I have Hotchkis Sub-Frame connectors I also have other suspension up-grades so I am not interested in increased suspension performance. I am interested too know what some have done to tighten up the body of these 3rd gen F-bodies, I am thinking of welding in some support in some areas maybe from the SF conectors over to the seat mounting areas and some more in the floor pan where the control arms meet. any other ideas that others may have done.
Body Flex
- Thread starter 80/89TTA
- Start date
ffflex
i have an 89 Formula V6T and i welded in frame connectors and WELDED in the edelbrock front cross brace unstead of bolting it in. also used boxed lower arms and car is pretty stiff. I tied the roll bar into the tops of the rear shock mounts and ride quality was reduced, but when you jack up the car, it no longer flexes. the bolt in stuff just made it creak a lot. now it is tight as a drum and runs low 9's. good luck.
i have an 89 Formula V6T and i welded in frame connectors and WELDED in the edelbrock front cross brace unstead of bolting it in. also used boxed lower arms and car is pretty stiff. I tied the roll bar into the tops of the rear shock mounts and ride quality was reduced, but when you jack up the car, it no longer flexes. the bolt in stuff just made it creak a lot. now it is tight as a drum and runs low 9's. good luck.
Welding is my idea also...just want to hit the right areas. My 95 Formula has an HPM set up on it, have not seen them in years to bad it was awsome how it tied in the car underneath but left critical dissasembly areas as bolt in for ease of service. I am thinking of copying it for the TTA tying in from the existing SF connectors. The car just moves to much for me with the paper thin floorpan and T-Tops.
SF Connectors
The Hotchkis are weld in squared metal W/ two points of contact per side. When the car is jacked up from the front the entire side raises both wheels. The framing is not the problem it is the floor pan and thin metal support structure.
I will check out global west.
The Hotchkis are weld in squared metal W/ two points of contact per side. When the car is jacked up from the front the entire side raises both wheels. The framing is not the problem it is the floor pan and thin metal support structure.
I will check out global west.
Jan Larsson
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2001
Here's what I had custom fabricated for mine years ago.
Cross reinfrocing tubes (make sure if you have the catalytic converter on there you have enough room) ...
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Trial Fit
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Installed and POR 15 Treated
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Undercoated
We also added a small extra bit you see to the right of the rear control arm in this picture http://www.tta1078.com/sfc/4/pages/DSC00006c.htm
Big difference after this ... and also got a wonderbar / steering box brace done and a strut tower brace ... all custom made to fit the TTA perfect.
Cross reinfrocing tubes (make sure if you have the catalytic converter on there you have enough room) ...
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Trial Fit
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Installed and POR 15 Treated
SFC's Fabricated by Rocky; Undercoated
We also added a small extra bit you see to the right of the rear control arm in this picture http://www.tta1078.com/sfc/4/pages/DSC00006c.htm
Big difference after this ... and also got a wonderbar / steering box brace done and a strut tower brace ... all custom made to fit the TTA perfect.
Flex
Great Information!!! and pics. So he tied into the torque boxes and front frame rails from the side. I can not tell from your pics on the final install were the tubes welded directly to the frame rails and torque boxes or was a plate installed?
I can see how that would make a tremendous difference. Is your car also a T-top car? His structure mods are nice and still leaves access to service vehicle add a bolt in G-load brace with some reinforcement to the seat bolts and the car would be nice and strong.
Great Information!!! and pics. So he tied into the torque boxes and front frame rails from the side. I can not tell from your pics on the final install were the tubes welded directly to the frame rails and torque boxes or was a plate installed?
I can see how that would make a tremendous difference. Is your car also a T-top car? His structure mods are nice and still leaves access to service vehicle add a bolt in G-load brace with some reinforcement to the seat bolts and the car would be nice and strong.
eric_1984ttype
Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2006
I'd do something similar to these. That way your stiffening the whole car and not just one specific area. The red one is f-body specific and bolts to the crossmember. The black would be stiffer but would be a little more difficult to get around the torque arm and exhaust.
Attachments
Jan Larsson
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2001
Sorry yes I got a t-top ... after driving my old hardtop 3rd gen just before I sold it (had not driven it for a long time) I could feel the difference and that's when I decided to put the SFC's on the TTA.
The tubes were welded directly to the frame rails, in a couple of places along the door boxes (not sure what to call them but along where they run along the doors if you like) he had to put a couple of smaller L plates to have something to weld it to. In the end very clean install and after the undercoating looks like it could have been done at the factory.
Big big difference as you feel the suspension doing what it was designed for and not the body twisting and flexing.
Jan Larsson
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2001
Very good design looks like, for the f-body specific (red one) not sure with the TTA crossmember if that would work or not (I think not) but a similar design could easily be done to fit however I would weld it in and not just bolt it in where the crossmember sits.
