i want to make my own frame connectors but cant have the car in the same place as i would be making them. does anyone have dimensions of frame connectors.

 

Read your post and fix it up a little..

 

Think I can help. He wants to make his own sub frame connectors. He isn't able to have the car there when he makes the connectors. He wants to know if someone has deminsions already that he can copy.

Your answer depends on how fancy you want to make them. If you plan on doing tubing figure around 6 feet per side. I have heard of people doing it in around 4 feet per side. If you want to do boxed that's might be a little tougher because my Spohn boxed SFCs came with notches to fit factory contours.

Best thing to do is do some searches look at a bunch of pictures then plan out your design and measure yourself.

 

lol.. that makes sense.. I'm toooooo tired right now to use that part of the brain...

 

won't the total cost be just about the same .. taking labor + supplies + band-aids into account... I would just buy the connectors, they run what like 200 dollars or so .. ... and don't they also come powder coated..

 

Total cost of supplies depends. I've heard of people making SFCs before for well under $50. Some do come powder-coated, but some ship bare metal also. I'd recommend putting a POR-15 coat on them if there bare metal.

I should also point out SFCs can be bolt-on, but they really should be tacked in place with welds afterwards or eventually the bolt hole will elongate from chassis flex and they could start slapping around.

 

 

your exactly right i was really tired when i made the post

 

i can get the supplies for free since im in school thats why i want to make them soon

 

i can get the car in the same place as a welder just not as all the tools i will need to build them

 

is there any specific place i should attach them

 

POR15 doesn't stick well to bare fresh metal, rough textures is what it needs as in rusted, pitted, etched or blasted steel.

 

Twin's picture will get you there. That kind of part is difficult to make off the of the vehicle if you want it to be really tucked and to fit 100%. All of our cars are a little different. But if you follow what Twin posted...you should be ok. You might still have to mess with mounts after you mock them up once.

The only thing I dont agree on is the Por15 not sticking to bare metal. I always use Por15 on things that go under the car. Bare metal, rusty metal, metal that I probably shouldnt be using it on haha. I never have any issues with it sticking. My trans crossmember was fresh bare steel. I lathered on a few coats, and its looked great since. Even the areas that got scratched from stones, speedbumps, etc. Just make sure its clean, scuff it a little, and paint away. That stuff will bond to the metal, and to itself, and create a shell almost.

Do yourself a favor... use Twin's dimensions, grab a tape measure, and check on your car. The first time you crawl under the car shouldnt be to install the SFCs. If you want to build these away from the car, and you want them to fit perfect...you gotta measure and plan.

Good luck!

J.

 

It doesn't attach well to shiney bare metal at times. I had problems with it on the weld plates for the roll bar. It would spread then just collect back up in spots. They do make a metal etcher that fixes that tho like Twin_Turbo stated.

Also you don't need to do a complete end to end weld. Mine were just every 3 to 4 inches on the floor pan ridges and rocker lip that sticks down. You'll need to remove the seats, carpet, and pull up the floor insulation. The sheet metal will get pretty hot and you don't want to have a fire.

I pulled the insulation and put 2x4s under the carpet so it was off the floor... that way I didn't have to remove the center console and stuff.

 

Por will peed off in large flakes if you apply it to bare metal. It will stick just fine brushing it on but when cured, if you damage a spot and it starts to flake off it really comes off easily. On etched or blasted parts you have to grind it out. It's really durable then. It's an isocyanates based substance, much like superglue. It also dries with moisture, not exposure to air. I'm not making this up, I have used it for years and years and made my mistakes with bare smooth metal (wire brushed frame). I always sandblast stuff now before applying it.

As for the weld beads, really try to make as complete a weld as you can and if you can not weld the upper most areas, leave an opening in the lowest welds, or the corners so moisture can escape (and maybe spray some bodyschutz in the seams), a larger weld bead will spread the load better.