Frame Connectors - Scary Stuff! Okayyyyy... Going to be making a set of frame connec

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12-30-2018, 06:18 PM

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senor honda

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Frame Connectors - Scary Stuff! Okayyyyy... Going to be making a set of frame connec

Frame Connectors - Scary Stuff!

Okayyyyy... Going to be making a set of frame connectors out of some 1x2 steel (.120 thick) and some plate steel of the same .120 variety. But, had to come up with a way to get it off the ground, on it's tires so it pre-loads the body right (I like to be able to close my doors.. heh).

So I found a guy online that built these and I did the same with a few additions. They're 2x4s cut at 16 inches (6 boards out of an 8 foot length), which are liquid nailed and secured with 2 1/2 inch screws. 21 boards each stand (14 2x4s total), and man they are solid. They'll come in handy doing a trans pull or anything underneath that I need clearance. As it sits, I have 2 feet of clearance from the 15 inch high blocks. They can be turned either way to either accommodate the stock tire width, or turned the other way to provide a wheel chuck like function. I have the front being cradled while the back is being 'chucked'. It works out well this way, not only to prevent any movement, but the garage floor is pitched slightly for drainage. So this setup helps level out the car.

Now comes the mill scale removal and the fitment. Fun Fun Fun!

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12-30-2018, 06:19 PM

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senor honda

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Quote:Originally Posted by ToppCat

Okayyyyy... Going to be making a set of frame connectors out of some 1x2 steel (.120 thick) and some plate steel of the same .120 variety. But, had to come up with a way to get it off the ground, on it's tires so it pre-loads the body right (I like to be able to close my doors.. heh).

So I found a guy online that built these and I did the same with a few additions. They're 2x4s cut at 16 inches (6 boards out of an 8 foot length), which are liquid nailed and secured with 2 1/2 inch screws. 21 boards each stand (14 2x4s total), and man they are solid. They'll come in handy doing a trans pull or anything underneath that I need clearance. As it sits, I have 2 feet of clearance from the 15 inch high blocks. They can be turned either way to either accommodate the stock tire width, or turned the other way to provide a wheel chuck like function. I have the front being cradled while the back is being 'chucked'. It works out well this way, not only to prevent any movement, but the garage floor is pitched slightly for drainage. So this setup helps level out the car.

Now comes the mill scale removal and the fitment. Fun Fun Fun!

------------------------------------

Interesting. Just curious why you're doing frame connectors?

I built boxes using exactly the same method for planters on the deck for my wife.

Cheers,

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12-30-2018, 06:22 PM

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senor honda

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Yep. It took a 6x6 and two 2x4's on top of it to get the height needed. I started out jacking it up and putting it on the jack stands as high as it would go. Then raised the back up and set it on the blocks. Care has to be done when moving the other side that it doesn't shift too much. Because it will. I had the brake pedal set with a board to hold things in place, but it still

shifted a bit. My suggestion is if you do this, go a little at a time and constantly check things. Once it's set, I had to lift and shift things again to get it better centered. But it's great. I have enough room to work under. These blocks will come in handy if I have to do a trans job, or even as a saw horse kind of thing if I need to make some wood cuts. They're not too big to be

stored away, and can easily be stacked in a corner when not using them. They didn't creak or anything when I put the car down on them. I think that's the liquid nail doing it's job. They're pretty solid.

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01-31-2019, 01:56 AM

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senor honda

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I would do frame connectors to reduce body flex,
same reason to install front and rear strut bars.
It's a cheap fix for a street car.

It makes the car last longer before spot weld construction loosens up.
Which will happen to all unibody construction eventually.

Frame connectors stiffen the car, but without going through the hassle/expense of

installing an 8 point roll cage.
-------------------

I test a lot of things......experience for a "street/pure stock" class that did not allow frame stiffeners or roll cages.

On a different car, I put in some micro switches that were off with the door closed.
They connected to a buzzer if the door was ajar. Far more sensitive than the door ajar switch from the factory.

During spirited cornering, the car flexed enough that the micro switches activated the buzzer.
That told me there is a slight flexing of all unibody cars......but not enough to be noticed by average street turkeys....

----------------------

I also agree with foaming epoxy into the frame. BMW's have that on some cars STOCK..
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Last edited by senor honda; 01-31-2019 at 01:59 AM.

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01-31-2019, 02:00 AM

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senor honda

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I hate unibodies. They flex way too much. Luckily this car has good sub-frames now (I cut access holes and cleaned them out). You're right about people not noticing it. It's very subtle.

But I know this 5.7 is twisting it. I can see the way the front end moves when I punch it. I'm modeling this subframe after ones that I see out there for 350 a pop. It's basically connecting the front extensions on both sides to the rear pads just before the wheel wells. From there, it triangulates to the tunnel bar that runs under the x-pipe. I'll be fabricating a new cross bar

from there. That'll be the only 'removable' piece. The rest will be bolted and welded into place. Then, I'll be putting a cross bar in the trunk, across from the shock towers. For an added bonus, I'm attaching some hooks on it to attach grocery bags and the like (nice touch if you ask me. Heh). The front already has the factory bar, which I think is pretty good as it is.
----------------------------

There is also a trade off of weight versus strength.
Hollow tubing works pretty well compared to solid bar stock and saves weight.

Looking at sway bars, hollow ones are lighter and bigger diameter than solid bars.
----------
As for rear strut bars, I like the factory design part P5155951AB......but don't like the $400 price,
and there are only about 6 suppliers. If I put hooks on it, they would be plastic and drilled out to save weight....lol

Factory has a net.....

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01-31-2019, 02:04 AM

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senor honda

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Well, I finished the subframe connectors. And all without a bender. Which saved me about a bill or so.

It's constructed with all .120 steel tubing(just shy of 1/8in). The front to back from the unibody frame to the rear (just before the wheel well) with 1x2. I constructed a shell to wrap around the front subrame with .120 plate steel, which was bolted in place and then welded. There's a 90 degree corner that goes off of that to align the straight path to the rear which is attached to a plate that is bolted and welded to the body/subframe there. The corner was reinforced with a plate of steel welded to it.

The center of the subframe was constructed by 1x1 (.120) steel tubing. One angle was attached to the shell surrounding the front unibody contact point, and the other one was angled off the rear contact, meeting at the center stock driveshaft tunnel. The stock center support was fitted with a section of plate steel and welded underneath it to strengthen it up.

I also added some hockey pucks to provide some jack points. They're really durable and they fit well. I bought an extra one for the floor jack to keep from marring up the paint underneath. They work great.

Overall, it's a great setup. I have a better launch. The car doesn't twist and lift like it used to. It now squats down and digs in, which is very nice. It was worth the time and effort. You can purchase a pre-made setup that you can bolt on and then weld for around 300 bucks. I spent around 60 bucks in material from a local steel fabricator shop, and around 30 bucks for the rods to weld it. The time was well spent.Attached Thumbnails