I am having a new exhaust put on and I was thinking I would probably get some sub-frame connectors welded in while they were at it.
About how much will most shops charge to have them welded in? Should I look for a shop that has a certain kind of lift (should the suspension be under load when the SFC's are welded in) Has anybody had any negative effects from having SFC's welded on?

 

I paid $60 at a very good locally owned shop. And yes, the suspension must be under load for them to be mounted right.

 

I just had my sfcs put on last week... They are a must on a car that has t-tops. My 92 Camaro had marks in the paint and leaky t-tops due to all that torque. My new TA has so much more torque than the Camaro had, I hate to think what the paint would look like on it after a few years of driving. Since they are not attached to the suspension the car doesn't have to be in a loaded position when you have the sfcs put on. They are a must!

RW

 

I was pretty sure that I had read somewhere that the suspension should be under load when they are welded in. Anybody have any suggestions as to which company makes the best suspension pieces?

 

I just purchased a set of Kenny Brown Double-Diamond SFCs for about $250 including shipping; I'm going to have them put on next week. From the beginning, I was looking for multi-point SFCs. Not only does it tie the frame together front to back, but it also ties it together laterally. I found that SLP (http://www.slponline.com/view_produc...RTNUMBER=70802), LG Motorsports (http://www.lgmotorsports.com/catalog...s&car=ls1-fbod), & Kenny Brown (http://www.kennybrown.com/fbodyddiamond.html), among others, made this type of connector. However, the Kenny Brown connectors had more welding points thus, in my opinion, better rigidity.
One reason for choosing these was because they could be used as jacking rails. Thus, giving more area for jacking as well as the jack stands. Also, when compared to the G2 SFCs ($209) and cross-brace ($199) which bolts onto the SFCs, I felt that the Kenny Brown set would tie the frame together more efficiently and at a cheaper price for multi-point connectors. I honestly didn’t like the idea of bolts holding the cross bracing on. I’m sure they work great but I was afraid that the bolts could only take so much torquing before they let go. Although, I have no experience with them nor have I talked to anyone who has. I do like LG Motorsports and SLP’s products and will use them when purchasing other equipment. I just felt (and this is strictly opinion) that the KB units would work better for my purpose.
One down side of the larger SFCs is weight; the shipping weight for the Double-Diamonds was 37 lbs. The box and instructions couldn’t have added but a pound in weight, if that. Another down fall would probably be clearance issues. And, then there’s the cost to have them installed. I believe that I can get them put in by a local, quality welder for about $150, whereas, labor for the two point connectors would probably be around $60. On the other hand, if you are talking strictly about tying the frames together, I've read that the two-point connectors work just as well and weight less (about 12 lbs total). So, it’s all a matter of preference.

 

I've got the Global West SFCs and wouldn't have anything else.

Two inch rollcage tubing, they fit in the channels that run along the outside of the floorpan making them completely stealth so clearance is not an issue.

They are fairly lightweight for their size at 24lbs. They can easily be used as jacking points on the car and I've done so many many times.

The car frame is so rigid now that if I place my floorjack in the right spot on the SFC, I can lift three tires off the ground by a good 6 or 8 inches.

The down side of that is pretty funny to watch because my car is also lowered so I have to enter really steep driveways at an angle. It takes me a few minutes and about 10 tries to get in the parking lot at the dyno place I go to. Just as I start to ease up the hill, I'll lift a tire and start spinning so I have to back up and give it a little more gas while trying not to scrape the front end.

The GWs are only about $180 also. My local muffler guy put them on for $45.

 

I have the GW's as well. I am very happy with them, great on a lowered car. They are heavy though <img border="0" title="" alt="[Sad]" src="gr_sad.gif" />

 

I just got my Kenny Brown Subs put in. They made a very big difference. I like how they attach to the rear control arms bolts and go all the way to the front, attaching to many points on the way.

 

Uh, just outta question what are the negatives to haveing subframes installed on an unloaded suppension? Because mine were installed that way.

Just wondering. . .

- Matt <img border="0" alt="[guns]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_guns.gif" />

 

Sounds like most of you like the Kenny Brown's and the Global West. Does anybody else have problems on non-lowered cars with the tires lifting on steep grades?

 

I paid $80 to get my KBDD's installed

 

Weasel you have too much time on your hands if you balance your Camaro on 3 wheels for fun.
Rock on man

 

Dest98- where did you have the SFC's installed?

Jason