So I have been meaning to do this for about a year now, had the stuff to do it, just been putting it off.... So I took out my a-arms to put the bushings in, and dropped the brace for the addco sway bars... what the hell, 2 more bolts and the whole thing comes out.... so thats what I did. Oh and all this crap about it being hard to put in the addco is crazy all you need is a 6 inch c-clamp and ur golden. So here is my story
subframe without any modification
measured a piece of box pipe from lowes, measured it out to be 29 inches to be a good fit
test fit it to the subframe using a c-clamp, I placed it just about the rivited area on the bottom of the subframe
measured the inside width of the arms of the subframe, measured to be 25 1/2 inches
ok, next what I did was measure the the difference between the 29 inches and the 25 1/2 inches, took what was left, divided it by 2 and placed a mark on either end of the box pipe, so when i cut, it would be pretty much similiar on either side. I just used an angle grinder to cut out the spots where the brace would come in contact with the subframe. When I did this I grinded all the way down till it was level on either end. So the ends only had 1 side of metal left
Then I took the wire wheel and took the paint off the area where I would be placing the brace
I test fit the brace many times, each time going back and re-grinding a lil off so that it fit snug, when I was satisfied with the fit I hammered it into place and got ready to weld
test fitment, lookin pretty snug, ready for weld
YUPPERS! I got meatball welds! They are effective damnit!
I wire wheeled the entire brace to get it ready for primer
And just incare someone asked why I didn't bolt it on, I did that too!
before
after
looks kinda snug up there, doesn't it! soooooo SICK!
addcos installed
random pic of the car on jackstands, wheel gap on the rear ownz me! Thats what happens with stock suspension and the car STRIPPED!
Just incase anyone was wondering, yes, you can do it the opposite way where instead of having the box pipe shoved in between the subframe arms it hangs below. When i looked at others and how they did it, it only left 4 bolts to maintain the integrity of the brace, in other words, if there was too much force, the bolts could snap and the brace would come loose. I figured that this way the brace would take the hit and not the bolts. I believe this to be a more structurally sound method to the madness. Do you have to weld it? No, I believe this is a structurally sound method and you could get away with just bolting it up. The other way, where the box pipe is below the level of the arms I would think that one would want to weld it inplace.
Anyway, tell me what you guys think!
Scott
When I boost, you boost, we boost
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You have been banned from NEJBODY.
You've displayed wayyy too many acts of pushing people to their limits.
It's never cool to tear people down for what they want to do.
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I think the design is weak because of the way you cut the bar. To each his own though. Subframe braces are overrated anyways.
thats pretty much how I saw them, even the fx brace, tho they did have an extra piece welded on but I thought that if I had it snug between the arms it would be fine. If I decided to take the outside route then I would have done it differently. Probably reinforced the bar at the ends and only cut it at an angle with a chop saw just so I could bolt it in. I just didn't see that all necessary if the brace is what is going to taking most of the force. But like you said, to each his own. Subframe braces overrated? Probably.... But I had a few hours to kill and I have been wanting to do it for a while. So Zach, what kind of suspension setup do you have? Curious cause I plan on autocrossing come next season, that is if I don't blow the motor up first. Actually they have a wintercross here in CT as well.
Scott
When I boost, you boost, we boost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have been banned from NEJBODY.
You've displayed wayyy too many acts of pushing people to their limits.
It's never cool to tear people down for what they want to do.
NEJBODY is a team. We're not the same as JBO where everyone bashes on eachother.
I'm surprised you show up to our meets after half of the things you say on here.
The only other problem is if you ever need to remove the transmission from the vehicle and that gets in the way a little bit....Otherwise the piece would have been sturdier if you had pie cut the material from the ends, and the pinched them together, allowing a double thick mount flange and stregngthening the overall piece.
I don't see an issue with the way I cut it being that all the ends are doing are holding it in place, they aren't taking any of the force because I have it wedged in between the arms, not hanging down below the arms. If I am gonna go through all that crap to drop the transmission when whats 6 more bolts to drop the sub frame? Besides, I really don't intend on doing that much more work to this car, if it comes to that, I am more apt to parting the car out and continuing to throw money into this pit! LS1 Datsun here I come!
Scott
When I boost, you boost, we boost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have been banned from NEJBODY.
You've displayed wayyy too many acts of pushing people to their limits.
It's never cool to tear people down for what they want to do.
NEJBODY is a team. We're not the same as JBO where everyone bashes on eachother.
I'm surprised you show up to our meets after half of the things you say on here.
not a bad idea.... true test will be if or when you drive it hard....
if the welds break, then you might have some issues, meaning the subframe was compromised.
not a bad effort though at all, could possibly be a damn good effort. time will tell. good to see people still are making effort here.
thanks Event, its guru's like you that keep up the good fight.
Appreciate the feedback guys, thanks
Scott
When I boost, you boost, we boost
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have been banned from NEJBODY.
You've displayed wayyy too many acts of pushing people to their limits.
It's never cool to tear people down for what they want to do.
NEJBODY is a team. We're not the same as JBO where everyone bashes on eachother.
I'm surprised you show up to our meets after half of the things you say on here.
ARe you using fluxcore / gasless with that welder, or are you doing MIG? If your welder supports it, get MIG and weld that way. Those welds for being on such thick steel, need a lot of help. ARe you using an autodarkening helmet? If not even a really cheap harbor freight one will help you out greatly.
lol..... looks like the original design I had about 3 years ago........ worked pretty well (was bolted in), then stepped up to a "K" style brace.....
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'04 GTO 305whp
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