Quote: Originally Posted by btcamaro Do you guys think that welding in the bar like customblackbird did would allow you to eliminate the panhard bar support for better clearance of dual exhaust? it seems that you are accomplishing the same thing by tying the 2 frame rails together. If you did, i would suggest an additional brace to connect the newly added crossmember to the former upper panhard bar mounting point on the panhard bar mount on the passenger side. Boy that's hard to explain in words! Basically, that panhard mount on the passenger side sticks out pretty far from the "frame rail", so a gusset to your new crossmember would help keep it from deflecting as the panhard bar exerts forces on it. That seems to me to be a primary function of the upper panhard bar.

NO.... If you added the piece that blackbird did, and ditched the panhard bar brace, you'd cause too much stress to the body side mount of the panhard bar.

Look at the lateral forces. That support keeps the panhard bar bracket from being pushed/pulled. Since the bracket is dropped down alittle, there's a good bit of leverage on it. That piece that blackbird welded in isnt in the location of that panhard bar mount anyway.

If you want clearance for dual exhaust, you can get one of the panhard bar drop brackets along with the special new tubular panhard bar brace.

Otherwise...that brace has gotta stay. Unless you find another way to support and brace that upper mount. But I dont think gusseting it would work too well with the unibody back there.

J.

EDIT...oops...looks like I was alittle late with this response...but either way.

what i did has nothing to do with the panhard bar, or its support bar. a good way to get more room for dual exhaust is to get BMRs upper panhard bar. its tubular and its stronger than stock but has a bend in it which allows enough room for dual 3" exhaust on the stock routing. its called the panhard bar relocation kit.

scroll down u'll see it and it has installed pics
http://www.bmrfabrication.com/F3-suspension.htm

all i did was tie the rear subframes together for maybe alil edge in strengthing the rear subframe part of the car. seen in this pic at the bottom of the rear bars on the cage. its a cross bar that connects both rear bars together at or around the mounting plates for added stiffness between the "subframes on our car. which are only connected by the super thin floor sheet metal. so thats was my alternative vs having the bar in the interior and looking out of place.

http://cbioffroadfab.com/v-web/galle...bar_behind.jpg

Could someone post the distance between the shocks? Could someone also measure from the front seat belt bolt by the center counsel to a point on the rear end hump between the shock mounts? This will give me a better base to go off of and it will make the stress analysis more accurate.

Does anyone know the dimensions or material type of other aftermarket harness bars? Even if it is made for other cars it will give me a benchmark to meet and possibly exceed. All I know is that Sparco uses a 0.120" walled steel bar for their harness bars. I also found a Corvette harness bar that weighs in at 21 lbs. so I don't feel so bad making mine heavy.

Thanks,
Mike

If you have sfc and a cage you might be able to do this. Just make a crossmember and tie the two rails in the rear together somehow (if its even possible to find a spot). You'll have to box in the bracket where both the upper and lower track bars are mounted to. It would be similar to what cup cars run in the rear.

I had a friend with the corvette harness bar in his C4, and it made a significant difference.

What exactly do you mean by significant difference? A difference in the handling, or a difference in the ability to stay planted in the seat with the use of a harness... what?