subframe connectors

**rwinter** · 10-11-2006, 09:51 PM

Hi

I have a 2000 firehawk with t-tops and hardly any mods as near as I can tell. I read somewhere that if I drive it hard the unibody will flex and pretty soon my t-tops will leak due to body distortion! Is this true with a unmodified engine?

Do I need to rush out and get subframe connectors asap? Yes, I do want to drive it hard!

Any other mods I need to do to make it last?

Thanks for any tips.

**sunsetorangess** · 10-12-2006, 03:38 AM

Sub frame connectors are a good thing on a t top car. Its will keep the un-sightly dimples from forming over the rear fender wells. It will also keep the car inline when your doing those high speed cornings and when you launch it will keep the body flex too a minimal. I also recommend getting a strut tower bar. It will make a big difference. As far as modding goes just use common sense and you will be good to go, Dont do a cam with a stock intake kinda deal.
If your gonna get sfc try and get the weld in type, and if you get the boxed sfc you will loose about 1/2 ground cleareance. On a stock ride height its not much of a difference.
"boxed" is suppose too be stronger" than the tubed.
J

**rwinter** · 10-12-2006, 07:59 PM

Thanks a lot. I think I can feel the car flex on a up shift. What brand connectors do you suggest?

How many miles does it typically take to see the dimples? I'm sure mileage varies but trying to get a feel for whether its a 100k miles plus type problem.

How did the strut bar help? On some cars those can make the car develop a push, or understeer. Did you notice that?

**NHRAMAN** · 10-14-2006, 09:54 AM

3-point are best...weld them in.

**Frozen WS6** · 10-19-2006, 07:21 PM

I have a friend that just picked up a 15,000 mile one owner 2000 WS6 and the dimples have already started. I've told them and shown them about the dimples on my 01 WS6 with 63,000 miles. So they are ordering frame connectors soon also.

**6sw00** · 10-28-2006, 04:30 PM

where do these dimples show?

**Frozen WS6** · 10-29-2006, 06:40 AM

The dimples will be on the quarter panel. Just behind were the painted roof bar/ sail panel, meets the quarter panel and the front lower corner of the hatch glass. My friend's 30,000 mile SS that he had ordered with sfc's already installed on his car from slp, one owner, isn't as bad as mine, but there still there. I've got 60,000 miles without them. I bought it with 51,000 miles. Yes, it had an unedjucated previous owner that didn't know they were needed. I have yet to see an F Body that didn't have even a little dimple. But then again, our road system takes it's toll on everything. My opinion, all F Bodys need them, all the way back to 1967. I even put them on my 74 camaro, and a 69 camaro with a 540 inch b.b. we built for our fastest street car drag races.

**tonyjnjz** · 10-29-2006, 06:45 AM

so right behind the ttops right? hum..sub frames SOOON!!!!

**Frozen WS6** · 10-29-2006, 06:59 AM

No. If you look down the quarter panel behind the door on the top, maybe an inch long, down from the edge, and the bottom corner of the back window. I'll get a picture up soon.

**tonyjnjz** · 10-29-2006, 07:59 AM

ahh alright..i got ya...well i have that very very slight bubbling on the piece behind the ttops...my 99z had it as well...does this get REAL bad for ppl that drive there car in winter and what not? ..i dont even drive mine in rain but i was just curious how commen this is and how bad it can get

**Hurley711** · 10-29-2006, 08:27 AM

SFC & lid should be the first 2 mods for our cars....This should be a sticky. Hmmmm.. anyone?

**Frozen WS6** · 10-29-2006, 01:51 PM

It looks like I may have confused a few people with the location of the dimples. Here are a few pics. Look at the light reflection and notice the wave. I hope this helps. It is not bubbling and is not the panel behind the t-tops. It is on the quarter panel. Also it has nothing to do with driving a car in the winter or rain. It has to do with the body/chassis flexing, due to the lack of structural integrity. Twisting of the chassis from driving hard through corners, drag racing, or even flexing when entering a driveway at an angle.
Attachment 7653

Attachment 7654

**onyx_rock** · 10-30-2006, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by tonyjnjz

ahh alright..i got ya...well i have that very very slight bubbling on the piece behind the ttops...my 99z had it as well...does this get REAL bad for ppl that drive there car in winter and what not? ..i dont even drive mine in rain but i was just curious how commen this is and how bad it can get

that sounds like the paint bubbling problem i have read about here. it is supposed to be covered by warranty.

**6sw00** · 10-30-2006, 10:15 AM

my dimples arent there.. mine look to be right above the wheel.

**Frozen WS6** · 10-31-2006, 06:37 AM

I believe that the location of the dimples will be directly related to how the car was driven, and how the car has flexed because of it. Whether it was street raced, driven hard through corners, or just babied. They seem to twist even more if it was ran hard with the t-tops off a lot. Especially since the glass is such a part of the structure of the vehicles these days.

**GUSHER** · 10-31-2006, 04:58 PM

Bmr Welds Works Great On Mine !

**firesilver** · 11-08-2006, 03:07 PM

Well i have dimples right above my wheels too. I think sfc just moved to the top of my list.

**Frozen WS6** · 11-09-2006, 06:37 AM

Like Hurley 711 said, and I agree. SFC's should be at the top of everyone's list of things to do to their car first.

**amon37** · 11-09-2006, 07:06 AM

I just bought my ws6 only 25k miles and no dimples yet 2 weeks ago. I know it wasn't driven hard but I will be ordering SFC's within the week because I know I will do some spirited driving here and there.