd be happy to post pictures but "I don't have permission." If someone tells me how to bypass this b/s I'll post all the photos you want.

    .........R

  13. #13
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Hey, GLHNSLHT2, I tried to send you a private message but your inbox is FULL. Clear it out if you want pix from me.

    ..................R

  14. #14
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    cleared out.

  15. #15
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Please post those pics he sends. Or someone send them to me and i'll post them here. Interested in what you came up with.

  16. #16
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Guys, I'll get some pix today and forward them to you both. I see another guy who did the swap did what I said in my first post, extended the axis of the lower mount, and sure enough had problems. Simply stated, I mashed the interfering pipes toward the rear of the car to make more room on the ledge. Bear with me. Mighty tired from creeping around under the car, the past two days, and today the axles might go back in. I ain't no kid anymore, and man, this hurts! You should see my Scotch bill.

    ........Ray

  17. #17
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Lightbulb010, and GLHNSLHT2, private messages sent. Joe, post 'em here if you want.

    .......R

  18. #18
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Here are the pics of the issue in question:

    Photo 1 shows my bobble bracket, white at the top, with a red line indicating the strut line. The two red things are where the brackets could be welded. Note the power steering lines are directly in the way.

    Photo 2 is also of my car, from a slight angle. The red things are the brackets, and note they have two holes. If I left the power-steering lines (green) alone I'd have to use the outer red holes, which gives the strut too much leverage. It'll break something. The standoff, shown in blue and also from the side (with the two pipes in green going through it), is bent to hold the lines far away from the cross member. This is needless. I straightened the bracket and shoved the lines to the rear, and got plenty of room for my setup (which is not yet built.)
    Click image for larger version. 

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    These are pics of other setups:

    Photo 3 is another guy's car with the same problem I had. His power-steering lines (green) are directly behind the bracket. This guy added the bracket, and used a solid strut, not the pneumatic one.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Photo 4 shows what happened from the excess leverage, and, I suspect, the use of a solid strut.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    I think the biggest issue with this one is the fact that it's two pieces welded only to the face of the K-member. A piece of C-channel or two pieces of angle stock cut at an angle and welded to the lower lip as well as the face would work much better.
    Photo 5 is of yet another car. Note the standoff sticking out in the breeze. The required length of the arm gives way too much leverage to the strut. This guy used a round, original, strut, so the leverage arm is still longer. This won't last.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    This one is welded better but again, it's just two pieces of flat stock(at least it appears to be) which don't provide much area for a strong weld.

    When you get your bracketry and/or strut made up be sure to send some pics of that as well!

  19. #19
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Quote Originally Posted by lightbulb010 View Post
    When you get your bracketry and/or strut made up be sure to send some pics of that as well!
    Joe, I think you're right about those poor designs, but the added leverage of the protruding bracket doesn't help either. I'll be sure to send you the images of my design, currently under construction. Thanks for posting this. ........Ray

    See the photos of my setup on page two of this thread. Thanks, Joe! ......rmo
    Last edited by RayO; 09-18-2017 at 03:45 PM.

  20. #20
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    Re: BOBBLE STRUT on LeBaron LE

    Also the stock one goes up over the top of the kmember as well. A friend got some large angle iron. cut it so the flats went over the top of the kmember and then down the front. Also a piece to go in between the 2 pieces at the bottom of the kmember lip just like stock.



    Weird PS lines.


    Can you not find a 91+ 5 spd kmember in the j-yard??? I'd think that'd be easier than trying to fab and weld something up.

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