Installing Sub-Frame Connectors

2 hoursbr Tools: standard socket set, standard wrenches, drill and drill bits (if applicable) Cost: 175-300br Tinware: sub-frame connector kit and hardwarebr emstrongTip: Buy quality There are lots of companies making sub-frame connectors, but not all of them implement heavy-duty materials and quality construction.strong emVisit a href"http:www.ecklers.com"RicksCamaros.coma, a href"http:www.ecklersfirebird.com"EcklersFirebird.coma or a href"http:www.ecklersnova.com"EcklersNova.coma and search for Sub-frame connectors. Performance gains: Sub-frame connectors are a must for any high-performance small car without a full frame. They offer strength and improved handling under heavy loads. a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-14.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1951" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-14.jpg" alt"shot-1" "600" height"544" abr emThe front of the connector arm boxes the frame rail and is secured by two bolts.embr a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-24.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1952" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-24.jpg" alt"shot-2" "600" height"544" abr emFor added strength, we drilled the connector arm and the rear flange of the spring The two were then bolted together.embr a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-34.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1953" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-34.jpg" alt"shot-3" "600" height"400" abr emOnce the connector is in tighten the spring bolt and nut.embr a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-43.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1954" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504shot-43.jpg" alt"shot-4" "600" height"313" abr emThis angle gives you an overall look from at the clean, finished This article refers specifically to installation of sub-frame connectors on the F-body and X-body vehicles. Most commonly installed on Camaros, Firebirds and Novas, aftermarket sub-frame connectors offer additional strength and rigidity to a less-than-stout factory These compact cars of yesteryear were engineered and crafted with a front frame only. They lacked the brawn and sheer ruggedness of the larger, full-frame vehicles such the Chevelle and Impala. Having only a shortened frame at the front of the vehicle dramatically affects the chassiss ability to handle any kind of serious horsepower. Other than the cars sheetmetal body, there is no connection between the front and rear suspensions. Under heavy loads (such as a drag launch), the body can distort and twist from the high energy created by the Needless to say, this is not a good thing! In addition to warping and even cracking major stress on the body, this intense torque flexing can also hinder your beloved elapsed times. When energy intended for the rear wheels is lost and absorbed into the body and suspension, the results can be very disappointing. The installation of sub-frame connectors will dampen and eliminate these kinds of Constructed of boxed, steel tubing (similar to a frame rail), the reinforcement connectors literally tie the two ends of the chassis together. When installed, they run to each other down the length of the floor The shorter sub-frame car now takes on the burly of a full-frame vehicle. Sure, there will always be a certain amount of chassis flex under acceleration, however, the harmful effects are greatly minimized when all of the are firmly secured together. Depending on the year of the vehicle, the installation may vary slightly from one car to another. By far, the most subjects are the 68-72 Novas and the first and second generation Camaros and Firebirds. They all share the same sub-frame and suspension design. The connectors simply attach between the rear of the front frame horns and the forward spring on the rear suspension. The body bushings at the frame rails must be removed to allow the connectors to slide into In fact, the connectors attach to the frame using the same body bushing bolts and hardware. The rear mounting is at the forward leaf-spring again utilizing the existing hardware. The design here is extremely simple, yet effective. The aftermarket manufacturers have made the fairly easy. On the early Chevy II Novas (62-67), the design is similar, but not exact. These cars are well-known in the world for their handling and weak suspension designs. Nonetheless, its a very body style and definitely one worth fixing. The aftermarket offers of quality upgrades for the less-than-impressive factory setup. There are even complete front-end replacement kits available for these micro-Novas. Although it may not be necessary in all applications, our sub-frame connectors required a fair amount of drilling. At the front of the car, we had to drill mounting through-holes in both the connectors and the frame rails. The bolts slid through the holes and secured the connectors to the flange of the frame. At the rear spring we also needed to create one hole on each side for the same With the car safely supported by jackstands, we started at the front frame rails. The connectors attached to the frame through the newly-drilled holes and the bolts were securely tightened. At the rear of the car, we removed the through-bolt at each spring and installed the connector arm. We re-tightened the bolts and slowly lowered the vehicle. Be sure to check for any binding or twisting in the connectors at the front and rear mounting With this accomplished, youll not only feel safer and more confident when launching your car off the staging lights, youll also enjoy a more solid feel if you use your car as a daily driver. A couple of hours and a few hundred dollars can make all the difference in the world. Some of the more sub-frame connectors available at Ricks Camaros... a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721553.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1957" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721553.jpg" alt"721553" "450" height"289" abr a href"http:www.ecklers.comcamaro-subframe-reinforcement-connectors-weld-in-detroit-speed-1970-1981.html"721553a: Weld-in subframe connectors from Detroit Speedbr a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721808.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1958" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721808.jpg" alt"721808" "450" height"167" abr a href"http:www.ecklers.comcamaro-subframe-connectors-heidt-s-1970-1981.html"721808a: Subframe connectors from Heidtsbr a href"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721827.jpg"img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-1959" src"http:blog.rickscamaros.comwp-contentrickscamarosuploads201504721827.jpg" alt"721827" "450" height"255" abr a href"http:www.ecklers.comcamaro-subframe-connectors-hotchkis-sport-suspension-1970-1973.html"721827a: Subframe connectors, Hotchkis Sport Suspensionbr