• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Sub Frame Connectors

THE STIG

Well-Known Member
Local time
8:18 PM
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
217
Reaction score
11
Location
Indiana
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
 
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.
 

Attachments

  • 66HEMIFLOORPAN2.jpg
    66HEMIFLOORPAN2.jpg
    148 KB · Views: 1,314
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.
 
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....
 

Attachments

  • 66HEMI6.jpg
    66HEMI6.jpg
    63.5 KB · Views: 1,119
  • 66HEMI5.jpg
    66HEMI5.jpg
    102.9 KB · Views: 1,123
  • 66HEMI4.jpg
    66HEMI4.jpg
    120.3 KB · Views: 1,122
  • 66HEMI3.jpg
    66HEMI3.jpg
    114.4 KB · Views: 1,128
  • 66HEMI.jpg
    66HEMI.jpg
    96.1 KB · Views: 1,128
WHOOPS!! Sorry, I didn't look at the pictures before loading them.
Here are some of the underside ones.
 

Attachments

  • 66HEMIFLOORPAN.jpg
    66HEMIFLOORPAN.jpg
    157.6 KB · Views: 1,182
  • 66HEMIFLOORPAN4.jpg
    66HEMIFLOORPAN4.jpg
    151.1 KB · Views: 1,168
  • 66HEMIFLOORPAN5.jpg
    66HEMIFLOORPAN5.jpg
    117.8 KB · Views: 1,123
  • 66HEMITORQUEFRAMECONN.jpg
    66HEMITORQUEFRAMECONN.jpg
    161.4 KB · Views: 1,152
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.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top