Good Morning Jeff, *And thank you for your interest in SSM products. *As you know the SSM . production ended over a decade ago when the product line founders entered into retirement. *Advanced Resources has recently taken on the manufacturing of this product line, and we are currently in production with the top ten part numbers. *The bar design for your 3rd gen F Body is in the process of being converted to Modeling CAD and will be in the next series released to production. *Keep posted tosouthsidemachine.com*for product updates.


Subject: info on lift bars for 3rd gen camaros
In my opinion they made the best sub frame connectors available for the third-generation Camaro

 

I had a similar conversation with them in April.

 

They had a cross member/subframe connectors/lift bar kit. I think it was part number 1316. Wonder if that's coming back

 

used the subframe connectors on both my formulas they are a great design. would be nice if they are indeed made again

 

I agree, I have a set of SSM sub-frame connectors on my IROC.. Great item..
Need a new pair for my new RS project..

 

I have the SSM lift bars and sub-frame connectors on my BB 83 Coupe. Very nice product, bought them years ago though.

 

Sorry for my ignorance, what are lift bars??

 

yes full kit is coming back.

 

lift bars. are a ladder bar type of set up. when you launch the car. they lift the front.placing more weight on the rear..planting the rear. evenly under the car..
(in a nut shell)
at the same time getting rid of the TQ arm under the car. makes a fantastic drag race set up..



shot of the set up under the car. as you can see it shows the cross member the bars lift on.. the cross bar is part of the SFC that come in the kit..

cross member is part of the sub frame (forgive the rust from sitting for over 10 years)

 

I was told the bars only, no subframe connectors.....

 

I specifically asked about the full kit..
and was told..

"yes we will be making the full kit for the 3rd gen"
6:30 am 6/30/16. time of reply.

 

The lift bars need the subframe connectors to work but the subframe connectors don't need the lift bars.
I bought the complete kit yrs ago but only used the connectors because it was a DD. Still have the connectors on the car.

 

very interesting set-up. thank you for the pics. it explains a lot of the concept.

 

Would the lift bars be a bad idea for DDs? If so, in what way?

 

Text message conversation that started at 10:09am this morning in response to an inquiry I sent through their website. My initial message was asking if the lift bar kit was actually going to be produced...

SSM: Yes sir. We will start production soon on the 2 bar truck arm style lift bar system for the Camaro. Thanks Mac @ SSM www.southsidemachineperformance.com

ME: Will this include the subframe connectors or not? I could have sworn you told me no when I asked earlier. Thanks.

SSM: We already have the lower arms in production but not for retail sale. We are still bouncing back and forth between rectangular and tubular cross members. At this tiem we feel there are more cars out there with subframe connectors already than without. I believe the current plan is to have the ability to connect to the other styles that are already out there.





ME: Thanks for the response, that was my understanding as well after we spoke. The is currently a discussion on TGO started by someone whom you spoke with last Thursday who is under the impression the 'complete' includes subframe connectors.

SSM: Tgo?

ME: Thirdgen.org

MY take on our conversation is they currently DO NOT plan to reproduce the subframe connectors becasue they don't feel there is a market for them will all the others out there. I say we prove to them there is a market for the subframe connectors.

Just my

 

....and then I get this text message from Mac @ SSM while I was at lunch...

SSM: Looks like you (articwhiteZ, not me) were right. We do have several racks of the subframe connectors out back. The rear control arms and subframe connectors will be weld on. They are an improvement over the original design and currently I'm not authorized to give details on the benefits and changes. Thanks again, Mac @ SSM www.southsidemachineperformance.com 317 408 4272.

Looks like articwhiteZ got in touch with someone with more information than I did! I still didn't get my damn question about buying just the subframe connectors answered though.

 

in the past SSM as sold sfc/bars outside of the kits... I'm sure they will agen...

email I got today
they are shooting for oct 2016 to get the full kit out for the 3rd gen f body.

 

Would be nice to have SSM subframe connectors again. So I can cut off my BMR crap and throw them away.

-- Joe

 

in the past they have sold me parts....out /without a full kit.

 

So Joe, what does the SSM design look like? I know the Alston sort of go up the center nearer the tunnel, and connect the ends of the front and rear subframes, while some others (BMRs?) take a more "perimeter" approach. Just curious what these look like.

 

They were box steel, very thick and ran down the outsides. Unlike BMR which use these weird legs to connect, the SSM welded directly to the front and back, and along the drip rail.

The BMR's you can actually pry up and down because they have a ton of leverage on a very small weld pad. They don't do crap.





-- Joe

 

I totally dig my SSM subframe connectors, welded to the rocker pinch weld, they made the car super stiff.

 

Thanks guys. Sounds like these are worth keeping an eye on.

So are they relatively concealed behind the rocker? How about ground clearance?

 

Here is a car I owned 11-12 years ago on the lift. You can see they tuck nicely in the rocker area. I'd say they might hang down 1/2" tops below the drip rail.

-- Joe

 

Thanks Joe. That helps quite a bit.

Welded just on the ends? Or at other spots along the rocker as well?

 

I welded them the whole way. Hence why when I scrapped the car I couldn't keep them. (would have taken hours upon hours to cut them out).

-- Joe

 

I welded mine in 3inch increments every 4-5 inches.

 

Thanks again guys. I really appreciate the first hand experiences and information.

 

so do these actually tie the subframes together or is it all on the pinch weld? been looking around for subframe connectors but after seeing this thread I like what I see

 

question; do these aid traction by the control arm being longer? like grabbing more of the cars weight?

 

They don't tie into the frame in the middle. You'll want MAC or similar design for that.

These tie the rear to the front, and along the drip edge. This prevents the roof line from tearing on t-top cars, and the body tear that happens right behind the passenger door.

-- Joe

 

they tie the front to the back..when used with the lift bars all of the bottom is then boxed with the front..

my car will set on 3 jack stands. the door will open and close with the tip of a finger.
the car is stiff. they have been on my car for over 24 years..
they are stitch welded every 2" under the car. see pics above.

 

yep just down the side. but since the front ends at the front sub frame location it does technically tie in. it just does not tie into the trans area of the subframe. honestly if you felt it was needed you could easily tie it in back at the trans as well with some bar like the spohn kit does. although in my opinion it offers very little stiffening. I would think two bars on each side making a V would be the only real help.

 

I havent seen the ssm machine subframes but imo the mac subframes were the best design for the thirdgens.

 

The DSE SFC's look like the SSM ones, but the DSE ones are reinforced front and back. I am in the process of putting them in my car now. I found rust, or I'd have been done long ago