If there's one thing certain about a Muscle-era Mopar, it's that the unibody construction allowed the body to flex and "give," which isn't a problem when it comes to daily driving. But you take into account that there isn't a Mopar out there that hasn't done everything except the speed limit and nice, calm, pleasure cruising, that flex just got worse over time. In other words, at one time or another, every Mopar out there has had its muscle status tested.
Now that these cars are pushing a few years past the legal drinking age in most states, the years of flex and "give" have added up, and our car's body-much like many of our own-has begun to soften, so to speak. They (the cars in this case) flex more than they used to, unlike ourselves, and this causes a myriad of other issues for our cars. Add to it that many of these cars have received engine transplants with more power, and it stands to reason that something needs to be done.
Hotchkis Performance has come up with their version of a chassis stiffening device (i.e. sub frame connectors) that can make a real difference in your Mopar. The connectors are designed to be used in conjunction with their complete suspension kit, but just adding the connectors is such a good idea in itself, we'll cover that now and show you how their suspension goes in and works next time.
We'll let you know up front that to properly install these connectors you will either need a welder or at least access to one. Welding the connectors in only took a couple of hours, and it's definitely worth it.
One last thing to keep in mind is that under no circumstances should the connectors be installed with the suspension unloaded (i.e. on a two-post lift). In the following pictures, we used a two-post lift only to mock up the fitment and for ease of taking pictures. Always install connectors like this with the car sitting level on all four wheels.
The connectors are fabricated...
The connectors are fabricated from 1.5x2.5-inch .120-inch thick-wall rectangular steel. These MIG welded connectors are powdercoated gloss black, and installation does not require modifications or cutting of the floorboards.
The first thing you'll need...
The first thing you'll need to do is position the front hanger.
Do this by installing the...
Do this by installing the rear of the connector over the rear framerail, and then hold it in place with the front hanger installed and mark its position on the crossmember.
Before you can weld, you need...
Before you can weld, you need to have clean metal, so clean the paint and undercoating off the area where the front hanger mounts.
Simply weld the hanger in...
Simply weld the hanger in place.
Now clean the area where the...
Now clean the area where the rear of the connector attaches to the car...
...and where the front of...
...and where the front of the connector attaches to the front hanger you just installed.
Before you weld the connector...
Before you weld the connector to the car, double check its fitment. If you're wondering about the rubber hose over the steel line, we slid that over the line and clamped it just to help protect it while welding.
The rear of the connector...
The rear of the connector "traps" the rear framerail, and once you weld around the perimeter of the connectors end and plug-weld the holes, it isn't going to "flex."
With the connector positioned,...
With the connector positioned, it tucks up nicely against the body, doesn't interfere with the floor, and stiffens our A-Body a great deal.
Just so you E- and B-Body...
Just so you E- and B-Body guys and gals don't get left out, Hotchkis is thinking about you also, as they have connectors that fit your cars. So what are you waiting for? In a short weekend, you can make your car not flex so much. Stay tuned as we also install a complete Hotchkis suspension to really help an A-Body handle and corner.