Sub Frame Connectors

I've found two diffrent sets of Subframe connectors but there's a pretty big price difference between the two, naturally I dont want to pay more than I have to but I don't want to go for whatever's cheapest just because it's cheapest. The first is Hotchkis and they seem to have a pretty significant reputation for making pretty good aftermarket suspension parts. The other, and cheaper, is XV they specialize in building old Mopars (and only Mopars) into super cars that zig and zag as well as they can go straight line fast, like I want, but I'd never heard of them until like a week ago. So i'd be intrested in your thoughts on this one.

http://www.hotchkis.net/subframe_connectors_mopar_bbody_.html

http://www.xvmotorsports.com/products/detail/index.cfm?nPID=15&cid=105&cdesc=Chassis%20Stiffening

Those are two different styles, weld in for the XV's and Bolt in for the Hotchkis. Generally weld in has a better and stiffer result but are more difficult to install.

Really I though it said weld in the description

mig welded construction

The XV's are laser cut to match the contours of the floorpan front to back. They need to be fully welded in but once installed (properly, of course) probably do the best job of tieing the whole unibody together. They're the same type as the ones sold by U.S. Car Tool and may even be made by them although I'm not sure about that.

I'm still waiting for someone to step up to the plate and make them for early B-bodies, I'd buy a pair tomorrow.

I don't know if these are made for 65 back but this is what I bought and had installed on my 66 Hemi car. As you can see there are lazer cut to conform to the floor pan so they don't stick through the floor pan in the cockpit and create a big lump under any floor covering you might use.

Mine are US Cartool.

I don't know if these are made for 65 back but this is what I bought and had installed on my 66 Hemi car. As you can see there are lazer cut to conform to the floor pan so they don't stick through the floor pan in the cockpit and create a big lump under any floor covering you might use.

Mine are US Cartool.

Yep, those are the ones I was talking about and nope, they don't make 'em for '65 and back!!!

Your's look great. Like I said, I wish they made them for my '65. Lumps under the carpet are a concern of mine as well. If they're not being produced by the time I'm ready to install connectors (spring '11) I'm just going to fab my own out of 2" square tube. I already have the steel laying around. They won't weld to the floor but they won't go through it either.

How well do yours work? Did it make a noticable difference?

Yeah, they made a BIG difference in how rigid the car is and it is a sedan car which is already much more rigid than a hardtop. They look like the factory installed them, don't hang down and don't come through the florr pan.

If you have access to a plasma cutter and a pattern maker you could make your own it they are not available.

696pack,

do you have more pictures?

www.magnumforceracing.com
Try these guys for a more up to date style of subframe connectors..
Petty Blue 67 GTX

Ya know, instead of using a 2x3 or even 2x4 tube, you can use a 2x2 instead. It will still go through the floor in the back seat area but not the front and it will not stick into the foot well very much at all and it will work very well. For added rigidity if you want, you can then fab a piece of flat to weld on the front floors and to both sides of the 2x2 where it doesn't touch....

Ya know, instead of using a 2x3 or even 2x4 tube, you can use a 2x2 instead. It will still go through the floor in the back seat area but not the front and it will not stick into the foot well very much at all and it will work very well. For added rigidity if you want, you can then fab a piece of flat to weld on the front floors and to both sides of the 2x2 where it doesn't touch....

For the most part, I agree 100% with your post --- except for the --- "It will still go through the floor in the back seat area".

Properly installed, 2X2" will fit flush to the rear floor pan, and flush to the bottom of the rear frame rails. It can then be welded to the floor for additional strength if you want.

Scrap pieces can then be used to fill in the area in the front if you want, but is certainly non necessary unless the car is a convertible.

A plus to doing it this way is that it is stronger, cheaper (maybe $25.00 to $40.00 bucks, if you do it yourself), and much easier than cutting through the floor.
________

696pack wrote: If you have access to a plasma cutter and a pattern maker you could make your own.

None of this is necessary! a $12.00 dollar Harbour Freight cut of wheel can do a flawless job --- much better than the laser cut parts, and much better than a plasma cutter.

My question is, as always ..... Why make something so much more complicated (and expensive) than it really is?

On my 66, I opened up the rear frame rails and stuck the 2x2 into them. I thought about welding them to the bottom of the rails but I didn't want them any lower than I had to. Year back, I had a 68 Road Runner that was done with the 2x2 and it was welded to the bottom of the frame and I didn't care for that very much....

696pack,

do you have more pictures?

here are some more.

WHOOPS!! Sorry, I didn't look at the pictures before loading them.
Here are some of the underside ones.

Very nice, Thank you!!

That's a nice looking Net!!

That's a nice looking Net!!

It's for sale, it can be yours.

I just spoke with John at U.S. Car Tool and he says the prototype frame rails for the early B-bodies is almost finished and they should be available for saale after the first of the year.

John makes nice pieces, I have had some on order for a while (63 B Body). He said at Carlisle this summer that they were almost ready, the same thing you said just now. I wish he would go ahead and do it because it's holding up my car being built.

I'm still waiting for this to be released:
http://www.unlawfulracing.com/5.html

meets nhra and scca standards!

That kit is bada$$ looking.

any idea how much it will cost?

ive been emailing him and he says he wont release a price or start production until more intrest builds - so email him and lets get this going!

I just did........

I e-mailed him too. Thanks for the link

sorry to change the subjet but I had a coronet EXACTLY like tha back in the late 80's.I sold it to aguy from the northeast,maybe Massatushits.I mean 1 of 11 the same color?ANY WAY I prefer to weld my subframe connectors.

sorry to change the subjet but I had a coronet EXACTLY like tha back in the late 80's.I sold it to aguy from the northeast,maybe Massatushits.I mean 1 of 11 the same color?ANY WAY I prefer to weld my subframe connectors.

Obviously you are talking to me about my car.

I have done my best to track down any other 1 of 11 cars that remain. So far I have documented the existance of the following

12/01/09
As of this date I have information on 7 of these cars.
K= Known verified cars with the complete V.I.N. and other info from the current owners
Un= Either rumored cars or conversations with the current owners but no verification with the complete V.I.N.
S= Stolen. One car with complete V.I.N. and other info from the owner of a car that was stolen and has never been recovered.

So, I have V.I.N. verification for:
4 K cars built but one has been stolen and possibly will never again surface and may no longer exist. Of these cars two are Turquoise/Turquoise, one is Blue/Blue. The S stolen one was Silver.

The other Un cars are 2 Blue/Blue and 1 Black/Gold.
This would be a total of 6 known to exist of the 11 built IF I can get V.I.N. verification from the other owners and 1 other possible if the stolen car ever surfaces.

Maybe it is the same car?? I bought my car out of souther Cal. supposedly from the 2dn owner unless they lied and there were more owners than I know. I doubt it but you never know. Contact me so we can figure it out.

More likely the car you previously owned is the other turquoise one other than mine that I know of, but, maybe not. Maybe there were 3 or more of them in this color and this may be another one that I don't know of. The phone area code of this other one is West Virginia where it resides the last I knew of it. I also had a man from Phoenix contact me that claims to have one time owned this same car. If you know the V.I.N. of the one you had let me know and I will compare it to the other one that I know of. Don't put the V.I.N. in this opened post PM me or email me at darryl@sedonarental.com

I am also PMing this info to you.