Suspension & Brakes Springs | Shocks | Handling | Rotors

Subframe connectors, worth it?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-03-2010 | 05:31 PM
  #41  
JD_AMG's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,799
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Default

Originally Posted by ben77
I just had my BMR 2 points put on a couple of weeks ago. I have an audi and a 240 slammed on coils and both of those cars have much stiffer chassis than my TA. I got sick of the chassis flex in the TA and finally got the SFC's and installed em. Now I wish I would have done it sooner. It makes an amazing difference in the way the car drives and handles. You can actually feel the suspension working instead of the chassis flexing over uneven roads. And the tail end now just follows through the turn at high speeds rather than want to slide out from under you. Definitely worth it IMHO.
Sounds more like inadequate (or miss matching) suspension rather than chassis flex...
Old 02-04-2010 | 10:15 PM
  #42  
JScamaro's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,381
Likes: 0
From: Katy, Texas
Default

You will see how bad the stock shocks are once you add subframe connectors. After I added my tubular subframes I noticed my ride over bumps was very harsh compared to before. It made me want to upgrade the shocks.

My next mods were Koni 4/4's, lowering springs, and sway bars from Strano so the handling is amazing

On my lowered car a regular jack will not fit under the subframes to jack the vehicle up. What I do though is put the OEM jack under the subframe and jack it up maybe 1/4" to fit my regular jack under.
Old 10-26-2010 | 01:56 PM
  #43  
libertyforall1776's Avatar
TECH Addict

iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,129
Likes: 5
From: IL
Default

This says YES, and offers some in-depth explanation:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ck4...0camaro&f=true
Old 10-26-2010 | 02:55 PM
  #44  
HAZ-Matt's Avatar
TECH Resident

iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 766
Likes: 2
From: Houston
Default

Why is this thread bumped from the dead?

And the info in that book is dubious at best.
Old 10-27-2010 | 09:01 AM
  #45  
dixiekartracer00's Avatar
Teching In
 
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by 94TRANS
i have the UMI 3pt subframes and they are great, wish i would have bought them sooner!

How would the umi 3pt fit with headers and full exhaust? thanks for your time
Old 06-18-2012 | 10:16 PM
  #46  
jbro90's Avatar
On The Tree
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 172
Likes: 0
From: greenville s.c.
Default

Any answer for this guys question guys was woundering the same thing
Old 06-19-2012 | 12:13 AM
  #47  
MrEddie's Avatar
TECH Regular
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Houston, Tx
Default

I have the 2 point bolt on UMIs and they're good. I had some clunking from the rear during autox, but I toqrued the rear bolts to 100 lbs per the directions, and all is good now. The car is easier to rotate in corners with the only trade off being a little harsher ride.... Oh, I put some locktite on the front bolts.....
Old 06-21-2012 | 09:16 AM
  #48  
Uneverknow's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 295
Likes: 1
Default

My car was completely stock and I was TOLD to put sfc's on and i dint think it was that important right away. Well long story short i have the quarter panel flex to prove on a stock car if you drive it hard at all DOES need sfc's.
Originally Posted by Pro_built7
Striker-
It seems strange to me that you have a mostly stock car with stock suspension, and have torque dimples? I'm on my third F body (2nd built one) and have never had them, and never needed SFC's.

Are you sure it's not something else?
Old 06-21-2012 | 04:42 PM
  #49  
JD_AMG's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,799
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Default

Originally Posted by Uneverknow
My car was completely stock and I was TOLD to put sfc's on and i dint think it was that important right away. Well long story short i have the quarter panel flex to prove on a stock car if you drive it hard at all DOES need sfc's.
SFC's do not stop dimples on the rear 1/4 panels, they don't even brace that far back...
Old 06-21-2012 | 05:29 PM
  #50  
daddyoisback's Avatar
Launching!
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
Default

sfc will b my first offical mod.. anyone using midwest chassis? if so how do u like them fit and install?
Old 06-21-2012 | 05:42 PM
  #51  
kyoytey1693's Avatar
TECH Resident
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 806
Likes: 6
From: tulsa
Default

Anyone have pics of the dimples? I have never seen them.
Old 06-21-2012 | 10:15 PM
  #52  
Firebirdmuscle's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (16)
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,205
Likes: 13
From: Mississippi
Default

Originally Posted by kyoytey1693
Anyone have pics of the dimples? I have never seen them.
+2 lets see some pics. Also I keep reading about stock suspension sucks. My ws6 drives smooth as can be and I only have sfc fort aftermarket suspension. Stock shocks/springs as well and I just rolled over 60k miles??
Old 06-22-2012 | 04:17 PM
  #53  
JD_AMG's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,799
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Default

Originally Posted by Firebirdmuscle
Also I keep reading about stock suspension sucks. My ws6 drives smooth as can be and I only have sfc fort aftermarket suspension. Stock shocks/springs as well and I just rolled over 60k miles??
Compared to what?
Many people think that until they throw on some good suspension. I had no idea how much Koni's would change my car for the better when I put them on (~40,000 miles) - the stock shocks suck hard.
Old 06-23-2012 | 05:58 AM
  #54  
ctjohns's Avatar
Launching!
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
Default

My old ride had three points on it with full exhaust. Bought and sold latest car before I could put them on.....anyone need a set of three point sfc? New, still in the wrapping! Chuck
Old 06-25-2012 | 07:37 AM
  #55  
rxrom's Avatar
Launching!

iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 295
Likes: 0
Default

On a convertible the subframe connectors are night and day. My car stoped having sqeeks and rattles and is much stiffer.
Old 06-25-2012 | 08:36 AM
  #56  
ricks4genshianne's Avatar
Staging Lane
 
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: FT Campbell, KY
Default

Take a look where my Grand Prix's rearview mirror is reflected in the Camaro's rear quarter panel. That's not some fancy camera effect like in The Ring. Then look a little forward from there. Those weird anomalies? Those are the dimples caused by a loose car.

