How necessary is the center upper crossmember w/ subframes?

[magnumdust]

So i saw this picture while doing a little research on the alterkation system:

This is the underside of the Gforce designs demon. They've done away with the torsion bars, but also they just removed that center upper crossmember that is the :banghead: to all of us who want modern transmissions

Now this has made me wonder, if you have subframe connectors welded in place and of course that lower cross member bolted in place, would the upper piece be needed? Wouldn't all that re-enforcement at the very least account for the same level of rigidity found within that upper crossmember?

 

[abodyjoe]

as long as ya have connectors i don't see cutting that as a problem. if it worries ya that much just build a custom connector piece a little higher..

 

[66plyValiant]

there should be at the very least a 1/4" thick plate bent and welded to the upper crossmember

 

[inkjunkie]

Seen a picture of Bill Reilly's Dart from the bottom somewhere, think it was his car. He completely removed the torsion bar crossmember on his car.....found them, you can see in the one picture where the t-bar crossmember used to be...

 

[magnumdust]

as long as ya have connectors i don't see cutting that as a problem. if it worries ya that much just build a custom connector piece a little higher..

If i already had the alterkation i would've started doing this already, but for now i have the torsion bars still in place(saving for alterkation now). Which is why i'm fielding some opinions on the subject. Because even with torsion bars i would think that the sub-frames would stiffen up that area so that it wouldnt flex.

And that it may only come in to play(big *may*) if one were to remove the center crossmember with the torsion bars loaded.

But what do i know, i'm just joe blow trying to work around a design that never intended to have large overdrive transmissions.

 

[inkjunkie]

My car had the tunneled massaged so a 4l80e fit in it. Fab guy used a piece of strap of some sort, don't remember the thickness under the floor. He triangulated from near the torsion bar mount back into the subframe connectors. Will post a picture of it next time I turn on the pc where all the pictures are....

 

[magnumdust]

My car had the tunneled massaged so a 4l80e fit in it. Fab guy used a piece of strap of some sort, don't remember the thickness under the floor. He triangulated from near the torsion bar mount back into the subframe connectors. Will post a picture of it next time I turn on the pc where all the pictures are....

Yeah i've seen people triangulate from the crossmember back to the subframe and i'm definitely gonna do that to mine. But with all that, i would if the hoop above the tranny(under the floor) unnecessary/overkill. isnt that oem hoop made of the same cheap flexy plate metal as the k-member?

Anyhow, look forward to seeing the pic.

 

[inkjunkie]

I think it is more the shape of it that gives it any strength.

 

[rednesss]

I took mine out when I put the 200-4r transmission in. Used a piece of 1/4" x 4" piece of plate that I bent into a horseshoe on a buddy's 60 ton press brake. Then I used panel bond adhesive on top, and welded it into the torsion bar crossmember.

[/IMG]

 

[inkjunkie]

Not the best picture but.......