If you're pressed for time, you kinda have to make due with what ya got. Funny how a piece of wood can make it better. But if you do have time, then you can just buy about 3 feet or so of angle iron, maybe a 3" by 5" steel plate (3/8" thickness or more), and three 1/8 to 1/4" steel dowels and make your own trans cradle. Three "arms" will go up to the mounting holes on the tranny, where the dowels can be cut and welded to go into the holes. The other arm will just let the flange just rest on it (if you've taken out a T56 you'll know what flanges i'm talking about.... the one that about crushed my finger). Drill two holes in the plate and the mounting plate on the jack in line with eachother so you can bolt the cradle to the jack. Maybe an hour's work if you got the right tools to make one.

Or, if you're lazy and have time to wait for delivery, just buy the dang thing from jegs

That "redneck" way is an awsome way.... especially if you're on a college budget like me. Making dimes and spending dollars makes it kinda hard to afford "real" mechanic's equipment. $8k a year for tuition and $3,500 a year in rent sucks when you don't have a job. Thank goodness for student loans...

 

This statement may come back to haunt you in the coming years

 

Well, hopefully we'll have good-paying jobs (driving in NASCAR I hope) and won't have to worry about paying the loans back. My tuition + apartment is currently about $13,000/yr. however, 85% of mine is scholarships and grants. So only 15% I have to pay back. Ahh, the beauty of being a minority student. I go to UNCW. There's about 10,000 students. Maybe 200 are black. And maybe 200 something else.