Subframe connectors

Calabrio

Calabrio

Dedicated LVC Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2005
Messages
8,793
Reaction score
3
Location
Sarasota
Are there any vendors selling subframe connectors for the Mark VIII? Working under the car recently, I've noticed some chasis flex while jacking up the car. If there are no vendors, what other option is there?
 
some? these things flex like a wet noodle.


i havent heard of any connectors for this car.
 
I had a friend of mine make them for my car. He's been doing subframe connectors on MN12/FN10 cars since I got my first Thunderbird SC back in '93. Works pretty good. You can feel the difference.
 
poniesviii said:
Ha. Well that's great. But how about some pics and a phone number.
Click to expand...

Thanks for adding that.

I read that Johnny Langston was building frame components for the Mark VIII, but I can't find any information indicating whether he was still building/selling them or how to contact him. All the e-mail addresses I found weren't active.

I did understate the problem. One of the braces behind the back seat actually broke, and cut a hole in my air line. I had to contact Eddie at American Air Suspension for a repair kit.
 
He does it on a demand basis, and besides me, there's only one other person who ever demanded them. He's just a dude, not a business. Has no jig, has no CNC machine, he just fabs it up.

The T-Bird and the MKVIII are a little different as I recall. The FN10 is a little bigger.
 
the mark is 6"ish longer but i think thats the body only thing that matters would be the distance between sub frames
 
Moes8 said:
are any of these useable?

http://www.tccoa.com/articles/kenny-brown/
Click to expand...

Chassis Supports: Reduces chassis flex, Maintains suspension alignment, Improves handling and control - YES

Strut tower braces: Strengthens engine bay, Reduces flex, Improves handling and control - NO

Rear torsional load brace: Reduces flex of the IRS assembly, Improves handling and control - YES

The strut tower brace does not fit our cars according to KB.
 
Dominus said:
Rear torsional load brace: Reduces flex of the IRS assembly, Improves handling and control - YES
Click to expand...

Can anyone say if this is actually does anything other than add weight?

Has anyone added it?

It looks pretty pointless to myself. Maybe if these cars weren't two ton and were more of an ideal road course car.

And, $59? Wow it's 5 dollars in material and ten dollars labor. for $35 I'd say they'd make plenty and shipping would be included.
 
poniesviii said:
Can anyone say if this is actually does anything other than add weight?

Has anyone added it?

It looks pretty pointless to myself. Maybe if these cars weren't two ton and were more of an ideal road course car.

And, $59? Wow it's 5 dollars in material and ten dollars labor. for $35 I'd say they'd make plenty and shipping would be included.
Click to expand...

I wonder if my trailer hitch does the same thing?

I thought I read that Kenny Brown wasn't making any more parts due to the forgeries on the market? I didn't see any subframe connectors on the Kenny Brown site either.
 
poniesviii said:
Can anyone say if this is actually does anything other than add weight?

Has anyone added it?

It looks pretty pointless to myself. Maybe if these cars weren't two ton and were more of an ideal road course car.

And, $59? Wow it's 5 dollars in material and ten dollars labor. for $35 I'd say they'd make plenty and shipping would be included.
Click to expand...

I have it on my car. It definitely made a difference. Obviously I'm not taking out Lambos or anything, but it made the suspension feel more resposive, and the chassis feels a little more stable over the bumpy Manhattan roads.

I am told the 03/04 Cobra suspension does not have that "opening" in the suspension. Haven't seen it myself yet, so I can't say for sure.

Yes, there are plenty of rip-offs. You can buyt the tor-load brace on ebay from quite a few different people, for a MUCH higher price!
 
Did you add an aftermarket swaybar at the same time?

I'm actually curious.

I'll have to look at those cobras also.
 
Quite so. I have the full package. Pretty much all suspension products available.

I think that the tor-load brace and the frame connectors and braces really make a much larger difference on a car with uprated swaybars and/or springs than on a stock chassis. The more force that is transmitted to the chassis, the more it's gonna flex after all.
 
Yeah.

I was curious if you put on the 'torsional load brace' before/after everything else and still noticed a change.

Swaybars themselves make a night and day difference in the attitude of the car.

If anybody else can say they make a difference let me know,

Thanks.
 
Yes they actually have the rights to sell "KB" parts since KB quit if I remember right.

Maybe that was MN12 performance tho.

but SCP does sell them as of yesterday..
 
Just do what I used to do back in the day to my stangs, Cut down a square stop sign post and weld it to the sub frame. It worked really well!

That was back in the day though!! LOL.
 
vr4 said:
some? these things flex like a wet noodle.


i havent heard of any connectors for this car.
Click to expand...
:lol: :lol: That's typical of a uni-body car. I know that sub-frame connectors made a huge difference on my mustang, I had Kenny Brown connectors on it. I may have some made.
 
Is it really that simple? I just need to weld on some box steel to the unibody?

Would any decent fabricator be able to do this then, and what would it normally cost?
 
As long as you are not looking for a truly custom job (such as having the bars cut so that the bar adhered to and is welded to every contour of the floorpan), it shouldn't cost that much at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 153 (members: 0, guests: 153)
Back
Top