DIY Frame Connectors

I am planning to do a frame connector project on my 72 Challenger. The route I was going to go with is the 2x3 tube and cut the floors. My car has done and fully assembled since the 90's. I thought if I cut the floors much of the welding could be done through the top side. Weld the tube completely to the floor from the top, with a few tacks and some seam sealer along the bottom. This would minimize what I had to weld underneath. Obviously there is some welding to the cross member and a bit to the rear frame.

Anyone have pictures or tips of your experiences with this type of connector? While US Car Tool type is nice, I cant see doing this type on my back while the car is sitting on ramps. I am trying to determine just how much I need to cut.

I know this topic has been discussed a lot in the past. I have looked through past posts however, many of the pictures associated with these past posts are now gone.

Thanks in advance!

You still do the most welding underneath the car to the frame rails, even w/ the style connectors that come up through the floor.
Personally I don't like those kind and don't see a need for them to come through the floor.
I like the bolt in style from MP that stay underneath the car. Just weld them in instead of bolting them.
My cuda has some custom connectors done at the chassis shop that tie in to the torque boxes, spring mount, and the rollcage. All while not coming up through the floor.

for bolt in types you would want to weld them also. I think some 2 x 3 common material welded on the ends would suffice. Tho people have said that the welded up into the floors adds alot of addit'l strength but as you know it would be a heap more work & might not be needed for your app.

I have 2x3 tubing welded to the frame,sanded and painted looks like it was always part of the frame.I also run cal-tracs so there's no twist at all.
I tried to post a pix but didn't work?

I've done a couple sets of them with the 2x3 tube. Try and find .100 wall, it's a little lighter than the 1/8 wall. It will protrude through your floor only in the area where the back seat passenger feet go. I find that if I trim the carpet insulation out over top of it and then throw a rubber floor mat over the carpet, it's not noticeable. The great thing is, if you slot open the front part of the rear sub-frame the 2x3 tube will slide right in. The floor can be welded to the tube from on top, but you'll still have to crawl under to weld the tube to the rear sub-frame and torsion bar crossmember. It's a pretty easy job, I'd say the toughest part is being careful to cut your floor only just enough for the tube to fit in and not so much that you have to add material back in because you have too much of a gap. The increase in chassis rigidity is phenomenal.

I have done the 2" X 3" rectangular tubing on many cars. We used c.m. round tube under my Challenger to tie in with the cage. The cross bar with the tab is my removable driveshaft loop.

If you want to limit the welding I used the Hotchkis connectors on my cuda. The only welding you do is to install a bracket up front and then weld the connectors in the bracket. The rear go to where the leaf spring attaches. Here's a couple of pictures. No need for any cutting of the floor.

i used the bolt in on my 69GTX then welded them in.works great no twisting and the only place i cut the floor was to weld my roll bar to the connector , but could have bolted it to floor as and option.

One thing I did on mine was to cut the floor smaller than the box, like 1-1/2 inches or less. Use the duck working tool that's made like wide pliers and bend up that edge to get the box welded in. I then clamped a 3/16 X 1-1/2 X 1-1/2 angle Iron underneath to the box, level to floor. Hammer the edge (with punch or chisel) back against the box with angle as support, tack weld then move to other side. You end up with no gaps to seamfil. Just remember, tack and hammer, heat makes it work easy and won't burn through.

Not an "E" body but I did the 2x3 tubing frame connectors on my '64 "B" body. Cost a total of $20. Very strong, all the welding to the floors was done from inside the car. Just the frame connections were done from underneath.



Here's the finished product from underneath.

I used 1-1/2" by 3" box tubing. .125 wall thickness .
Slit the rear to allow it to basically slide over the rear frame rail ( kind of like a cap so to speak ) where it welds to the floor pan. Cut it off flush up front and weld to the front torsion bar cross member.

weld on both ends and finish to your tastes. I can take them back out with a weekends worth of work and you would never know they were there.
Best of all they don't interfere with brake and or fuel lines or park brake system in any way .
I'll have the car outside tomorrow and can take pictures if someone wants to see how I did it.

No way would I cut the floor pan.

You can use Magnum Force bolt in connectors... http://www.magnumforce.com/magnumstore/shop/item.aspx?itemid=22

No cutting or welding if you don't want to.

By the way, I've found GYC missing 71 Cuda, it is on the Magnum Force's website! Now where is my reward????

There is a thread about it archived, but there seems to be some picture maintenance lacking. Maybe the info is still useful

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/901/1.html

Thanks Zippy! that is an awesome thread on the topic. I only wish some of those photos were still attached. The info in the thread is great but the pictures would have answered a lot of questions.