If I'm planning on putting a full cage in my car, should I still go with sfc's as well or is that over kill? I wouldn't think I could over kill on stiffness. I just want to go straight and fast!

 

I'd do it the other way. Put subframe connectors in. Heck, put both types of subframe connectors in. Then think about if you need the cage.

 

I'm going to install the cage, for drag racing requirements. This car will never see the street again. So I'm just wondering if I should or would need both. I would like to think that the cage is really going to stiffen the frame. So much so that I shouldn't need sfc's. But I'm wondering how others have done this.

 

I would do both, it really helps stiffen things up. SFC ties directly into the subframe of the car. The cage only welds to the floor pan via 6x6" plates. While that is still pretty strong since its a unibody car, I think the direct tie-in of the subframe rails with the sfc's is most effective way to stiffen the car.

 

A cage still doesn't tie the front and rear subframes together. My car has more of a cage than what you'll probably be installing and I still run SFC. They're nothing like a typical street car SFC but I still tie the front and rear subframes together to make a frame under the car. I also put a crossmember between the SFC behind the transmission to install a driveshaft loop onto. If I had the room, I'd X-brace them also under the floor but if I go that far, I might as well build a tube chassis car.

All cars need some sort of frame running front front to back. Since third gens have no frame between the front and back, we add strength to the car by adding SFC. A rall rage will add some stiffness but the car will still flex or twist without SFC.

 

By the way you talk about your sfc Alky, I'm guessing you fab'd it yourself?

Thanks guys for shedding some light on all this.

 

By the way you talk about your sfc Alky, I'm guessing you fab'd it yourself?

Thanks guys for shedding some light on all this.

**Damn smart phones, posted it twice.**

 

The SFC had had installed back in 1999 were custom made and were welded to the front and rear subframes. I've since done many modifications including cutting out the front subframe that tapers inward under the floor and beside the transmission.

My SFC are now 1-5/8" roll cage tubing that run from the 4-link crossmember from the back to where the front subframe stops at the base of the firewall.

 

I would put both in. Maybe it's slight overkill, but you're not adding much weight and the sfc's can be used as a good jacking point for quick repairs between runs.
AlkyIROC any chance you've got pictures of you're set up? It sounds very interesting.

 

Yes, I was just about to ask if he has pics in some other thread on here.

 

These are the only pics I have of my new SFC. Don't think of them so much as SFC as they're more just frame rails. The car's rocker panels do not make good frame rails and the roll cage isn't like a frame rail.

 

How about this...

 

Fueledsoul, I would like to request a set of those please!

 

FueledSoul, IDK if those will fit in the Buick...

And Alkyl, is that the end of the front subframe that those butt up to?

Now that I think about it, I could do something similar (although I only have the stock rear end) and save myself some weight over running the traditional inners and outers. And since the car wont see the road, I doesn't bother me to cut up the floor if need be.

 

Yes. The front subframe was cut off and the ends were plated.

 

Well I gotta say I like you're set up Alky
FueledSoul is that the kind of roll cage we're refering to for sure?

 

Its a 8 point so probably not, but with my sub frames it looks like over kill to me just count the connection points and the triangulations ...

 

Build a roll cage on the ground like the above kit held together with duct tape but have it all welded up. If you were strong enough, you could push the front points and back points together. That's what it's like when it's welded into a unibody car. The only thing keeping the points from spreading apart or contracting is the sheet metal of the body construction which isn't very strong. With SFC, you have a frame under the car to keep the body and floor from flexing.