Mopar Weld-in Frame Rail Connectors
1963 - 1966 Plymouth, Early A-Bodies - note these are Plymouth, use part number USCT1m1117 for Dodge cars.
If you have ever wanted to take your classic MOPAR to the next level of chassis updates, you know you need frame rail connectors. The US Car Tool frame rail connectors are custom fit to the floorpan of your Mopar.
These frame rail connectors are precision CNC cut and CNC bent to form a unique frame member that follows the contour of your existing floor. When they are welded to the floorpan of your Mopar Unibody, you create a complete boxed in frame rail section that is stronger than the original frame rails on your car. These are made from approximately 1/8" thick material and will create the strongest chassis you can have for your Mopar (without going to a full tube style chassis).
These frame rail connectors install from underneath your car - no need to cut a slice out of your floor! For years, racers have been cutting a 2" wide slice out of the floor and installing a section of 2x4 box tubing that is then welded to the floor as a frame rail connector. When done this way, the connectors are very strong, since the entire floor is connected to the frame. The new US Car Tool frame rail connectors give you the same "welded to the floor" boxed strength, but they do not intrude into the passenger compartment. This means you will have no problems installing carpet or your seats!
Truely the best A-Body frame connectors you can add!
Follow this link for pictures of one of our customers installing a set of B-body frame rail connectors (The A-bodies are very similar, just have a slightly different floorpan).
Our frame connectors are CAD designed to be a 100% perfect fit to your floopan. They are CNC Machine cut from 11 gauge steel ( 1/8" thick) and then CNC bent to create that perfect fit that US Car Tool products are known for.
Whether you are making your car the Ultimate 'G' machine, a 1/4 mile star or just a great street brawler - these frame connectors will help that Mopar unibody stopping twisting (which wastes power) and help get every available horsepower to the ground!
This version fits Plymouth A-Body cars from 1963 to 1966 including Valiant etc.
Works With:
- Small blocks, Big Blocks and Hemi
- Automatics (727 & 904) and 4-speed
- Convertibles and Hemi cars
- With or without factory torque boxes
The US Car Tool frame connectors are delivered in a plain steel finish, ready for welding to your Mopar Unibody and include complete installation instructions.
FAQ's
Where do the Frame Connectors mount?
The US Car Tool frame connectors are designed to connect the front and rear frame rail segments on a unibody chassis and tie the floorpan into the new structure. They mount from the leading edge of the rear frame rail where it meets the floorpan and continue forward to the torsion bar crossmember. The add the missing piece between the factory frame rail sections, incorporate the floorpan (technically a shear plane) as an integral part of the new support structure. This incorporates structural parts of your unibody and makes these key areas even stronger!!
What does a Frame Connector do?
Frame Connectors add additional stiffness to the factory unibody. As originally designed, the unibody spreads the suspension and drivetrain forces from the frame rails to the rocker sills and floorpan (a shear plane). By adding frame connectors that are CNC Machine cut to the contour of the floorpan, you can add an additional stiffner that ties the floorpan into the existing frame structure and adds a structure between the front and rear frame stubs.
This will make the unibody stiffer both to bending forces (front to rear as you might experience when the front tire hits a bump) as well as torsion twisting forces, such as you experience when accelerating and the drivetrain is attempting to "twist" the unibody
Making the unibody stiffer and stronger aids the suspension in doing its' job of keeping the tires in contact with the ground.
Why are the US Car Tool Frame Connectors better?
The US Car Tool Frame Connectors add an entire structure to your unibody. It is the unique shape of the structure and the fact that it is incorporated into the existing shear plane (floorboard) that provides the additional strength over classic square or rectangular tubes attached at the ends. This is based on is the same engineering principles that resulted in unibody cars being both stronger and less expensive to produce than body-on-frame style automobiles.
The engineering measure of this increased strength is referred to as the modulus of elasticity. The new structure created by the US Car Tool frame connectors is substantially greater than a simple square tube, both in resistance to bending and to torsional twist. In fact, it would take a square tube over 3 times as thick to offer the same bending strength and that tube would still NOT be as strong in resisting twist forces!
Does my car need Frame Connectors?
Any unibody automobile will benefit from the increase in stiffness and rigidity by installing frame connectors. Some cars, such as convertibles that lack the inherent strength of a "roof", will see a tremendous increase in on-the-road feel. Any car will benefit from the additional chassis (unibody) stiffening, especially if you are increasing the horsepower or just want you car to feel more "solid" going down the road.
Planning to race your on a dragstrip with some "extra" horsepower? Watch how much better you can launch your car when the power is applied to the rear wheels in stead of spent twisting the chassis! Interested in having a car that can turn corners with the best of them? Watch how much better your suspension can do its job once you stop the entire unibody from twisting and let the springs do the job as they where designed for!Are these duplicates of the OEM factory Frame Connectors?No, the OEM manufactures never included frame connectors. We are told by customers, that the US Car Tool frame connectors look like they belong and have such a factory appearance that hardly anyone notices they are an aftermarket addition!Do these require welding?Yes, installing US Car Tool frame connectors requires them to be welded into position. Some minor adjusting and fabrication can be expected with weld-on parts, but these are designed to fit your unique unibody. Frame connectors Install Instructions
