Bad Dog Parts - rear frame rails?

[Jayru]

Hi All,

Been thinking about finally doing some frame connectors to stiffen up the car (240z) and connect the front and rear rails.

I was looking around the internet yesterday and saw that bad dog parts now offers new front/rear rails. Anyone have any experience with these?

They look very nice, but i'm not sure how strong they would be. Am i just better off making my own from square tubing?

[jmortensen]

I have the Bad Dog subframe connectors and I think they were well worth the money. I didn't install them exactly as they are intended because I changed my TC rod setup, but I have pics and show how they would be installed here:

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=106974

I think it's page 2 or 3 that has all the pictures.

[Jayru]

Thanks jmortensen.

Every time i post a thread you always reply with great information! Thanks again.

So have you figured out how to "seal" the areas where the frame rail didn't meet perfectly in the back, or are you just going to leave it open?

[jmortensen]

You must be asking my kind of questions...

I'm not worried about sealing the rails to the floor. If you look, really none of the frame rails are sealed. They all have holes or open corners of one sort or another. I'd prefer to have drain holes just in case something did get in there, and then coat them with Zero Rust on the inside, so that's my plan. I'm also going to oil the inside of all the frame rails. I've looked around quite a bit but haven't figured out what kind of oil to use yet. It's a pretty common practice in Canada, they have Krown Rust Preventative places where you take your car and they do this service. I've heard everything from WD-40 to fish oil. I'd like to find something that turns to a gel after you spray it in, like Wurth's HHS2000, but I haven't been able to find anything like that yet. I don't think the Wurth stuff would work because you need to spray it with a gun inside the frame rail. Here is the gun that I have to spray with: http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=10966&itemType=PRODUCT

[ktm]

How large of a gap are we talking about? Could you not use POR-15 epoxy putty to fill in the gap? I know that the epoxy putty is widely used as a sealant for the factory weld seams for those who strip off the undercoating (such as myself).

[jmortensen]

On mine which were the earlier version there was about 3/16" or 1/4" gap, but only in the back, not all the way down the floor pan. Again, it is just a non-issue for me, and I think it is given too much attention as a "problem". In my opinion it really isn't a problem in any sense and it is not worth trying to "fix".

[ecp48]

I've got the Bad Dog rails for the 28o and they are outstanding. Well made, heavier gauge Steel and slip right over the old 280 Rails. The best part is that they extend all the way to the Thrust Rod location.

Also, I should mention they are knowledgeable and cooperative to deal with.