How do subframe connectors help handling?

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player1up

player1up

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I'm looking for "exactly" how the benefit translates into "feeling" of the car. I know that they sure up the whole body of the car, but what does that equate to in handling.
Something like the explanation of bump steer, you can read about what bump steer is but it's entirely different to feel what it does (yikes) to a car.

For example: I have this kind of wave thing that happens if I hit a bump or manhole cover with one side of the car...it makes the whole car squirm or wave (best way I can describe it) on the road rather than just feel the bump.

Not sure I'm making sense but help me understand.
Thanks
Matt
 
They greatly reduce body flex allowing the suspension to work better AND feel better. And, believe me you can feel the flex, especially in a convertible.
 
like he said, stiffens the frame up. done right your doors will even close better.
that "wave" as you call it sounds a little more serious than frame flex, i'd look that front end over real well looking for cracked metal or anything out of ordinary, check alignment and shocks too. somethings not right there!! jmo
 
The best analogy I can think of is it's kinda like driving a new truck vs. an old one.
When you're in a new truck everything feels solid & when you hit a bump the bed/cab feels like one unit. As the truck gets older you feel the bed still rattling after the bump but the truck still goes down the road. --- a car with frame connectors is similiar. The "feel" of the front-end hitting the bump, then the back-end gives a flimsy "feel" to the car, as if it wasn't bolted together properly. Frame connectors (properly installed) eliminate this "two-step" feel when hitting a bump.As was mentioned, body panels fit better, there's fewer squeaking noises, less body-roll, IMO it's well worth the investment, even ona "concourse" car............
 
Stiffening a flexing uni body car is normally the first thing or should be the first thing done in improving handling, and even braking. It provides a more solid base
for even a stock suspension.
 
They make a world of difference in how your car will ride and handle! Eliminating even a small amount of flex makes the car"feel" better. Fixed lots of little squeaks/rattles in mine(an added bonus) Best $50.00 I've ever spent. Do it,you will not be disappointed!
 
I put them in my 68 Barracuda. Right off the bat the first thing I noticed was the amount of rattles & creaks were almost elminated and the car felt more planted on rough roads. The second thing I noticed was I can now jack up a corner of the car and still open and close the doors.
 
Pauly, I did get up under the car this weekend to make sure there is nothing out of whack, all suspension components look fine except for a torn tie rod boot. The suspension rebuild has about 4000 miles on it. I replaced a twisted tie rod sleeve this weekend ( left over from damage from P.O. ) and both rod ends.
Hemcop, I know what you're talking about, used to drive an oooold f-150 for work years ago and it had the same feeling, like the back end wants to keep moving after the bump has past. Almost a spring like feeling in the body.

This is the explanation I was hoping for, I had an idea of what it would do but just wasn't sure.
So let me see if I have understood everyone.

Without connectors, a bump will transmit energy into the body and cause the other parts of the car to react to the impact (squirm, wave, two-step, push) instead of letting the suspension components local to the impact deal with the forces like a car with connectors would.

A very educational day.
 
Also, if you take a jack/lug wrench assembly from the 1st-gen minivan (comes w/a compact bracket,too) and weld an appropriately sized dowel on each end of the subframe connector, you now have a much more stable way to jack the car up that won't tweak your bumpers. And the bracket that everything fits on under the hood of the minivan makes it possible to store everything in the spare tire well and get you some extra trunk space!
 
player1up said:
I'm looking for "exactly" how the benefit translates into "feeling" of the car. I know that they sure up the whole body of the car, but what does that equate to in handling.
Something like the explanation of bump steer, you can read about what bump steer is but it's entirely different to feel what it does (yikes) to a car.

For example: I have this kind of wave thing that happens if I hit a bump or manhole cover with one side of the car...it makes the whole car squirm or wave (best way I can describe it) on the road rather than just feel the bump.

Not sure I'm making sense but help me understand.
Thanks
Matt
Click to expand...

Squirm could be tires,shocks,alignment..
 
I carry a floor jack in the trunk...bumper jacks are disasters even on a good day.. would be nice to get something a little lighter and less bulky.

I'm going to get it in for an alignment in the next week or so.. been trying to find a shop that will do it the way I want it.

The feeling isn't too bad, but I can feel it, and there is this particularly curvy section of a road that I drive down every day that has a manhole cover right where the driver side wheels are. I avoid it every chance I get, but in one direction there is oncoming traffic and the other is a ditch. I hit it yesterday on the way home and it's like a twisting or wag of the rear in relation to the front half of the car.

...Why are we always preparing?...let's just go... - Dark Helmet

Off to find some steel, my welder was getting lonely anyway :)
 
Jim Lusk said:
They greatly reduce body flex allowing the suspension to work better AND feel better. And, believe me you can feel the flex, especially in a convertible.
Click to expand...

Since my 67 ragtop Barracuda is almost ready for the road I thought I'd chime in here. Do you have any pictures of installed bars? I do notice a good deal of flex so I may have to stiffen it up a bit.
 
Jim, I have a set made up for your old car, but they aren't installed yet. I made them different than I made the set for Jeff's Dart. His are much simpler. I think I used 2x3 tubing (I forget the wall thickness, but .125 or less). I cut out one end to fit over the rear frame rail and made a mistake on the front of his. The best deal for the front end is to cut away three sides of the tubing leaving just the lower side to fit to the bottom of the trans crossmember. They should be welded to the frame rails in the rear and the non-removable part of the trans crossmember in the front. Where the contact the rear floor they should be welded, too. I'll see if I can get some pics tomorrow of both Jeff's and the one I have yet to install. I've got some steel left over, too
 
Here are pics of the connectors I made for my 67 Barracuda convertible(cudajim's old car). I used the smaller lengths because that is what I had from a gate project. They should still work about as well as the larger tubes on my son's Dart.

3367991715_4254d9a65a_o.jpg


Front cap to fit to the transmission crossmember.

3367991849_af2d64d2e2_o.jpg


Rear cap to fit over rear frame rail.

3367991973_bf418d7bb8_o.jpg
 
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