1976-1989 F/M/J Body Tips/Tricks

[Abraham Lincoln]

1976-1989 F/M/J Body Tips/Tricks

[a0]

crank up torsion bars for height, notch frame 6 inches in front of the leaf spring shackles, fully seam weld inner and outer doors (if legal in rules), build a cage with down tubes connecting front and rear sub frames which will act as frame, remove rubber pucks from front sub frame and bolt up or weld in, and remove the rear bumper and rear will fold perfect. These can be very strong cars if built correctly

[regulator214]

Weld the K-Frame as well

[a0]

only if you can in the rules if you cant then bolt the k-frame up as tight as possible

[a0]

most shows its take out the rubber pucks and weld or take them out and bolt

[a0]

leaf pack good but cordoba trunk I don't really see the point in it. Its not a bad idea to crease the body but no one is really sure if it helps or not.

[a0]

See how the body has new lines in it. Supposedly it helps make it stronger but not exactly a proven fact

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[6d]

the point is to hammer those lines flat after creasing them so you have the effect of 4 layers and tack weld if allowed..most places are outlawing that so they just leave it as that and others just copied twhat they did

imo any kind of body forming is stronger then stock but in the rear where it will fold anyways i dont think it make that big of a difference..just think if you can bend it with a ball pien hammer whats a 3000 pound car going to do?

[a0]

all of that really depends on the rules for the derby really. Personally i tuck the trunk and bolt to the sub-frame

[dm440c]

Feb 23, 2012 10:46:31 GMT -5 demoderby13 said:

I got this from the other website


careful with that.... there is a gap around the bolts because the K bumps into the bottom of the main rails in 2 spots closer to the center around the A arms. If you want to bend the front together so that it meets be sure you are not just putting a lot of downward preload on the frame rails up front. They can and will go down in the front sometimes, and it sure is ugly when they do... had it happen a few times.

Better solutions IMO is metal spacers around the front bolts (I argue that if it's OK for the Vics to have metal spacers to replace the rubber mounts then it should be OK for the dobas) or you can drop the K out and relieve the areas where there is interference so that it goes back together flush

ok hang on, that's my writing and it doesn't apply directly to F/M/J body cars... you took that from a discussion of B/R body cars and the guy had asked if he should tighten the front bolts of the K until the gap between the K and the main rails were closed. F/M/J body cars have a completely different design and there is no gap at the front bolts.

....ALSO someone asked about a 77 Cordoba, this is a B body car not an F/M/J....

[demoderby13]

Sorry about that, wrong thread. Didnt read the clarifications of the body types, I apologize.

[jonesmotorsports]

must remove these to drop the k frame