Anyone install LMR Sub Frame Connectors?
05-01-2016, 07:10 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 71
Anyone install LMR Sub Frame Connectors?
I am getting ready to install Late Model Restoration's Sub Frame Connectors and I am running into something that has got me a little concerned.
To start, I have the car supported up with it's weight on the wheels as if it was on the ground.
When I got the connectors up to the bottom of the car. I could get them up to the front sub frame but it bowed downward making it to be a few inches from the rear sub frame.
So with the rear jack, I had to force the rear of the connector up to kind of get it to the rear subframe but could not get it to touch.
Now there is allot of sprung tension in the connector, so first. There are gaps within the front and rear subframes and the connectors that makes for welding them up allot of fill work;
...and Second, would that tension from the sub frame be pulling and putting downward forces on the uni-body chassis of the car at the front and the rear and making it no longer a square frame?
Thanks for any advice and input.
To start, I have the car supported up with it's weight on the wheels as if it was on the ground.
When I got the connectors up to the bottom of the car. I could get them up to the front sub frame but it bowed downward making it to be a few inches from the rear sub frame.
So with the rear jack, I had to force the rear of the connector up to kind of get it to the rear subframe but could not get it to touch.
Now there is allot of sprung tension in the connector, so first. There are gaps within the front and rear subframes and the connectors that makes for welding them up allot of fill work;
...and Second, would that tension from the sub frame be pulling and putting downward forces on the uni-body chassis of the car at the front and the rear and making it no longer a square frame?
Thanks for any advice and input.
05-01-2016, 10:59 PM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 939
I hate to say it, but either those SFCs weren't fabricated to spec, or that pony's tweaked.
Is there anything on the car that looks suspicious? Like a door problem, odd panel gap, or bad trim alignment? I see a price on the windshield; did you just buy the car recently?
Is there anything on the car that looks suspicious? Like a door problem, odd panel gap, or bad trim alignment? I see a price on the windshield; did you just buy the car recently?
Last edited by Urambo Tauro; 05-01-2016 at 11:04 PM.
05-01-2016, 11:12 PM
#4
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 2,260
the small amount of preload shouldnt be a big deal, its most likely due to the body sagging in the center over time, mine on my 03 had some as well, just not as much as you have, i welded them in and no issues.
05-02-2016, 01:26 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 71
I hate to say it, but either those SFCs weren't fabricated to spec, or that pony's tweaked.
Is there anything on the car that looks suspicious? Like a door problem, odd panel gap, or bad trim alignment? I see a price on the windshield; did you just buy the car recently?
Is there anything on the car that looks suspicious? Like a door problem, odd panel gap, or bad trim alignment? I see a price on the windshield; did you just buy the car recently?
)Alignment tech and I have my own Hunter alignment machine. So i have thoroughly checked the chassis out on this car and have had my alignment machine on it 3 times changing my set ups. It's got a straight chassis.
05-02-2016, 07:29 AM
#6
D.R. THE PATHETIC DORK
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 30,863
everytime I have installed subframes on a fox the problem is that over the years the front frame rail has been jacked in the wrong spot, collapsing the floor some and the issue you have arises....are your front frame rails perfectly straight?
05-02-2016, 08:37 AM
#7
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 71
At the very front of the front subframe at the firewall. There is a jacking dent on the bottom. But the subframe it's self is flat and straight. I can put a straight edge square down it. The floor has no dents at all.
05-05-2016, 12:29 PM
#8
D.R. THE PATHETIC DORK
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 30,863
heat them up with a torch here the bend needs to be and bend it in a vise....I've done it a few times on MM subframe installs before, in fact in their instructions they say it may be necessary to tweak them some.
05-30-2016, 02:33 PM
#9
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 71
Well I stepped away from this for a few weeks. After talking to a friend of mine that has a race chassis fabrication background, as I do too. We came up with this. Heating the connectors will make the metal weaker. bending was a challenge too. So I went ahead and put a slice at the back of each bend.
Put them back up to the underside of the car and got them in place. They formed to the bottom of the car and I tack welded them. Look at the difference to the bend of the connector out of the box. I do not believe my car is that bent or off.
Also with the weakest part of the connectors is at the bends. After I weld and fish-plate the cut area. They will be stronger then out of the box from LMR.
Now I know there is going to be someone on here that is going to say I just ruined the connectors by cutting them. This is a normal thing in any chassis fabrication as long as it is done right. Plus, 3 straight pieces of square tubing welded in a Z with fish plating done. is way more solid then one piece bent into a z.
This is a NASCAR Cup car chassis.
Now on to the seat brace. Any of you 86 that? It is in the way and more of a P.I.T A. then it is worth. I personally think it is more of a marketing deal anyways. Back in my Camaro days. I put subframe connectors in and never once did they come with these. First time seeing this is in the Mustang world. Besides, My plan is to put a cage in this car and I am going to build the seat mounts into the cage itself. So i am not going to bother with them.
Put them back up to the underside of the car and got them in place. They formed to the bottom of the car and I tack welded them. Look at the difference to the bend of the connector out of the box. I do not believe my car is that bent or off.
Also with the weakest part of the connectors is at the bends. After I weld and fish-plate the cut area. They will be stronger then out of the box from LMR.
Now I know there is going to be someone on here that is going to say I just ruined the connectors by cutting them. This is a normal thing in any chassis fabrication as long as it is done right. Plus, 3 straight pieces of square tubing welded in a Z with fish plating done. is way more solid then one piece bent into a z.
This is a NASCAR Cup car chassis.
Now on to the seat brace. Any of you 86 that? It is in the way and more of a P.I.T A. then it is worth. I personally think it is more of a marketing deal anyways. Back in my Camaro days. I put subframe connectors in and never once did they come with these. First time seeing this is in the Mustang world. Besides, My plan is to put a cage in this car and I am going to build the seat mounts into the cage itself. So i am not going to bother with them.
05-31-2016, 07:52 AM
#10
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 5,061
Nice job on the fabrication, looks great.
Seat brackets might help brace into the floor a little bit, but that floor pan metal is so thin and soft that I don't think it helps that much at all. Skip if needed.....
Seat brackets might help brace into the floor a little bit, but that floor pan metal is so thin and soft that I don't think it helps that much at all. Skip if needed.....