Name:  SDC13279.jpg
Views: 4522
Size:  62.8 KB
Old 06-25-2012 | 09:39 AM
  #57  
kyoytey1693's Avatar
TECH Resident
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 806
Likes: 6
From: tulsa
Default

Interesting.... my 96 T/A has some very similar dimples.
Old 07-04-2012 | 10:16 AM
  #58  
new2this's Avatar
Teching In
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Detroit
Default

Talk to any body who engineered or help designed the F-body platform and they will tell you the main draw back of using a uni-body design unlike our Corvette brothers, is chassis flex. Having a plethora of ex. GM F-body folks around me for 12 years they all say adding a 3-point SFC to tie the two (front - rear) unibody welds together. Will more than make the difference in any suspension upgrade as far as handling and chassis rigidity. Then add the Konis, Ground Control or Springs, Strano Sway bars, UMI Pan hard rod, UMI off Trans Torque Arm, LCA, Relocation Brackets etc....
My weld in 3-point SLP SFC did scrape the ground and they did prevent me from taking the WS6 through the neighborhood carwash but the minute I put them on, the body creaks went away. Subsequent suspension upgrades just worked and mattered that much more.
If nothing else the ride quality of your car will feel better. And No it's not because of suspension problems! F-bodies are unibodies and they flex, squeak rattle and roll folks..
Old 07-04-2012 | 03:25 PM
  #59  
JD_AMG's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,799
Likes: 16
From: St.Charles MO
Default

Originally Posted by new2this
Talk to any body who engineered or help designed the F-body platform and they will tell you the main draw back of using a uni-body design unlike our Corvette brothers, is chassis flex. Having a plethora of ex. GM F-body folks around me for 12 years they all say adding a 3-point SFC to tie the two (front - rear) unibody welds together. Will more than make the difference in any suspension upgrade as far as handling and chassis rigidity. Then add the Konis, Ground Control or Springs, Strano Sway bars, UMI Pan hard rod, UMI off Trans Torque Arm, LCA, Relocation Brackets etc....
My weld in 3-point SLP SFC did scrape the ground and they did prevent me from taking the WS6 through the neighborhood carwash but the minute I put them on, the body creaks went away. Subsequent suspension upgrades just worked and mattered that much more.
If nothing else the ride quality of your car will feel better. And No it's not because of suspension problems! F-bodies are unibodies and they flex, squeak rattle and roll folks..
Sorry but Im going have to disagree on some points here.
I have 3 point SFC's that are welded in, and I noticed no difference with them (I autox my car, drive it on back roads, rough roads etc), this was after I fixed the real problem though, the stock shocks.
The factory shocks are causing the rough ride, rattles and looseness, and the floaty disconnected feel(too much compression dampening, not enough rebound). Pair that with a solid axle and PHB setup and you've got a car that can definitely feel funny at times, and be perceived as flex (the axle is moving in strange ways side to side while the front suspension is going on its way normally - front feels different than rear, especially with shitty shocks). Then you also have poor built quality, with cheap interior pieces that don't help any.
I replaced my factory shocks around 40,000 miles, so its not like they were "completely shot" - although being the stock decarbons they may as well have been, and these were the "better" Ws6 decarbons too. I just hated the floaty feel at highway speeds and nervous handling characteristics. After putting konis (4/3 SA's) on with nothing else, not only did it get rid of the floatyness and make the car ridiculously predictable, balanced and easy to drive at the limit, they dramatically improved ride quality, made the car feel WAY more solid and tied together and in turn got rid of the rattles by actually absorbing the impact rather than transmitting it to the cabin. The tires were not just slapping against the bumps anymore and then floating around feeling loose.
Creeks are usually from worn out bushings, swaybar D bushings or LCA bushings. I had a front end creek, replaced the D bushings and it was gone. My drivers side rear LCA's also had a creek, replaced that with an aftermarket LCA and it was gone as well.
If creeks went away from adding SFC's its likely because you torqued the rear LCA's down better when installing the SFC's.
There are guys that have removed their SFC's after adding proper shocks and noticed no difference with the SFC's gone as well.
Another great example is Sam Strano's 4th gen Camaro, the new owner added SFC's and the car actually was posting slower times (likely from the added weight), so he removed them.
Old 07-05-2012 | 03:27 PM
  #60  
Niko97Rs's Avatar
On The Tree
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 116
Likes: 0
From: Stoughton
Default

everyone i talk to says the stock shocks on our cars are pretty good...

i have 105k on my car and just added Spohn Chrome Moly STB and SFCs and the difference in ride quality and handling was instant, regardless of what anyone says the car feels better/tighter


Quick Reply: Subframe connectors, worth it?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:50 PM.