i have access to a welder and can het tubing and bend it and basically whatever would need to be done. Now my question is, can i just connect the front subframe to the rear subframe and have subframe connectors? also, while i got ya in here, will i benefit at all from boxing in my LCA's. Im a full time college student and part time mechanic with no money so im trying to do a little extra for my suspension as cheap as possible. thanks alot

 

I built my own subframe connectors, roll cage, panhard, LCAs and strut tower brace and will describe as well as I can what I did.

I used 2x2 square steel tubing, tubing does not have to be round!
I attached mine to the front at the lower firewall and at the rear on the subframe. The entire length is run along the rocker panel and welded to entire way. In the front I formed a piece of steel plate to distribute the force over a greater area. In the rear I used steel plate again to connect the control arm bracket to the SFC. I further added and additional brace on the drivers side from the side of SFC to the side of the factory subframe in front of the trans crossmember. I did not add one to the pass. side because at the time my exhaust was there. I want to add another brace because my exhaust pipes are not in the way anymore. I chose this way of doing things because I have no ground clearance issues and did not have to cut up the floor. If I had to do it again I would.

There is another way to gain more strength by using rectangular tubing 2x3 and connecting the front directly to the rear subframes. However this requires you to cut long holes in your floor and you must be precise because these slots must not be too big or else the weld area will need to be huge. This is not exactly as easy as it may sound and there is more detail to the installation.

I hope this is helpful and not confusing. Don't get scared off from a great DIY project.

There are many other ways to build your SFC. You can also use round tubing instead of square or rectangular. I would recommend reading up some on chassis and suspension theory before you begin.

BTW make sure your welding skill is good because poor welds can be very dangerous.

 

thanks alot for the reply. you didnt scare me off you actually just made me more confident, because i was thinking on the same line of what you just told me. i personally wont be welding, my father will be and he is really good at it. thanks again, any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated

 

zzz do you have any pics of your install? I have no fears when it comes to fabing up the tubing and welding it on, I just need to see them installed so I know where it all goes...after all no sense in welding it up right if its in the wrong place to do the job

 

i made mine 2 x 1.5 and 1x2 i used mitered joints instead of bent. it's pretty easy to do.

 

thats about what I was planning to do...what wall thickness did you use? I just want to have the clearest picture in my head before I design something and weld it to the car

 

IROCmonkey

Sorry no pics of the install were taken. I used 2x2 square tubing with a .188 wall thickness for maximum strength. They are heavy, added about 80+ lbs to my car but that weight is alright with me given the added strength of the chassis.

Try to imagine long steel tubing running along the edge of the rocker panel connecting from the front of the body to the rear.

If you want to come over from Tampa, I'm in boca, its only like 4-5 hour drive!!J/K

I will see about taking some shots of the underside on a lift at work tomorrow.

 

zzz pix would rock

laugh I've made that drive more than a few times, actually my best time frome here to dade was just over 3 hours...haulin ***

 

In response to the other part of you question:

By boxing in the LCA's do you mean to reinforce the area of the body where they connet?

If so this is not needed on an F-body. It's more of a Mustang problem due to the design of their suspension (upper and lower control arms).

However, relocating the rear of the lower control arms makes a significant difference in preformance on an F-body. It relocates the roll-center and will basically give you more traction and less wheel hop.

 

no by boxing them I mean adding metal to the open side of the U shaped arm to make them a closed box and strengthening them. Not as strong as tubular ones, but better than stock.

 

i used .187 o nthe 1.5x2 and .093 on the 1x2

 

ede, did you take any pics of yours, considering what you do professionally, I'd like to see yours

 

no i can't get the car high enough to get a good pic. it's not hard to do and you don't have to work for NASA to make your own SFCs

 

Boxed rear LCA with E.S. bushes.Pics of subframe connectors and cage soon.

 

Heres a boxed LCA WITH E.S. bushes.Pictures of sub-frame connectors and cage soon.

 

er wheres the bee...uhm pics?

 

OK,OK, I'm better at cars than I am with a computer.Could someone please give me an idiot proof guide on putting pictures on.(I clicked on browse and put the file name on,do I have to change the filename or something?)

 

Right try again.Boxed lca's with ES bushes pressed in with homemade press by the Toecutter.

 

I've also made SFC's from 1-5/8" roll cage tubing.Just used a hydraulic pipe bender and a homemade tubing notcher.Loads of other things made(see sig).Will post pictures now I know how.

Panhard rod without spherical bearing and bushing

 

Guess I'll be different with my tubular connectors.Made from 1"5/8 tube,1/8" plate,pipe bender etc.etc.Pictures off car of mine,pictures on car of the Toecutter with extra bracing.

 

.

 

If you have access to a bender I'd go for tubular as It's probably simpler than square tube.Besides Global west use exactly the same tube size I have,and they say round tube gives better torsional strength for the same size as square.I suppose they know their stuff.

 

Eric,

Where did you connect those subfame connectors at the rear? Was it to the LCA mount or the rear subframe? I'm looking into making my own also and like the design of yours. There are lots of speed bumps here so I dont want to loose any ground clearance which standard connectors will do.
Having looked under my car the only suitable design seems to me to be to run a length of steel tube along the sills bending in to meet the front subframe (like you did) and connecting to the LCA mounting point. I could weld some plate between the LCA mounting point and the rear subframe itself if direct connection between front and rear subframes is essential. What do you think.
Also do you think the next time your car is on a ramp you could take some more pics showing the complete length of both subframe connectors?

Thanks

Simon

 

i was going to use round tube since i have a hydrolic bender, but decided on square so i could stich weld the tube along th rocker panel lip.

 

I think your right ede, I picked up some square tubeing today its about 1 1/4 " * 1 1/4" . I have got slp headers and y pipe so the passenger side is going to be v tight. I'm thinking of connecting to rear LCA mounting point running along the rocker panel and looping over the exhaust to connect to the front subframe as I dont think I can run the full length of the rocker panel.

I also picked up some round tubeing to make a STB . What is the minimum hight the tube must be above the plenum (car is TPI) ?
There doesnt seem much of a gap between the plenum and hood.

Thanks

Simon

 

I made my own STB out of 1" DOM tubing. Mine has three points, both strut towers and the firewall. Mine has a gap of about 1 finger and the insulation on my hood has a slight indentation. I know you didn't ask me but i figured I could tell ya what I did. Good luck

 

Thanks thats answered my question

Simon

 

Hey, thanks for all this info, guys! I was thinking of welding my own subframe connectors in this summer. I've gotta replace my quarter panel (inner and outer, ugh) this summer, and it'd probalby be a damned good idea if I added some subframe connectors. The body/frame of my car has gone thru hell