mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

With all this twist, enought leverage to wrinkle metal panels rearward of the attachment points, how do the doors stay aligned?

Why doesn't the sill plate wrinkle? Why doesn't the trans tunnel show signs? Windshield should crack, shouldn't it? Wouldn't the spot welds holding the forward frame rail show signs of pulling out or tearing at the floor pan?

While I do think SFC are good for jacking up the car, I really don't think a 4th gen F-Car is as susceptible to the uni-body twist that other platforms are. I will entertain facts that show otherwise as I'm not 100% convinced either way.

JMHO.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Consider for a moment ...

Bad rear shocks, lowering and soft rear spring rates and 200lbs of stereo and nitrous gear stowed in the back.

This combo has the car constantly hitting the bump stops.

I can see this kind of leverage causing the dimples or wrinkles.

Foxxtron

iTrader: (1)

My exact point:

http://community.webshots.com/myphot...ecurity=LNVTRl

As I mentioned before, this car has all of the mods listed in my sig below.

In addition, I have a "well used" 1994 V6 that's track converted to a LS1/T56 combination and similar mods as listed below, and I haven't even seen any dimples that would be caused by that, and unlike the car above this car never had SFC's on them.

Now with all that's been said, another exception would be if one opts for a floor mounted torque arm, and in that case, a 3-point could be handy. Then again, if it isn't a dedicated drag car with lots of HP/TQ and doing 4500-5000 RPM burnouts, why the floorpan mounted TA?

leadfoot4

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, I know that this is more or less a subframe connector discussion that became a "bean counter" bash-fest...How about the OE Delco radio that's HUGE, but only puts out 4-5 watts per channel??

Foxxtron

iTrader: (1)

Well, maybe I should've mentioned as pretty much all of the ACDelco systems, even the older Bose versions as well. Yes, they are quite boat anchors.

John_D.

iTrader: (2)

I wonder if jacking the car by a rear frame rail would cause that dimple...? That's seems like a way that would introduce that type of load into that location.

I've always jacked mine up by the diff, or the frame ahead of the lca, but never by the frame behind the axle.

Foxxtron

iTrader: (1)

Done it several times using the factory suggested locations and I have yet to see them appear, but I'd certainly be willing report if a dimple appears.

Heck, I've even made the mistake by jacking from the outside rocker panel pinch weld areas, and guess what? No tweaking of the monocoque, but remember, this is a mistake, not actually something I intentionally did and I don't recommend anyone else to do so (unless they want to risk some serious damage, including to themselves).

SladeX

I've seen 2 cars with stress dimples on it, mine and a buddy. I've also seen other cars without dimples. It's a hit or miss kind of deal, but whatever the case may be, mine are progressively getting worse. The passenger side has shown 2 dimples with one turning into a "crease".

The driver's side has 1 dimple and is well above the outer most part of the quarter panel to indicate that it is NOT a door ding.

My car spends most of its time in my garage, its now zaino coated, but was waxed very well before. If a door ding was the cause, you have to imagine that there'd be some kind of paint transfer/damage to induce a dent like that. The dimples really look like dimples, like that of a golf ball dimple. The paint is perfectly intact. If you wanted to visualize how this is occuring, just picture how a car launches and you will begin to realize that the quarter panels go through a lot of "deformation" due to the weight shift and the way the quarter panel is attached to the frame. Picture a L shape with the door sill as the verticle part of the L and the quarter panel going to the rear as the lower part of the L. Now when it launches hard, picture the L folding in and that is the steel 1/4 panel forming "dimples" at weak points within the metal...

Viper

iTrader: (6)

I haven't looked yet using search , but are the posts MOSTLY on Camaro's vs. TA's?

Honda Hunter

iTrader: (8)

I have these mentioned dimple/'s but I always assumed they were from door dings. Problem was they didnt fit the description of door dings and the location didnt add up. I dont know if it's from TQ or whatever but I felt it odd you mentioned it that's why I asked for pics or something. Wierd.

wannafbody

iTrader: (2)

I've got 2 dimples on the passenger side just slightly above and front of the wheelwell

SladeX

the passenger side one is scaring me a bit, a few times to the track and it is much more noticable now.

there is one near the middle at the top of the fender, too high to be a door ding unless the door that hit it was shaped like hail... the other which is bothering me is more to the front of the fender and is looking like a crease.

You have to realize that there is a significant difference between a simple "door ding" and our so called stress dimple. It doesn't show well on camera, I've tried taking pics of mine but to no avail. It's very subtle and will only show when looking from the front or back along the side, you see the ding as the reflection of your paint is "warped".

The ding almost resembles hail damage.

qwikz28

iTrader: (12)

mine dings on the top of the fender which leads me to believe its not door related

kingcuda70

iTrader: (1)

BLK02TA

iTrader: (11)

He's right. My uncles 00 SS devoloped (or until we noticed) a nice crease on the drivers side rear quarter. At the time we noticed it the car only had 16k miles.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Absolutely - but mine are more linear. But you're right - there's no evidence of paint transfer, scratching, or any other sign of an impact dent. The words "dimple" or "crease" describe them perfectly. And like you say, they're too subtle to be captured on camera.

BAD99TA

If you take into account the amount of stress that's put on the chassis of an F-body car when you launch I would think SFC's are a must. Especially for a car that's heavily modded. Just my $.02.

Jpr5690

iTrader: (13)

Jpr5690

iTrader: (13)

no dimples but ive has subreame connectors since day 1 (almost)

kny3twalker

iTrader: (31)

my car has always had SFCs and It has developed two small dimples above the passenger side quarter panel wheel well. I thought I had been door dinged until I read about the torque dimples. But at the same time, I had always thought it was a strange place to get a ding. I believe my 95 T/A also had them.

They are on my list to get paintless dent removed.