structual modifications for a high hp l28et

[Guest Anonymous]

i know you v8 guys put those outstanding frame rails, and roll bars/cages, and strut towers but heres my situation,

 

i have my rusted out floor pans removed and my new floor pans ready to be welded in, my 73 frame rails under the car are so thrashed i want to replace, the rails from the tension rods and back are just totally destroyed before i do anymore fabrication i have an 8pt roll cage and a front tubular strut brace (topeend performance) i should just repair the messed up areas? or shoudl i start fabing new rails?? any advice would help.

[Mikelly]

1st, after the old pans are removed, replace ONE of the frame rails, and then complete that side floor pan. The remove the other frame rail, replace it and then the floor pan. Make sure the car is squared up and there is no sag. You want as little weight in the car as possible and as much jack stand support as possible... Remove the wheels and tires, as they ad weight that is "pulling" against each corner...

 

PeteP, what am I missing here??? Seems like he should do more to insure the car is square, besides taking measurements... seems I read that someone actually chalked their car and taped its seems to check for movement...

Mike

[pparaska]

yeah, yeah, that was me. I did both: support each end of the car on multiple jackstands that I shimmed to get even loads onto and also took measurements with a plumb bob, tape on the floor and measured the height of the pickup points above the floor marks.

 

I then laid the measurements out to see if there was any non-squareness or asymmetry between the measurements side to side. Diagonal measurements help here too.

 

So after I cut the floor out and was about to weld in the subframe connectors and floors, I checked the critical dimensionssure nothing had moved. I even reinstalled the T/C bracket in a more symmetric location on one side, as it was out by a 1/4" laterally before I started tearing the car apart.

 

And you guys wonder why it takes me so long...

[Guest Anonymous]

well the car is empty, there is not one bolt on the car, and i have floor pan kits that that are suppose to resemble the stock pans. so i want the car to be level and the weight evenly distrubted on all 4 jack stands? whats with that measuring stuff?

[Guest Anonymous]

umm i decided to post pictures of the drivers side pan (passengers is not cut out) HELP!!

 

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/chase240z/lst?.dir=/240Z&.src=ph&.last=1

[pparaska]

Try to use more jack stands. That way the front and rear of the car can't bend down from the center of the car.

 

Doing one side at a time is a good idea - that way you aren't weaken/softening the car as much as if you cut both floors.

 

The measurements were to find out where the suspension pickup points and other things were before I cut the frame rails, floors, etc. out (not all at once), to see if the car was square and straight, and to be able to fix any problems as I put the engine frame rails back in the car.

[Guest 400 ci 280z]

does anyone have diminsions for 77 280z framerails? i am going to have to put rails in soon after i buy a welder.

[Guest Anonymous]

I have not done this but seems like you could get 4 2X6 the length of the car, screw 2 together for strength, stand it vertically under the body, get some 2x4's, mount them accross where needed (not where your going to weld), and used stands on the 4 corners of the 2X6's. I think you could just use a leveler to make sure its all leveled then mark accross from car to wood with pen at verious locations and recheck marking every once in a while to make sure your alignment is still correct. Just a thought, seem like it would work.

[Guest Anonymous]

well i was having tough problems until i got 4 matching jack stands. 4 stands on all 4 corners. then i put 2 additional stands on the crossmember and on the tranny support thing. then i got a leveler which helped a bunch! so the car is square, also put in the front strut brace for added support (no idea if it helps at all) so im pretty sure the car is sqaure now. hopefully this weekend i will weld in the new firewall panels, and tranny tunnel. THEN i can get to the floor pans. oy.