[Guest]

Wanted to know what some of you are running. My car feels significantly more flexible going over bumps and such with the targa off. I've got 156k on the chassis and want to reducing the flex so my car feels more solid, but I'd like to avoid a roll cage, as the car is and will be a DD, and sometimes using the rear seat.

Any of you using the do-luck floor braces, or any products like that? What would you all recommend for my purposes? Car won't be a drag car.

 

[Ex5.0]

I know Ken Henderson has the do -luck subframe connectors and likes them. I'm sure anything you try, strut tower braces, floor braces, subframes, etc. will help. Personally I say do the do luck subframe connectors, get the steel ones and WELD them in. From my Mustang and Camaro experiences, welding them in is the only way to go. I was going to buy the floor braces for my targa, but I just purchased a Hardtop instead

 

[Guest]

Steel ones huh? Is there anything wrong with the alum. ones?

 

[Alex D]

Welding aluminum to steel just doesn't work out very well, one of the reasons why subframe connectors are made of steel usually.

 

[Ex5.0]

Welding aluminum to steel just doesn't work out very well, one of the reasons why subframe connectors are made of steel usually.

Exactly, plus the point that steel is usually less resistant to flexing than aluminum. Maybe you could check out some pics of them, then go to a local chassis guy and have him fabricate you some, since all you need is some square steel tubing and steel plates.

 

[UGTFUKD]

Well you can always strip the car and spot weld it, but then if you go through that trouble you might as well just put a cage in.

 

[kale]

why not try the sparco / speedware motorsports harness bar? it is a triangular piece front to back which will greatly affect rigidity, particularly with the top off. Best of all it bolts right in unlike a cage.

 

[quick]

Do-Luck = not as good as the Speedware (oem for Sparco) bar or the TRD front strut tower bar

 

[SupraTuRD]

Anyone have pics of the weld-in steel subframe connectors?

From my 5.0 days, I had the Global West weld-ins with the supplementary pieces to tie into the pinch welds under the door. The improvements were very dramatic... then again, it was a glorified ford fairmont, so anything helped.

When I slapped on my TRD strut tower brace, it made the car (94 targa) ride noticeably stiffer.

sushi

 

[Ckanderson]

Yea... pics of the subframe connectors PLEASE? Ill make a set in my welding class!

 

[SupraTuRD]

Yea... pics of the subframe connectors PLEASE? Ill make a set in my welding class!

TIG class? I had a blast when I took the class at a local JC... mild steel, stainless, alum... good stuff!

sushi

 

[Guest]

Well I'd like to avoid the harness bar because like I was saying, I still use my back-seat sometimes for others to sit in. I wanted to keep the reinforcement bars out of the way, such as chassis braces, floor braces, strut tower braces. Just seeing if anyone else has stiffened their MKIV up a good bit without a roll cage or harness bar that obviously get in the way a good deal.

 

[VeilsideTT]

Where did you guys get these Speedware harness bars? I searched around Yahoo and some online stores but found no info.

 

[Nick 95 6sp]

I know they had pics of Ken's subframe connectors in that magazine article featuring his car. The shots were from underneath so you could see how they fit. I have the mag a home, not sure if we can find a link to the pics.

I saw the Sparco harness bar at one of our vendor's sites ...pretty sure it was MVP. There was a thread here a while back about how much they improved rigidity. Don't you guys ever search

 

[Ex5.0]

Go to SP Engineering's site, I'm pretty sure there's some pics there of Ken's car.

I was thinking about the Supra's floor(just had my carpet out), and it's got frame running through the whole floor, unlike a Mustang or Camaro which is just sheetmetal in the middle. I'm sure they'll help, maybe not as dramatic as on a Mustang. Strut tower bars are obviously much easier to try and probably cheaper, Mark. Maybe you'll be satisfied w/ those??? :dunno:

 

[Ckanderson]

is this them?

http://www.sp-power.com/images/photogallery/KEN H/92.jpg

the aluminum things on the side rails?

 

[SupraTuRD]

If that silver rail is alum, I doubt it has any ability to stiffen the chassis... waaaaaaay too small, even for steel.

sushi

 

[Supraman16]

Where did you guys get these Speedware harness bars? I searched around Yahoo and some online stores but found no info.

http://www.speedwaremotorsports.com/safety/

Google is your friend...Darshana S...

 

[Stenno]

You could always seam weld the chassis

 

[95ttht]

is this them?
the aluminum things on the side rails?

I can't vouch for the car owner, but I don't think so.

It looks like a "quick jack" type rail. It's just a rail that mounts along the full length of the car, so you can jack the car up pretty much at any point without damaging the undercarriage of the car. Useful at the track to swap up tires.

But I've been wrong before