Subframe Connectors - Installing Frame Connectors In A '67 Rambler

When do you need to add frame connectors? Add them as soon as you do any racing on a dragstrip or road course. We've brought this '67 Rambler American from a six-cylinder wheeze box to a glorious 11-second street machine using all AMC parts. We are about to go into the 10s, so we need to step up the chassis.

When do you need to add frame connectors? Add them as soon as you do any racing on a drags

We've got a big motor in the works for the CC/Rambler project car, and big motors mean big twist. Add that twist to a flimsy econobox body and you get a bent race car. That's where frame connectors help. When the tires are hooked and the suspension is trying to lift the front left corner and twist the body to the right, frame connectors transfer the energy to the suspension where it can be used to load the tires and launch the car.

Since no companies make premade connectors for a '67 Rambler, we were going to have to make them ourselves. Sure it took a lot longer, but we learned a few things along the way, like the phone number for The Funny Car Farm in Monrovia, California. Watch as FCF owner Dale Snoke makes it look easy.

Round or Square?

This is the wrong way to install frame connectors. The car needs to have the weight on the suspension and be level. If you hang it on a lift like this, it will sag and the doors won't close properly.

This is the wrong way to install frame connectors. The car needs to have the weight on the

The difference between round and square tubing is a matter of vehicle application and cosmetics. The rectanglar stuff will hang lower than the tubular versions, so for a late-model car, you might find that most of the offerings are round. If you are making the connectors yourself, you'll need a tubing bender as well, so square tubing is better for the do-it-yourself guy. Hotchkis and Global West suggest also replacing the two mounts at the point where the front subframe meets the body. This ensures a consistent mounting point so the parts will fit correctly and weld in straight.

The Rambler is built around what is called a unibody. Unibody cars utilize the shape of the floor as a giant shear plate that resists deformity from all directions and spans the gap between the front and rear subframes. The floor is considered part of the car's structure, which is why the NHRA allows you to run a rollbar in cars slower than 10.00 instead of a full 'cage if the stock floor and firewall have not been modified.
The Rambler is built around what is called a unibody. Unibody cars utilize the shape of th
Snoke used 2x2-inch square tubing with 0.120 thickness and 1/8-inch plate steel for the frame connectors. It is strong enough to handle floor jacks, is durable, and doesn't add a bunch of unwanted weight.
Snoke used 2x2-inch square tubing with 0.120 thickness and 1/8-inch plate steel for the fr
Everyone we spoke to advised us to weld in the frame connectors. Even though some manufacturers claim their parts to be bolt-ons, eventually the hardware will loosen up, elongating the mounting holes or worse. Welding technology has come far enough that a good MIG can weld up to 1/4-inch plate steel in some cases. Snoke used a $600 Miller 120V welder to do this job.
Everyone we spoke to advised us to weld in the frame connectors. Even though some manufact

The connectors were made by trial-fitting cardboard templates then cutting the plate steel with a mini bandsaw. The vertical pieces were then clamped in place starting with the front subframe and tack-welded together a piece at a time.
The connectors were made by trial-fitting cardboard templates then cutting the plate steel
The front of the frame is offset about 3 inches inboard, so Snoke added a spacer in the rear. His goal was to keep the main bar as straight as possible for as long as possible.
The front of the frame is offset about 3 inches inboard, so Snoke added a spacer in the re
After the connectors were mocked up, Snoke removed them from the car and welded up all the seams. Make sure you securely clamp the parts so they don't move during the process. Another good idea is to weld in short bursts and move them to different areas of the metal to eliminate warpage.
After the connectors were mocked up, Snoke removed them from the car and welded up all the

The area directly in front of the frame connector isn't Snoke's work. The next step for us is to build a tubular crossmember and cut out all the bad welding slag.
The area directly in front of the frame connector isn't Snoke's work. The next step for us
Here is a close-up of Snoke's work in the rear. Note the main plate that follows the floorpan.
Here is a close-up of Snoke's work in the rear. Note the main plate that follows the floor
Companies that sell frame connectors, such as BMR, recommend them as the first performance modification you make. The suspension will work better and adjustments to shock settings and spring rates will make a difference you can feel.
Companies that sell frame connectors, such as BMR, recommend them as the first performance