Detroit Speed SFC now don't match frame!

[badazz81z28]

I had DSE subframe connectors installed on my 70 Camaro with the stock frame. Now that I have a DSE frame, the SFCs don't line up with the frame. The problem is the frame rails are a different width than the stock frame....what can I do to fix this and have it look good? I was so planning on this car to be perfect, my bubble it busted.

[69_Sportsroof]

Does DSE offer connectors that match their frame? You could always cut the ends off your connectors and weld on new ones, or make some from scratch. Or if you don't have the tools find a shop that will do it? At the end of the day they are just metal tubing with a paint job, it shouldn't be too difficult to find a way to fix them.

[BMR Sales]

Call DSE

[badazz81z28]

Call DSE


Nothing they can do...

[MuscleRodz]

There are 2 plates that go on each side of the sfc to match the thickness. They are welded to the sub and either bolted or welded to sfc.

[badazz81z28]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/1436986628_zps9c85ad9a-1.jpg

Mirrored image on the other side.

[badazz81z28]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/1436986651_zpsbd05a952-1.jpg

[Z06vet]

Have you aligned the subframe? Or possibly the old subframe was not aligned when the connectors were installed. It looks like you had these installed with the old sub, as the side plates mentioned above look to have been cut off. Hard to tell from the pic, but is the narrower than the connectors on both sides?

[badazz81z28]

Its the width of the frame. Picture #1 is the driver side, right hand side of the picture is outboard. Picture #2 is the passenger side and the left side is outboard. The inner frame rail measurement is over 30" when the stock frame was about 28-3/4"

Edit...Just measured:

Stock frame inner rail measurement: 28-3/4"
DSE frame inner rail measurement: 30-1/2"

Stock outer rail: ~36-9/16"
DSE Outer rail: ~37-1/16"

[carbuff]

Same thing happened on my car. We used some 3/8" plate on each side, drilled through the SFC's and welded a tube in to bolt to, and modified my torque crossmember to tie the inside together. The net of this is I learned to not have the SFC's installed until the frame was in and aligned.

You can see part of this in the picture below.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/07/IMG_20141108_161056_zpstgtlzmsk-1.jpg (http://s100.photobucket.com/user/carbuff69/media/1971%20Firebird%20Formula%20-%20Project%20TOW/IMG_20141108_161056_zpstgtlzmsk.jpg.html)

[badazz81z28]

Yeah, I'm pretty down and out about this.....I wanted to make this car right. I have had a few past Camaros with regrets....and now this. :(

[parsonsj]

Yeah, I'm pretty down and out about this..Get some 3/16 plate, fit it up, weld it in, paint it, and move on. It will look fine if the two sides are mirror images.

[JayBird]

Get some 3/16 plate, fit it up, weld it in, paint it, and move on. It will look fine if the two sides are mirror images.

Exactly what John states!

[badazz81z28]

I actually saw a 71 at Barrett Jackson, same issue. They just welded the edges together. I'll post a picture when I find my phone.....

[another69]

That's really no big deal - no reason to get down. See it as a chance to do some fabricating! You may be able to heat bend some plate or do something else creative to make it your own. If everything just fell into place it would be boring, plus you would never really have a chance to develop skills.

I don't get why people weld the connectors to the subframe anyway. Properly designed fasteners will be just as strong if not stronger. I like to weld in the connectors but bolt them to the subframe.

[badazz81z28]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/08/1439619354_zps0db019af-1.jpg

[TheJDMan]

Don't panic, the first thing that I would do is clean up the subframe connectors. Then get an exact offset measurement inboard and outboard as well as the gap between the frame and connector. With those offset and gap measurements it should be no big deal to break a piece of 1/4" or 5/16" plate that you could then either bolt or weld in place. Since it looks like you have the same misalignment side to side, once you fabricate a nice looking plate it will be symmetrical and won't look like a mistake. Really, no big deal!