I have UMI SFC'S and was wondering what mods are suggested in order to use them as jack points?

 

If properly welded in you can just jack on them

 

Due to the SFC'S only having 3 connecting points I'm leary of using them as jack points.
I'm thinking of trying to weld the body pinch weld to the SFC for added support,, but I'm concerned about rust developing above it as I won't be able to spray primer up there after welding. Has anyone done this successfully?

 

I have the Spohn SFCs and they are stitch welded in every 10 inches or so along the rocker. I almost exclusively use them as jack points now. Don't so much as flex and easier to get to than the inward frame.

 

Very cool!
How did you go about protecting the weld points to the rocker from rusting?
And did you bend the pinch weld over to reach the SFC or did you use something else to bridge the gap?

 

I have the DSE SFCs. I just jack on them instead of anywhere else now

 

Spohn units are round, they are pretty close on their own. It's been a while, but I may have hammered a few closer if it was needed. I just had to be careful with heat. Pulled up the carpets and interior components as needed. Then when welding I spent 75%of the time on the SFC as to not make the pinch seem vaporize! Ha ha, but seriously the pinch seem is sheet metal so most of the heat has to go on the SFC and I'd be lying if I said I didn't burn thru once or twice on the sheet metal. Also worth noting this is how the spohn units are intended to be installed.

I ordered bare steel units too. So I welded them in, ground as required, and painted them up with self etching primer and the same undercoating on the rest of my car.

 

Same here with the Spohn's. The tubing of the SFC was up against the pinch weld in my case. Cleaned everything prior to welding, did the weld and then laid on the primer and paint.
After about a dozen years, there's no evidence of rusting (touch wood)!).


IIRC, I may have dabbed a little POR 15 on the tube welds that connect the support bars (left to right in this pic) to the factory front subframe and the outer rail of the SFC. Then a quick overspray of the finish paint. Didn't care to highlight the bars as I just wanted paint coverage.

This was a powder coated assembly as purchased. Made it a PITA to weld but the finish SFC coat (as supplied) seems very durable.

 

I also use the floor jack on my S&W racecars subframe conenctor kit. It is my go-to jacking point from both the driver and passenger side. I use a prothane polyurethane pad on my floor jack which helps prevent metal-on-metal scratches and slipping, because the S&W kit uses round bars for the subframe connectors. You can use something else, but I have used some cut-up pieces of my wife's old yoga mat at times for jobs just like this. I'm sure you could run some welds between the floor sheetmetal and the bar too, and just blast it with primer either by spray can or by a small brush.

 

Use a Weld Thru Primer. Then coat with paint.

 

How would one get the paint up and over the SFC and down in the gap between the pinch weld and SFC?

 

The weld through primer is applied to all of the affected surfaces prior to welding.

 

Prep it with inox spot or prop weld spray. Liberally cost both sides. Weld it and top coat with whatever you want

 

Thanks, but I'm still not sure how I'd get the top coat up, over, and down between the SFC and the pinch weld - there is very little space to get anything in there...except water.

 

Prep before installing. Mock it all up. Drill the rockers fir rosette welds. Then paint it all but prep and inox coat where you drillen. Same on the sfc's. Thats why i fabbed mine with stainless tabs for welding. I then had the sfcs powdercoated. Sanded the tabs and welded them on.

 

I have a T-Top car so I put on inner subframe connectors and the UMI outers. I used some 2 inch long rectangular tubing of different
sizes depending on the gap size and used these to bridge the gap between the UMI outer and the rocker and I just welded them along the bottom.
I cleaned the welds and just brushed on POR. I could get above the tubing and brush on alot of paint such that it would run down behind, I havent
done this yet as car is not on the road but I plan to take seem sealer and seal all the joints. The car is not a daily driver so not much of
a rust concern for me. You can put as many of these along the rocker as you feel necessary, but I almost exclusively use these to jack up the car
and 3 seems to be plenty strong.

 

Thanks Dueling73s!
With that setup do you jack anywhere along the SFC of just near the connecting points?

 

Hey Tidan, I don't do much jacking at the center of the car but I wouldn't be afraid to should the need arise. If you have concerns just put an extra tie in to the rocker.

 

Thanks Dueling73s. Do you by chance have any photos of how you did it?

 

I don't have any pics at the moment, but i will try to describe what I did the best I can. I can tell you that on the passenger side the subframe connector welds at the
control arm mount and goes along the rocker and stops at the point just in front of the door where the floor goes up to make room for the factory exhaust with converters. At this point they step the connector up by welding a second piece of rectangular tubing and run it to the front most point along the floor. It is hard to describe but if you have the UMI connector I hope you understand. I welded 1 piece of small rectangular tubing between the connector and the rocker centered between the control arm and the point where the depth of the floor changes. I added another welded in spacer right at the point where the 2nd piece of the frame connector is welded on where the floor depth changes. Then I welded in a 3rd spacer between that point and the very front of the frame connector.
On the driver side the frame connector is straight. It welds in at the control arm mount and has a very beefy mount in front of the door that goes inwards to the front subframe of the car. I welded in 2 short pieces of small rectangular tubing between the connector and the rocker equally spaced between the control arm and the brace that goes to the front subframe of the car. Sorry I didn't have a pic but will try to get one when I can.