OK fellas,

We really need a aftermarket durable motor mount.

Someone has to be willing to undertake this.

Solid or Poly?

Wouldn't poly be better to cushoin it a bit.

OK---can I have a somewhat concise explanation as to what causes a motor mount or multiple motor mounts to break?? Is it just severe off-roading? or can they go from daily use??

When under load the engine moves or twists a bit. The twisting and surging of the motor can cause mounts to weaken then fail. Under normal conditions this isn't an issue. But repeated high torque surges can be a problem.

Thats my understanding anyway....

I dont understand why hasnt anyone used an Engine Torque strap or a torque limiter to prevent the engine from twisting and popping its motor mounts.
The racing community has been doing this for years. It can be as simple as a piece of chain bolted to an accesory bracket on the engine and bolted to the frame or something significant to prevent the engine from excessive twisting.
The also offer kits with a rachet type tie down that hooks to the motor and bolts to the frame and you can adjust the tension. All for like $30.. A little easier than changing motor mounts.
Majority of failures were due to front wheel spin and suddenly tire catching traction. Instead of popping a CV joint, hub, it takes out a motor mount.
Just an idea. I am dealing with the same issue on my Grand National, and there are solutions already out there. Why re-invent the wheel. Its an old problem that came before the Xterra.

Well, it doesn't have anything really with the front wheel spin. Just torque in general.

We've used Poly mounts in imports for a while. Trust me, not much 'cushion' there. You still feel it.

I'll get some motor mounts on my next check. Maybe we can meet at Ian's house and discuss some possibilities about some motor mounts and some quick disconnects.

Guinness and hot dogs?

A torque strap is an exccelent idea, and cheap insurance. I had forgotten about them since I stopped racing. I have seen them made out of braided stainless. Are they available for the X...Probably not...Should they be. Absolutely, after what happened at ECXC4. Anybody want to step up?

Several motor mounts were broken at GOX CC this past week. The remedy involves a ratcheting tie-down from the L shaped bracket under the frame and up to a secure point. I asked after replacing this mount (my 2nd), if I should re-apply the strap as a precautionary measure. There were two schools of thought on this-
1- It's good.
2- It's bad. The excess torque involved in ripping one apart has to be distributed elsewhere and something else will eventually give..

Several motor mounts have been broken in general. Nearly everyone I know that wheel's their X has broken one at one point or another.

There is some flex built into those mounts. A short peice of chain to act as a limiting strap has been suggested here, though no one has tried it. Spot weld it to the block and bolt it to the frame so the chain maxes out before the mount separates....same principle as the tie down strap.

When the one went at GONE last year on the factory X, the winch cable was wrapped under the truck to hold the motor in place. On Ivan's at this year's AZ run, we used a ratchet strap.

This is something worthy of a recall IMO.

This is just what I did part of the way throguth the trip as a preventive measure.. took a ratchet strap and attched from the top-rear arm mount to the front top of the drivers side motor mount and so far it is holding and I didn't brake a mount this week .. will take/post pics later in the week

When I had a steel winch rope I used it to secure the mount. Now that I have a synthetic rope I used rachet straps, but I still had a problem with the nylon straps melting off the hook at the engine end.

The mustang solutions use a nicer steel adjustable rod that bolts to the engine. Pretty slick design but will require mods to work for an X. This strap should bolt right on.

Something along the lines of 1/4 braided cable with a couple cable clamps would be cheaper and would stand up to more heat cycling than the nylon would. That's the setup I run on my Ford seeing as how it has more mount issues than the X. I've run my Xterra through the same stuff that I blew a mount out on the truck in and it just kept huffing right along. As soon as I lost one mount I had both sides cabled in. Once I lose one on teh X, same same.

Justin