Hello,
I've purchused a weld on subframe connectors for my 91 RS during the winter break from Spohn's Performance. I haven't opened the box that it came in yet, just sat in my closet up until this point.

My friend Levi that went for an year in Wyotech went through the Diesel course and did the chassis fabercation course and made an insane chassis setup for his truck.

Well he told me he beleive's it would be a bad idea to put the subframe connectors because he beleive's that in time the body would not flex as when your driving on the streets and on the highway, but as for everything else like the stock torque arm, panhard bar, lower control arms, etc, etc, etc, would want to flex and eventually they would start to bend and twist and get worn out alot quicker.

Is this true?

I have tried doing research in the past on subframe connectors doing of such thing, but I hardly find any threads that says much about sub frame connctors.

I don't plan on putting the SFC's on any time soon, as I got other projects going on as well.

But this would make me feel better than having the head ache of looking at the huge prices of all the heavy duty suspension and chassis parts I would like to get down the line when I actually have money to spend. (I beleive it was like $2000 for parts as I added up if I were to buy them from Spohn's Performance... I am btw 18 years old and in my senior year of highschool.)

And is it possible to create my own suspension and chassis parts? I plan on taking welding courses and I am going for Diesel Mechanic for my Major in College.

Thank you,
Tim

 

JamesC

 

The point of sub frame connectors is to keep the body from flexing. If what your friend said were true, there would be a lot of members on this board with twisted and worn out parts. You want the suspension to move on the street, not the body.

 

race cars would not be built with all kinds of braces in them if you wanted flex.

 

I just see it as another example of book smart and not real world smart. Weld in the connectors and just humor him whenever he brings up something about it. Even with my home made ones, there was a lot less creeking pulling in and out the driveway at an angle.

 

Thanks guys

the way I seen it was that it wouldn't hurt my suspension (all stock, just hard to keep up with buying top quality parts all the time.. -sigh-) but for some reason my friend got the idea thinking that over in time the parts will want to flex and the body wont give in and it will make things worse for me if I don't get a stronger torque arm then the one I have on the car.

I can kinda see what he meant, but as you all mention, it's a huge doubt if it happened and there would be so many camaros being torn apart if it was the case.

Makes me feel a lot better now knowing that, I have tried looking everywhere about SFCs, but only ones I see are people who just put them on and they look great, I never hear any disadvantages about them.

Another question I want to ask, and I might already know the answer to this, but I might as well ask it anyway since I already asked a lot of dumb questions on this board, but...

My friend also mentioned I have to take all my interior out and cut the floor board slots where you weld the SFCs at and weld them on the slots and then weld them back onto the car, is that right?

I honestly not sure my self, because no one around here has put SFCs on their vehicles, nor do I hear much about what I have to do to get them on.

Once again, thanks for answering my first question, that takes a lot of stress of my back that I had going on all winter.

 

A lot of people use sfc's, I don't know why you think no one has them.

You don't have to take the interior out or cut the floor at all (unless you build sfc's like mine...), but you might want to at least remove the seats and fold the carpet back while the sfc's are being installed, just so they don't get damaged from the heat.

 

I have the welded in Spohn SFC and DID NOT REMOVE anything from the interior. But again the guy that did the welding did not go crazy with the welds and create real HOT spots.

 

That's what I usually recommend welding wise! And another suggestion is make sure the chassis is loaded so you don't have any chassis binding issues.
Thanks
Brad

 

I think your buddy should get some money back on his education at wyotech

 

Um.. Dumb question, What do you mean by making sure the chassis is loaded? like how would I do that? (just making sure we're on the same idea)

 

Don't put the car up on jack stands or a two post lift with the wheels hanging off the ground.

 

The car is "loaded" when it is sitting at its normal state. All 4 wheels on the ground. When you install sfcs you need the car to be in its normal state. So you need to either put the car up on a lift that lifts by the wheels, put it on ramps, over a pit, etc. The suspension needs to be loaded just like it would when sitting on the ground normally.

 

Correct! You want the tires touching in some way shape of form. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
Thanks
Brad

 

Thank you guys!!

 

No Problem! Glad to help.
Thanks
Brad

 

It is typically suggested that you don't do something along the lines of, jack the car up and put it on ramps or something. then, the suspension won't be in its normal resting position. you need to drive the car onto ramps or 4 post lift.