One concern I have with cladding a stock frame with reinforcing plates is it creates hidden sandwich pockets for rust to form and spread in unseen areas. Which could cause such a frame to rot from the inside out similar to the body.
Chassis Strengthening by welding in plates?
- Thread starter RGBody87
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Agreed and that's why I cleaned then primered frame. Also I will coat inside of frame and any "pockets" with some type of rust fighter and this car will never see any bad weather. The existing frame had minimal light surface rust for being 35 years old so I don't think I will have to worry about the future. Chassis saver paint going on when I'm done also
^^This is the way to do it. I didnt and when I did a test fit of my body onto my frame after boxing the C channel, the body wouldnt even sit fully down over the frame it was so bowed out in the center . I sliced the top of the frame with a thick cut off wheel and hammered it til it touched then repeated, body just barely sneaks on now.
For the center of the frame you dont need a fancy kit. Allstar sells strips of 1/8th steel for putting door plating in between the horizontal roll cage bars in the driver compartment of a circle track cage that I used . I also bent the inner 1" lip of the c channel up on the bottom of the frame so it has more of a rectangular cross section and wasnt such an odd angle to weld and it worked just fine.
That being said, I also used the Allstar rear hump replacement plate when I notched (really made by DCA Racefab) and it was about a 1/2" off in numerous spots, spend the money on the UMI or similar kit there.
I had actually ordered the Helwig kit from an online vendor, apparently at the time it was backordered. No kit after almost 2 months and they finally refunded my money. This was the point where I said F it and boxed it myself with about $40 bucks worth of 1/8" plate. I struggled to get the body back on the frame, urethane multi piece mounts suck. Most of my problems were alignment most of my body mount holes were rusted and had to be redone. I measured the holes carefully, but if I had to do it over I would have found another frame to make templates off of. The rear frame also sprung since the bumper was off and I notched the frame for tire clearance, A come along got it back where it needed to be. Shoulda braced it better, live and learn.
I sprayed about 5 cans of this inside my whole frame everywhere I could before painting. It’s tough as winter snot.
I had the frame acid dipped prior to work, and it probably wont see winter or even much rainever again, so I won’t be able to speak to longevity.
I had the frame acid dipped prior to work, and it probably wont see winter or even much rainever again, so I won’t be able to speak to longevity.
A few more pics of progress. degreased and metal prepped
Last pic you can see reinforcement of upper mounts
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