Okay i was wondering how much my baby can take in horsepower. I have ran a serch and couldn't really get an answer . So my question is how much horsepower can a 3rd gen uni-body frame take?

 

take how?

 

what i am trying to say is how much before it is bad for the frame? like to the point where it would start to bend the frame slowly and you would notice a slight raise of one side of the car.

 

a stock engine tweaks the chassis, a bump it the road will to, since its a uni body its pretty flexy stock. as for how much a 3rd gen can take, well with subframe connectors and a cage their pretty damn strong, ive seen plenty of full body 9 second 3rd gens, even a 7 second Formula.

 

Ive often wondered the same thing but Im mainly interested in HP numbers. Anybody have any "roundabout" HP numbers??? Id hate to see people on this board build a motor & trans with a lot of HP & torque and then find out later on down the road that their chassis is cracking. My one friends father works at a high end body shop and they had a Mustang Saleen (I think). From what I was told the car had so much power that the strut towers were cracking.

Later...

Dan

 

leave mustangs for mustang boards, they have their own set of problems, no need to get anyone even more alarmed. there is no written # for a horse power output that will "wreck" a uni body, and in actuallity the HP isnt what breaks or twisting things its torque, horse power is a bi product of torque. if someone is stupid enough to put that much money into an engine and not make the chassis and suspension of the car capable of handling the torque load then they deserve the consiquences. in most cases drag stripes rules pretty much define whats safe, IE a roll bar or cage for 11.99 or quicker, then a full cage or ither 10.99 or 10.50 i forget. any car really should have subframe connectors installed, this will eliminate most twisting. when it comes donw to it, u take a thirdgen with quality subframe connectors, a 10 pt cage, and a strut tower bar, that unibody is gonna be pretty damn sturdy.

 

stock, it flexes......... so basicly in my opinion, SFCs are a must...


but anyhoo, a number is meaningless.. between the sheer number of parts, the factory tolorances, and the fact that these cars are old, no number found for one car would apply directly to the other.


if you are making SERIOUS power, you already need a rollbar.. and that will more then stiffen it enough.... for even more power, you already need a cage..... so it kinda works itself out.




and just because you flex the car, doesnt mean it will stay that way forever. heck, go up a driveway at a crooked angle, and the whole car twists.... park it there as long as you like, and when you put it back on flat gound, it will twist its self out.... no lil 2 sec acceleration romp is going to perm damage the car unless it tears/shears somthing apart.