Question on subframe connectors

[SHOYAMAHA]

I am new to this forum and have a question about subframe connectors. On 2nd gen. do they make a significant difference. I have an 84 SVO I put them on & it greatly improved handling and reduced stress on the body such as door sag. I am considering putting them on a '95 SHO. Any advice, including who makes good ones would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[sperold]

I am not aware of anyone making sub-frame connectors for the Taurus.

I am sure it would make a positive difference. I am also sure it will be expensive to do it properly.

I think it would have to be custom fabricated and installed at a top notch facility

That front, thickened pad with a hat section structure where the sub-frame attaches is not really robust and any help it can get would be a great help.

 

[luigisho]

head over to shosource and shoot them an email. They might be able to find one or point you in a useful direction. Or you can call Ford Performance Specialists in Georgia and see if Doug still has some laying around or can get some. Report back what you find. These are less available than they used to be.

 

[blk\blk90]

I have them on my 91 and it stiffens the car up pretty good. Shosource has then for $230.

 

[SHOYAMAHA]

Thanks for the info. I will contact them & post what I find. .

 

[firebat45]

They are simple to make if you have a welder and a grinder. They do significantly stiffen up the car, but I haven't noticed them fixing door sag because the Taurus (like most 4 doors) has shorter doors that are less prone to sag in the first place. They make for awesome jacking points as well.

 

[zoomlater]

I think I got the last sets made Keystone, but Mike at Shosorce has them. I had or have them on three cars so far and they are great. The car doesn't flex when you get on it. It also helps if you upgrade your springs and struts as well.

 

[RonPorter]

They work great. I had a set of the long ones on one of my Gen 2s. Combined with AL subframe bushings and other suspension mods, it tightened it up quite well.

 

[SHOYAMAHA]

Thanks to all for great the information. SHO Source has the connectors available.

Mike from SHO Source also sent me the forum link on installation;

https://web.archive.org/web/20060420080235/https://shoforum.com/SFCinstall.htm

and he added the following tips::

These are not our subframe connectors in the pictures, nor is this our installation, but it gives you a good idea of the work needed.

A few notes I want to mention:

1. Our subframe connectors are thicker steel than the ones in the picture (stronger)
2. Our subframe connectors have a beveled (angled) leading edge that is capped. This not only keeps debris out, but it also helps prevent the connectors from catching on things (road debris, speed bumps, the subframe in a catastrophic crash, etc).
3. I recommend 1” welds rather than ½” welds, but I do agree you want to stitch weld rather than seam weld.
4. I cannot emphasize enough to be careful of the fuel lines on the passenger side. I personally pull them away from the unibody and wrap them in wet towels to keep from melting sparks into the plastic.

 

[blk\blk90]

They are simple to make if you have a welder and a grinder. They do significantly stiffen up the car, but I haven't noticed them fixing door sag because the Taurus (like most 4 doors) has shorter doors that are less prone to sag in the first place. They make for awesome jacking points as well.
View attachment 8131 View attachment 8132

Just guessing, but those work on 1st gens too? And which end is forward? That way those who make their own know which end to bevel and cap.

 

[Irish Pride]

I've got brand new Keystone connectors still in the box. Just haven't got around to installing them yet.

 

[luigisho]

Just guessing, but those work on 1st gens too? And which end is forward? That way those who make there own kno which end to bevel and cap.

Yes GenI&II use same connectors. Short end to the front.

https://shoforum.com/index.php?threads/diy-subframe-connectors.128000/

 

[zoomlater]

Short end to the front is what I have on my car. In the first link of instruction, it looks like one of the photos has the long end in the front, when the shop is first aligning the connectors on the car.

 

[blk\blk90]

I wonder if mine were put on right (before I got the car). Any one have a good pic of where they mount? I saw that thread earlier, wish the pics worked.





These are the only pics I have of mine.

 

[luigisho]

I can't make heads or tails of the pics. Did you get a set of shorty ones that Doug used to sell?

 

[Irish Pride]

It looks like you have smaller connectors. They are supposed to be welded right where the rear strut rod mounts, which yours do, but then they are supposed to run up the length of the rail under the car. It's almost like someone cut them based on how one end is beveled and the other isn't.

 

[blk\blk90]

Yeah, I'm gonna have to get a set of new ones. It's like everything on this damn car was half-assed. May as well strip it down and seam weld everything too...

 

[RansomT]

My set was made decades ago with a group buy. I ended modifying them, ends caps were welded on to seal them from the elements. However, the same welder didn't watch closely and ever since I have been unable to remove the fuel tank. It ended being a PITA when I installed an external pump and high volume fuel system.

 

[turbo79]

Thanks to all for great the information. SHO Source has the connectors available.

Mike from SHO Source also sent me the forum link on installation;

https://web.archive.org/web/20060420080235/https://shoforum.com/SFCinstall.htm
A few notes I want to mention:

1. Our subframe connectors are thicker steel than the ones in the picture (stronger)
2. Our subframe connectors have a beveled (angled) leading edge that is capped. This not only keeps debris out, but it also helps prevent the connectors from catching on things (road debris, speed bumps, the subframe in a catastrophic crash, etc).
3. I recommend 1” welds rather than ½” welds, but I do agree you want to stitch weld rather than seam weld.
4. I cannot emphasize enough to be careful of the fuel lines on the passenger side. I personally pull them away from the unibody and wrap them in wet towels to keep from melting sparks into the plastic.

I have a set of these SFCs on my '92; Mike at SHO Source installed them, a few years back.

They make a notable difference in handling, as others note here. On the drive home from Mike's shop I did some vigorous cornering and noticed the difference at once. And I had 'grippy' tires on the car at the time, so the suspension was being worked.

 

[dbonds]

For those of you asking for pics, here's a shot I took of an exhaust being installed on my '95 (sold LONG ago) that shows the connectors fairly well. Hope this helps.