Guest Anonymous Posted April 16, 2002 Share Posted April 16, 2002 i was wondering the best way to frame up my car. i am doing a 6 pt cage but i want them through the floor into a front to back connector. has any done anything like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted April 17, 2002 Share Posted April 17, 2002 i like my pizza to have a heavy subframe on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tom sixbey Posted April 19, 2002 Share Posted April 19, 2002 2X3 square tubular steel works i think. - i dont know the gauge, but pete paraska's site has all the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 19, 2002 Share Posted April 19, 2002 I used 1x3 rectangular tubing (.085 wall I think). I would have prefered to use the .065 wall 1x3, but they were out of stock and I didn't want to wait. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 23, 2002 Share Posted April 23, 2002 hey tim how much ground clearance do you have. my car is four inchs off the ground. so if i add a two inch sub. i only have two to clear. did you run half through the floor pan or all underneath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 The tubing is ONE x 3, so that makes it 1 inch lower, which is pretty much the same as the stock oem one. I welded them to the bottom of the floorboards. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Tim, A couple of questions: How did you deteremine 1x3 .065 wall thickness was strong enough? What gauge steel did you use for the floorboards or did you not have to replace those? Also, if you didn't replace them did you cut them and insert the subframes in or just weld the subframes to the bottom? Responses appreciated because I will be doing the same thing in a little while... Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim240z Posted April 24, 2002 Share Posted April 24, 2002 Scott, I ended up using the .085" wall, but in any event, without getting into structural dynamics, all you have to do is look at how whimpy the OEM rails are. Anything would be better. As for the floors, I cut out from the bottom of the firewall all the way back to where it starts going up to the rear wheel well and welded in some 18 gauge sheetmetal which is SIGNIFICANTLY thicker than OEM. I had the car on a rotis. so I welded all the way around, top and bottom which I'm sure was completely overkill, but 'what the hell' why not. HTH, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted April 25, 2002 Share Posted April 25, 2002 I`m not so sure that the full length of the rails is absolutely necessary for the structural integrity of the car. Having dismantled the rocker panels,I believe the torque boxes and rocker panels are responsible for any streghth in the unibody. I think that the rail that extends under the seat is to keep the floor from flexing under the weight of the passenger and driver. IMO the installation of anything thicker than the stock rail to replace them, if not fully conected to the rear as a sub frame connector is overkill. Unless your rails are rusty,If your not going to connect to the rear I wouldn`t bother with replacement....But I could be wrong.It`s happened before but,not very often(LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted April 25, 2002 Share Posted April 25, 2002 Denny, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I've seen the difference first hand of the amount a Z twists just jacking up one corner with and without the subframe connector, and it's very eye opening. There was a guy that lived near me that was putting a GTO 250 kit on a 280Z. He was having trouble with the flexing of the unibody until he put in subframe connectors something like what I have in my Z and on my website. Before the subframe connectors, the guy couldn't open or close the door on the Z with one wheel jacked up. After the subframe connectors, the doors worked as if the car was on all four wheels even when one wheel was jacked up. Yes, the torque boxes/rocker boxes are the main lower structural members in the cabin area of the Z, but that method of transferring load is not ideal. With the thin sheetmetal of the Z, it is not very stiff. Not to mention that the ends of the rocker boxes rust on almost all Z's and there goes you connection to the torque boxes. Trust me , subframe connectors DO make a difference. I've seen the results with my own eyes and I believe . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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