Trick Chassis or Hellwig

[PM Corbett]

So I have a 81 Cutty. Hoping to start building it this winter. I have most of the setup ready to go. Bulk items Fresh built 385 & manual shift 4l80, ford 8.8 with disc and trick chassis, front CTS-V caliper and S10 spindle setup the UMI Stage4 suspension set up.

My question for everyone, who has done it, should I go with the Trick Chassis frame strengthening setup or the Hellwig setup? the price is a few hundred bucks, but not a big deal. I just want Input. Most of what I have are things I want/wanted and already made my mind up. But I want to know what people feel about those setups.

 

[81cutlass]

Got a link of what components you're looking at?

I have the trick rear 4 link weld in kit and happy with it!

 

[scoti]

Got a link of what components you're looking at?

I have the trick rear 4 link weld in kit and happy with it!

Most likely these two:

Products - Hellwig Products

www.hellwigproducts.com

G Body Sub Frame Floor Brace - Trick Chassis

1-5/8″ .083 chromoly Floor bracing Builder kit TRIM TO FIT Main tubes will be pre notched. YOUR STOCK transmission cross member does not fit after the floor brace kit is installed. 25.5 Bars are only a seat bar and 6A 6B bars. If you don’t have stock floors, a stock firewall, and the oem door...

www.trickchassis.com

 

[PM Corbett]

Most likely these two:

Products - Hellwig Products

www.hellwigproducts.com

G Body Sub Frame Floor Brace - Trick Chassis

1-5/8″ .083 chromoly Floor bracing Builder kit TRIM TO FIT Main tubes will be pre notched. YOUR STOCK transmission cross member does not fit after the floor brace kit is installed. 25.5 Bars are only a seat bar and 6A 6B bars. If you don’t have stock floors, a stock firewall, and the oem door...

www.trickchassis.com

Yeah, that's what I'm looking at. Just trying to decide between the two.

 

[81cutlass]

What are you going to do with the car

Autocross?
Street drive & cruise?
Hit the drag strip?

The Trick kit is more focused to drag cars (think sub 8.50 cage stuff) where an SFI standard requires some additional reinforcement in the floor. Think you have an 8.50 10pt cage and needs to have additional 25.5 bars welded in the floor to pass certification to run 7's.

The Helwig stuff is more focused to a person who thinks their chassis is bending in corners or something.

If you are going to competitively race your car you need a cage to do basically anything so the Helwig is limited use in racing.

 

[383_GrandPrix]

The Hellwig kit will give you more room to fit an exhaust under the car and the Trick Chassis kit comes with the weld in control arm braces, but your UMI stage 4 kit comes with their bolt in braces. From what I've read our cars like to rip the rear control arm mounts off under hard acceleration so if you'll be abusing this car it's definitely something to consider.

 

[scoti]

Personally, I think the Trick Chassis is likely the better avenue as far as stiffening up the OE rail set-up. The additional crossmember bar tying in the rails front to rear + tied into the rear lower control arm mounts would be stronger vs. just boxing the OE rails & no additional cross member. Price & the difference in weight would/could also factor in as well depending on the project goals.

 

[PM Corbett]

Pretty much I want a cruiser that I can go to the strip in and abuse. I've grown very accustomed to unibody setups in terms of ride quality, not twisting and handling corners on the street and back roads well. I know it won't be my little Civic, but stiff is stiff and stiff helps put power down. If I hit low 11s ill be very happy. My little motor should put about 550trq to the flywheel I just want it to hold up well and not twist. I think the Trick Chassis setup is the best if I decide to do anything else to it to get more power to the ground a 150 shot or so.

 

[scoti]

Pretty much I want a cruiser that I can go to the strip in and abuse. I've grown very accustomed to unibody setups in terms of ride quality, not twisting and handling corners on the street and back roads well. I know it won't be my little Civic, but stiff is stiff and stiff helps put power down. If I hit low 11s ill be very happy. My little motor should put about 550trq to the flywheel I just want it to hold up well and not twist. I think the Trick Chassis setup is the best if I decide to do anything else to it to get more power to the ground a 150 shot or so.

I was going to dig deeper & see if I could find any shipping weights for each.

I think the Trick Chassis set-up + a crossmember based/built trans crossmember along w/the UMI front triangulation bars, a rear shock brace, & rear frame rail crossmember/brace is far better vs just boxing the existing C-channel.

 

[Rt Jam]

Pretty much I want a cruiser that I can go to the strip in and abuse. I've grown very accustomed to unibody setups in terms of ride quality, not twisting and handling corners on the street and back roads well. I know it won't be my little Civic, but stiff is stiff and stiff helps put power down. If I hit low 11s ill be very happy. My little motor should put about 550trq to the flywheel I just want it to hold up well and not twist. I think the Trick Chassis setup is the best if I decide to do anything else to it to get more power to the ground a 150 shot or so.

At that level I think neither kit is necessary. A stock frame in good condition is plenty strong enough for cruising and an 11 sec trip down the strip. Is this a transbrake or stick 11 sec car or nitrous with a progressive controller? An 11 sec car with high mph is not the same as an 11 sec car with a low 1 second 60 foot car.

I'm not doubting the benefits of a stiffer frame but you will get more results from poly body mounts for street and back road when considering the level of work required to install either one.