Project "Payback"

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by DRJDVM's '69

Well I welded in my Airbar and now you have me all freaked out....thanks

Was the plate welded all the way around the perimeter or just in certain spots? I noticed that the bolt holes were open....

The Airbar is a bolt in deal too.....its held in by 10 self tapping bolts....

I'm no engineer, but can anyone honestly tell me that 10 self tapping bolts into thin ass original frame rails would have held up any better? I would think that they would have just ripped out of the frame

So....looks like I'll be adding some extra support.......

NED -- Here's what you SHOULD BE worried about.... Watch ALL the video.

[Vegas69]

Originally Posted by DRJDVM's '69

Well I welded in my Airbar and now you have me all freaked out....thanks

Was the plate welded all the way around the perimeter or just in certain spots? I noticed that the bolt holes were open....

The Airbar is a bolt in deal too.....its held in by 10 self tapping bolts....

I'm no engineer, but can anyone honestly tell me that 10 self tapping bolts into thin ass original frame rails would have held up any better? I would think that they would have just ripped out of the frame

So....looks like I'll be adding some extra support.......

I'd add frame gussets now since you are in fabrication stage. I have some brackets being cut and they will be welded in this week. I'll take some photos of the finished product. I don't like the sharp points this cradle was designed with. They could've easily been half moon shaped. That being said, with the way I've driven the car, it's not the end of the world.

[BBC69Camaro]

Sorry to hear about your cracks in the rear frame-rails Todd. Looks like you have a good fix in boxing up the other 2 sides.

Guess that is another another thing to add to my to-do list. I always wondered given how thing the rear frame-rails are what it would take to break them.

[DRJDVM's '69]

Yeah yeah....by the time I'm done with the car, the frame will have melted away from global warming...

I will have close to 600 HP....335 in rear but not as sticky of a tire....and the car will get abused but not nearly what Todd does I'm sure..

All last night I was trying to come up with plans for gussets or other braces to act as a counterforce for the bracket pulling on the frame etc. I think that at the minimum I'll add a plate to the outside of the frame that extends past the ends of the bracket.

Todd...yours is the g-bar? The pix I pulled up look like a different design than is under your car but I may be wrong. I pulled it up online to get a more global view of where the system attaches and spreads the load.

One thing I did notice is that the Airbar system frame bracket has longer horns on each side of where the tube attaches to the frame plate. The g-bar and g-link have those attachements pretty close to the ends of the frame bracket.

[Ron in SoCal]

Originally Posted by BBC69Camaro

Sorry to hear about your cracks in the rear frame-rails Todd. Looks like you have a good fix in boxing up the other 2 sides.

Guess that is another another thing to add to my to-do list. I always wondered given how thing the rear frame-rails are what it would take to break them.

Good point. And then we freaks add to the problem by mini-tubbing our cars and cutting right into that weak point. When I looked at cutting into the frame rails, I said F'that and had 1/4" steel plate put into the thin area. This may come back to bite me, as now the flex will be transfeered to the weak, non-reinforced frame rail area. I guess if that happens I'll be calling Todd to fax me a template...

[Vegas69]

Ned, my G Bar is an Air Bar with varishocks. Simple as that. The design for the Cuda is likely different to some degree. Once I get the brackets and they are welded, I'll post it up to jog your mind.

Ron, You are running the quadralink which is a big difference in design. It has a panhard bar vs. triangulated upper links. I haven't seen anybody break a frame yet with a DSE set up. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened but it seems to be a more natural design for the frame rails. That would be the area you need to keep an eye on... I doubt you have any problems but it you do, congratulations. That means you have put many a beating on that purty car.

[DRJDVM's '69]

With the AirBar for my car, the front section of the tube that has the upper forward link bracket attaches to the floor rather than have a bar that goes all the way across.... they supply plates to go inside the car to spread the load. The first design they had used small L plates and some people ripped their floors....so they made them bigger and all one piece.... I reinforced mine and made them even bigger

The G-bar has a crossmember tube that goes all the way from frame bracket to frame bracket for both the shock and the UCA, right? Mine doesnt... yet

[rwhite692]

Ned I don't think you have anything to worry about, whatsoever, with the way yours is welded in. You'd probably be pulling 2Gs and snap an axle shaft off before you would move that thing, LOL


*Edit* and, if you change those mounts and then as a result we have to make some new brackets for your exhaust....I'll kill you.

[rwhite692]

[quote=GregWeld;356615]NED -- Here's what you SHOULD BE worried about.... Watch ALL the video.




LOL! Not many truck frames get bent in THAT direction!

[rwhite692]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Todd I agree 100% w/regard to rear brakes (30% of the equation) and this should be a very effective solution for your knockback issues.

Floating calipers exist in the OEM realm for a reason, after all.

I wonder how long it will take before Wilwood, Baer, etc, bring a large-format floating caliper configuration to the market, since many people clearly want really large rear brake setups for various (mostly aesthetic) reasons.

But then again, how many folks actually track their cars, and become concerned with knockback....