RP Subframe support. Your thoughts

[Bumnah]

This guy:




What do the engineers in here think about this product? Considering the bolts that go through this piece are only torqued down to 12-20 ft/lbs, this isn't a load baring piece.

Lateral movement I suppose is controlled with this piece. I just have a hard time seeing big benefits of this piece. I'm also not an engineer.

I suppose it could do something for people not using collars or full aluminum replacements.

I may be mistaken but I don't think you can use this piece with full aluminum bushing. One person purchased them and they didn't clear the lip on the bushings. I could be mistaken.

If you're running full aluminum bushings I doubt there's any movement laterally where this may be useful.

All hype or actually a useful item?

[Def]

Useful item.

I came up with this idea about 8 months ago doing my rear subframe swap. The stock pieces that go there are useless weak in bending.

I've got some pieces of 1/4" 7075 aluminum scrap that I've got cut out into roughly the right shapes to make some for myself. Just need to drill the holes and bolt 'em up.

[racepar1]

I would imagine that those would make some difference, but they are no engineering revelation like they are being advertised as. If you really wanna make something nice you should make your own complete, reinforced, replacement bracket for the whole assembly rather than a piece of flat stock with a couple holes drilled in it and a pretty logo. I'll probably do that for myself eventually.

[Def]

Yea, I think their price is a little out of wack for some very minor fabrication work done to about $5-10 of aluminum. Not sure how you'd patent a chunk of aluminum with some holes in it that is a direct replacement for an existing part on a car either...

[shoes59]

Not sure where the RPSport braces bolt to but I'm dropping my sub frame next weekend to do a bunch of stuff including having this http://www.mazworx.com/index.php?l=p..._detail&p=2938 welded on.

[racepar1]

Yea, I think their price is a little out of wack for some very minor fabrication work done to about $5-10 of aluminum. Not sure how you'd patent a chunk of aluminum with some holes in it that is a direct replacement for an existing part on a car either...

Seriously, HOW DO YOU PATENT THAT???


Well I just made myself a set out of some steel flat stock that I had lying around. Took about an hour because the flat stock was really too wide and I had to notch it and grind a corner off to get it to fit right.

[Def]

Not sure where the RPSport braces bolt to but I'm dropping my sub frame next weekend to do a bunch of stuff including having this http://www.mazworx.com/index.php?l=p..._detail&p=2938 welded on.

They attach on the brackets that connect the "frame rail" to the front subframe mounts. The pieces go from the rear of the passenger floorpan to that bracket.

[Bumnah]

Do you guys think aluminum bushings still allow enough movement, that a thicker piece like this is useful? I'm just curious, my wallet has taken enough of a beating in the past few months when it comes to car parts.

[shoes59]

They attach on the brackets that connect the "frame rail" to the front subframe mounts. The pieces go from the rear of the passenger floorpan to that bracket.

I'm still having a hard time visualizing where they mount.

[WilloW]

I'm still having a hard time visualizing where they mount.

Does it replaces this piece?


Only the S13 version is available right now anyway.

[Def]

Yes, it replaces that bent POS. Mine are both bent up more than that, and I think the more power you make the worse they bend.

[djsilver]

Does it replaces this piece?


Only the S13 version is available right now anyway.

That little strap is bolted to the body on one end but the other end is bolted to another bracket that's also attached to the stud that the subframe bolts to, and to the body under the car. It works out to be a triangulated support for the mounting stud, to prevent lateral movement. The only way for that piece to see load is if the subframe mounting studs on the body are flexing. I looked at my brackets and don't see any cracks in the paint so I don't expect that's happening. It's hard for me to visualize whether it's most likely to see tension or compression load in practice, but from the design I suspect Nissan is expecting tension only, or it would be made differently.

[2Fass240us]

Are those necessary with solid aluminum subframe bushings?

[a_ahmed]

I got one but the problem is i dont have the metal bracket on the right so no go for me.... i have solid subframe bushings so im not sure how much difference it would make ... however im running without a brace alltogether now...



As you can see by the picture... its a two piece brace stock... so the left bendy one gets replaced... the thing on the right im missing... boo If someone sent it to me non rusted i could use it i guess.. but im not suer how much difference this would make with my solid subframe bushings... i wont be able to try it until i find the bracket on the right...

[racepar1]

Those mounting studs DO flex. With solid bushings they should actually flex more, since the load is being transferred through a solid piece, therefore the brackets should make a bit more of a difference. The RP sport ones are far over priced, probably almost double what they are actually worth. If they were priced reasonably ($25-$30) I would actually buy his, but it's just not worth $50. Just make your own, it's easy. All you really need is a drill and a hacksaw.