Should I get a new subframe?

[trapin]

Why am I asking?

Well...I know that for many years when I was working on this car as a teenager I used to get a lot of rust piles underneath the suspension when working on the engine. When I pulled the Sub-Frame a couple of years ago and had it acid-dipped...it was pretty rusted. In fact so rusted that the acid-dipping process didn't remove all the rust that was on it, I had to finish a few spots with a grinder. I also remember the bare frame feeling quite light for something that was going to house an engine and trans and withstand the lateral forces of an automobile. Lately I've been giving a lot of thought to it but I'm wondering if my frame rusted too much and that the material thickness of the rails might be at a thickness that could be considered dangerous. What I'm wondering is....how thick should that material thickness be and how thin can I get away with? If I do have to buy a new sub-frame....anyone know of a good one that's for sale?

Thanks.

[MrQuick]

Hi Tony,
it really depends on the location of the thin areas.
front horns...ok.
Rear struts ok if running connecters.
Front x menber ok if not all the way through.
Center x member you might look into.
Spring pockets and control arm mounting flanges watch out.
You could reinforce the frame you have by welding the seams and adding on gussets if it is a concern. How about some pictures to get a better idea?

[Damn True]

Where would one put said gussets to maximize strength w/o adding too much weight?

[MrQuick]

Depends on where your particular weaknesses are. On 2nd gen frames you can gusset the control arm mount areas, also x brace from the rear struts to the mid x member. Mock up these after engine trans and headers are in.

[trapin]

Well....I don't have any other viable alternative. Martz, Alston, and Due front suspensions are priced somewhere up around the Alpha Centauri galaxy. Looks like I'll have to make due (no pun intended) and just use what I have. If it fails....well then it was nice knowin' ya.

[MrQuick]

no i gotta see pictures, must be bad. In high school this guy hole sawed his frame and it held up...suprisingly

[trapin]

Vince...I'll try to do a macro shot of the front part of the frame tonight. It's still coated in 2 coats of POOR-15 (misspelled intentionally) so it'll appear to look thicker than it is. I'll grind off that portion of the coating and do a caliper measurement as well.

[Sparky67]

Well....I don't have any other viable alternative. Martz, Alston, and Due front suspensions are priced somewhere up around the Alpha Centauri galaxy. Looks like I'll have to make due (no pun intended) and just use what I have. If it fails....well then it was nice knowin' ya.


Another alternative is to find a Nova subframe, which is the same as first generation camaro.

[Mark Antrim]

tony, email me if you are looking for a subframe my father-in-law just picked up a nova. [email protected]