Location for front of frame connector

[rhamson]

Topcat - on your 71 cuda, how close are your connectors to the exterior edge of the torsion bar socket?  I have a 71 b'cuda vert and the directions say to keep the connector 3/4 of an inch away.  When this is done, the end of the connector covers completely the oval hole for the fuel supply and vent line on the passenger side torsion bar crossmember and on the driver's side, almost completely blocks the similar oval hole for the rear brake line.  Concidentially, the mid-point bottom hole in the connector is exactly in-line with a floor plan body plug hole where I think you used a bolt to ensure that the connector was returned to the same place each time during fitting.  My e-brake is similar to yours, except that I do not have the triangle piece on the drivers side and have a loop connector similar to that at the rear brake cable connections.

Rhamsom - your connectors appear to be almost touching the edge of the torsion bar sockets.  What year and car type and whose brand connector?

Larry,

The car is a '72 Challenger and the connectors do sit right next to the torsion bar socket.  The brand is US Cartool.

[Topcat]

Thanks Topcat - i read thru your build and found some really good pictures.  The 3/4" directions from the torsion bar socket are just not right for a 71 cuda.  I will be holding the connectors tighter to the socket like you did so that the brake line and fuel line oval holes are not obscured.

 Others leave the tab on and weld it around the perimter and in the hole.  Any pros/cons either way?

Please explain how you did the tube for the e-brake.

How did you address the "anchor/adjustment rod" on the passenger side?  It appears that your adjuster rod goes thru the connector yet still slips into the original frame hole via the rod hook end?

Lastly, I found a picture on US Cartool that showed yet another frame brace that was added.  Is this worthwhile?  Obviously it would need to have holes to permit the fuel lines and brake lines to pass.  Seems like it locks the front frame rail to the torsion bar cross member.

Thanks again for your help, it looks like you have thought this out rather well.

The pass thru sube is a stainless steel tube I bought at the hardware store. All I did was mock up the parking brake cabe assembly and trans mount. with everything in place and going by memory, I drilled a hole on each side. Some guestimating was done on the angle it need to be at.

The tool in the picture is what I used to make the hole at an angle. You can't do that with a drill bit or it'll break the drill bit. (Just like I found out trying to break the laws of physics)

[Topcat]

I used cut off bolt heads welded to the frame in the locations where the sub frame connectors would go.

That way everytime I took them off to do any modifications, they would go right back to the same exact location on reinstall.