Radiator Mounts

[4xFoorOffroad]

I'm building a tube structure to mount my 1st gen Tacoma's radiator to and I'm trying to keep the stock radiator mounting locations (4 mounting rivnuts on the corners of the radiator) so if I need to get a parts store radiator out in bfe, it'll fit even thought I'm looking at a Koyo or CSF aluminum unit for the next step in the build. I've heard some people say soft mounting with bushings is better but all the big truck builds, they all have the top and bottom bracket / clampy mounting systems. I won't have a full engine cage, but I'll have the radiator bolted to tubes. Just curious what other people do with this level prelander.

 

[DesertGoat]

this seems to be a debated topic among the internet.
I see lots of people clamping the core of the radiator, like you mentioned, but that never sat right with me. The core is made up of a bunch of thin tubes and fins - hardly much structure there. But of course it's tough to argue with results, plenty of folks have made it work.

Personally, my move is going to be to build some cradles that grab the whole bottom of each side tank with a layer of (1/4"?) semi-squishy rubber.
then I want to have some studs or threaded bungs welded to the tanks near the top & I'll use a fore-aft oriented bolt with a rubber isolator between the cage structure & the tank.
My truck is going to be a "fast" prelander but not a racetruck too. So my idea probably isn't skookum enough for the big dogs, but i had way less on my last truck and it never failed.

 

[Motiracer38]

I clamped the core on my prerunner as well as the crawler. The bottom mount was 1x2 tube wrapped with adhesive foam rubber, the top mount tie to the core support area and down to the bottom mount. The key to not tearing up the radiators is to only have one solid mount and let the other float and flex a bit. Never had a single issues with the 10 years of use and the cheapest radiator I could find at the time.

 

[85Yota]

I clamped the core on all trucks I've had too. race truck, Tacoma, current bumpside ford. If the tanks don't have tabs welded on that's how I've always mounted them.

Also my Tacoma i didn't do bolts or anything to tighten it down i just push it down and put 2 bolts per side so it couldn't move anywhere. 35k miles and never a problem.

You'll probably have the core to tank tubes leak from tubes getting longer and shorter from heat cycles, but tanks can't move with top and bottom have solid plates welded between them.

 

[36Fan]

Rubber isolator sandwich mounts top and bottom with tabs. Run the stud/bolt vertical on the lowers and horizontal on the uppers.

 

[4xFoorOffroad]

Thanks y'all, I need to be able to install a number of radiators in the first few tries of seeing what will work (going from cheapest to less cheapest), plus, in year 8 of this thing never having been driven since I bought it and worked on it, it's get it running and not get it right mode this year for me.

I checked out Tommy's truck on YT for the n-teenth time and if I had more time / tools / ability I'd cut the frame way back like you did and clamp a radiator that firts in there like yours.

However, I looked up isolator bushings and something like this is what's also recommended if I go with a plastc top and bottom tank radiator?

Shamazon 3/8 Rubber Insulator

So I'd make tabs that keep the location of the radiator while leaving these in there to dampen vibration / handle flex?

Years back I bought a Champion radiator and then all I heard was guys having them leak on them. My wife's 4runner got a 2rz radiator when I replaced the motor and it's been handling AC in traffic on heatwave days and it's what I'm thinking of going with and it'll only bolt and not clamp. Anyway, thank you again.