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Intend to have a multipurpose car. Already plan on welding the critical seams, add inner fender braces, radiator lower brace, sub frame connector and torque boxes. Want as stiff a system as I can get before potentially adding the hoop and drivers side brace. My thinking is the stiffer the better for anything. I'm the kind of person that put custom valved Fox 2.0 shocks on a basically stock Ram for added control. Well not exactly stock. Asking to try and get an handle on who's individual bracing components are best and am if I am missing something I should be doing while the care is getting the welding done.

Damon




Stitch welding is a great starting point. I've seen where stress cracks form in rear quarters by the rear glass (well on a Camaro raced hard, but not too far from an E-body... LOL)

Start with the subframe connectors. Two ways to go on this. Use the hotchkis ones (that tie to the rear spring mounts) or the fabricate your own (2x2 or 2 wide x 3 tall, I like 1/8 wall) from the rear frame rails (both will weld to the t-bar x-member). The hotchkis ones will essentially nullify a rear torque box. If you go the fab your own route, you could get your rear torque boxes from auto rust technicians.
Front torque boxes are good for tieing your front frame rails to your t-bar x-member. The front of your e-body is really flexible.

So now I'll concentrate on the front. The under radiator brace is a great idea, as well as the shock tower supports. Some people love the monte-carlo bar above the engine. XV has all this stuff, but if you have fab skills, nothing too bad I would say.

Finally the roll bar. Equalize the stiffness and put a passenger door bar in. The real stiffening portion of the roll bar will be the rear down tubes. This will stiffen up your frame where the leafs reside. Also gives you a great place for your safety harness

Eagerly waiting for my house to be built so I can do all this to my 71 Challenger! SOON!!! (well, the roll bar is on next off-season's list) I have added the 2x2 frame connectors (auto rust technicians) already and that was a tremendous improvement.


1971 Challenger