Another frame strengthening question

[jaybee]

Recently I asked a question about the relative merits of a frame crossmember that takes the "extra set of frame rails" approach commonly used in muscle car aftermarket frames vs the lighter, round tube crossmembers that are often used as center sections on early car frames.

Here's another approach, one I haven't seen before. It's a relatively light framework which does its job by incorporating multiple new body mounts at all the stock floor supports and giving a straight shot for forces from the rear suspension to move directly forward into the front torque box area.

I've no doubt this approach is most effective if the stock body mounts are replaced with high durometer or even steel or aluminum mounts. Anyone have any thoughts about it?  http://www.speedtechperformance.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=398/category_id=76/mode=prod/prd398.htm

[chimp koose]

I had to redo a chassis in an old 68 Beaumont . formerly big block nitrous car going to blown small block.I welded 2x3 1/8 wall from the rear suspension pick up points to the inside edge of the front frame. World of difference and this car already had a roll cage. The original cage had been welded to the top lip of the frame. I went in and boxed the frame where the cage was welded on. I would have liked to redo the cage as well but was on a severe time limit.

[jaybee]

That's a big recommendation in favor of doing something, and on the very chassis as the linked frame. It makes sense. Even when they were new cars of earlier times routinely had a fair bit of chassis flex, but that's just how it is. Flex was often evident in starting line pics from Hot Rod Magazine and the like, sometimes picking up one front tire while the other remained firmly planted to the ground (with some but not all of that being suspension roll). Now it's easy to retrofit these chassis with horsepower that would have required a full on race engine back then, and the art of handling has advanced by leaps and bounds.

The sort of minimalist approach represented by this unit appeals to me. It's lighter and doesn't take up as much space under the car. I also like the way it ties the body into the equation. The advantage of a cage is that it's a 3 dimensional structure. That always makes it stiffer for a given amount of material.