I am tired of all the squeaking and body flex and cracked dashes so I'm finally gonna get some Sub-frame connectors. I see some on Hawk's that say "for covertibles". Do I need to get SFCs made specifically for a vert?

Either way what are teh best ones to get? I don't want to spend a fortune but I want to get this right. i'm leaning strongly toward the weld in kind.

 

Some won't work with verts. Get the Alston's from Lon at Top Down Solutions. I think they are $189. That is going to be the next mod for my vert.

 

Thanks. I'll check them out.

 

The only advantage to bolt-on ones is....You can bolt them in place, drive to a welder, then have them welded in place. But I see no reason you couldn't simply drill the bolt holes in the weld-on ones, then TEMPRORARILY bolt them in place to get to a welder, if you can't weld yourself.

 

Alston's all the way. That and the Wonderbar was the best money I ever spent.

 

Is the wonderbar a strut tower brace? Did it help with the squaking and creaking or just the handling?

 

i dont have sub frames but i do have a wonderbar, car still drives like a wet noodle if the road isnt flat. the subframes is where its at. when i drove i put my finger between the top and the windshield area and feel all the flex in the car. I'm going to need subframe connectors as my next purchase for my 92

the wonderbar is similar to the strut tower brace, but it goes under the front end. bolts to where your swaybar bolts.

sturt tower brace is also a good investment. get the car as solid as possible

 

You can weld in the Alston SFC's instead of or in addition to bolting them. That's why I offer the SFC install kit (bolts & nuts) as an option in case you just want to just weld them in.

I know it's a tough choice, which SFC to get? Powder-coated gloss black or gloss red. If you can't decide, get them un-coated (bare steel) and you can have them powder-coated or rattle-can painted in any color you desire.

Lon Salgren

 

Thanks Lon. I'll check into how much it will cost me around here to get them welded and hopefully get them soon.

I don't want to mess with bolting them in and then having them wleded. I'll just take them to the automotive welding shop.

 

Lons connectors are the way to go. I have them on my convertible and they really do help. Also, from Lon I got the wonderbar. Very good too.

 

Anything in particular make Lon's SFC's better than the vert-specific ones that Hawk's has?

 

Why does everybody keeps calling them "Lon's" when they are Alstons. He sells the Alston brand SFCs, not his own design....

Alston has the best design IMO. I'm just trying to come up with the $400 for the Alston SFCs & Lon's Deluxe Door Hinge reapair kit. Maybe next month or August.

 

i went with the spohn SFC's because they were specificially made to fit with the reinforced rocker panels in verts. they tucked in nicely without comprimising any ground clearance (cleaner). also, they were able to stitch weld them 1" every 4" or so. Plus they have an extra Y or T branch that welds onto the main frame member that adds more rigidity. see pics below (not my car). IMO, it doesn't get any better than this.

 

Those look home-made to me. They don't tie into the front subframe except for the 'T' piece. While they might be better than nothing, I'd hardly call them worth the effort of putting those on.

I see room for improvement for those.

 

I think the spohns make the car more rigid. I've got the Alstons and they helped some, but the car still has noticable cowl shake. It drives me freakin nuts. I've got a Kenny Brown 3 point STB I need to install, but have little faith that it will cure the shake. I'm thinking the only way to get it right is to remove the rocker GFX and fenders, and stitch weld all the ASC bracing along the rockers and firewall...... then maybe add the spohns.

 

Can somebody give me an idea what they paid to get the their SFC's welded in? am I looking at $300 or $50?

 

People on here used to say to get Alstons and Spohns. Thats if you get really crazy.

 

So you can install both on the same car? I'm not trying to make it stiff enough to drag race, just enough to stop squeaking.

Which one should I get if I only get one? a second set would be way down the road.

Sounds like the majority of folks so far like the alstons.

I'd dtill like to get an idea what some folks have paid to get them welded in.

 

So you can install both on the same car? I'm not trying to make it stiff enough to drag race, just enough to stop squeaking.

Which one should I get if I only get one? a second set would be way down the road.

Sounds like the majority of folks so far like the alstons.

I'd dtill like to get an idea what some folks have paid to get them welded in.

 

I've just heard you can install both, never seen pics of it done yet though. I just bought my friend a couple good dinners at a sit-down restaurant to have him weld in my stuff. An exhaust shop or a body shop might be able to weld them in, someone that has a lift and a welder. I'm guessing $75-100.