I know I'm kinda beating a dead horse but.... Heres the question, I'm looking at a 4link for the mav and just recently saw a mav that was for sale that had run a 11sec 1/4mile and he had ladder bars and subframe connectors only. Here is where I am I dont want to build a full box frame for the mav just because I want 4link. The car that was for sale wasnt even tubbed and still had stock rear frame rails. My buddy is trying to convince me that I need to build a full frame for the car, is it just me or do they actually need it?? The car isnt an all out door slammer and is going to be all street driven. The way I'm looking at it is that I'd just need to run a good sized bar/rail from one body rail to the other and run the 4link brackets off of them then a bar up top for the coilovers as well as subrame connectors. My way or his??
Your way! I really dont see the need for a full frame based on what you said you were going to be using the car for. Subframe connectors and all that should be plenty. I don't think there are many Mav's on this board with full frames...Am I right guys?
welding the subframe connectors in will make it the same as a full frame. in fact it is better than an old framed car IMO because you have the body welded to the frame instead of held on by bolts and bushings.
Building the rear frame only will be fine, I have done it several times, not to a maverick but I did it to a Datsun 240Z with a Blown 351 windsor in it.
I think with a 4 link your gonna have to back-half the car...stock rails don't extend far enough forward of the axle to put a 4 link in......caltracs, monoleafs and coil-overs will provide all the straight-line traction you need unless you plan on a sub 10 second pass.
Bingo Rick! Your floor is not going to be high enough to give you the travel you are going to need for the four link. If you are going to have to re-do the floor anyway, why not just back half the car to begin with? A four link is not the optimum setup to run on the street anyway. You are living dangerously by putting faith in those heim joints. If one gives way, your going to have SERIOUS problems. I don't know of any manufacturer that will warranty their four link kits for everyday street use. Driving on the streets day after day is brutal on the suspension, and it WILL take its toll on the heim joints. Four links are designed for drag racing, where there is little to no lateral movement or forces on the rear suspension. Just a couple of things to ponder...of course, it's your car, and you can do with it whatever you want, but I would be leary of the four link on the street. However, you're only young once, so, if you've got your heart set on it, put that baby in there and make it happen. Later,
I 'know' a guy that has done something similar...and I can't really go into specifics on how he did it, but I can tell you that it's an early Falcon with a home-brewed 4 link that BOLTS into place (his car is set up as a street radial class race car--NO DOT radials). It flat works, and like I said BOLTS into place! He's got the potential of making some $$$ wiht the design, and we're working on perfecting it as we speak. 2 problems you have with the rear frame rails. One, they don't extend far enough forward to be of good use. Two, they are REALLY flimsy. When I backhalfed mine I removed the stock frame rails totally. Each one weighed less than 5 lbs complete...front to rear...and that was with gobs of weld metal still left on the front ends where I had some subframe connectors rigged onto them. They are REALLY flimsy and I doubt that they'd last very long if you're putting down some HP. Their strength (in the stock configuration) comes from the fact that they're all tied together with the stock floorpan. The floors are like a giant sheer plate...they tie the entire body together. If you wanted to put a 4 link in there, you're probably on your own like my bud did with his Falcon. Make something yourself, but if you break a mount or track bar and you go up on your top...don't blame me. The stock frames sure arent long enough for ladder bars, as most ladders are 31" or 33" long, then add 1.5" (half the axle diameter) and you're front crossmember will be approx. 32.5-33.5" (at the center) in front of the axle. That puts the front crossmember under the driver's seat for the most part. I did all the measuring before I backhalfed mine. I actually drew a blueprint of EVERY measurement of the car before I started. You need to do this if you do any chassis work at all. The "print" becomes invaluable! And, importantly, you need to do this at the ride height that you want..not the stock ride height (unless you want the stock ride height...that to me looks more like a 4x4 than a race car) The ladders aren't as tall as the 4 links meaning that the floors won't have to be 'notched' or cut as much, but the crossmember is further forward...by about 10"....so there still may be a little cutting to be done. But, if you do ANY street driving, you won't want a Ladder bar rear. Trust me. They are much simpler than 4 links, but the simplicity also can be a curse... another thing to consider: If you have to do any floor mods, the rear seat is history. In all honesty, how come you can't use the stock leaf spring rear setup? There is no reason you can't get some 28x10.5-15 rear tires under the stock quarters. I did it for years. Pulled some nice 60' times too, as well as some 6.50 1/8 mile times. It was basically an all-stock configuration with mostly simple mods...spring clamping, cal-tracs, front end limiters...etc. IMO, one should not even contemplate doing a 4 link or ladder bar unless you are building a 100% race car and are committed to it 110%. Once you begin removing frame rails, floors, rear seats, etc....you are at the point of no return. You had better be sure of what you want as far as whether you want a race car or a street car. Bottom line, get yourself a plan. Do the job right. Don't halfass your way through it...with your life on the line. If you want to have big tires and excellent traction, and it's a RACE car, backhalf it, put in a 12 pt cage, and do a M2 front end..then go kick some ***. But, if you want a halfway serious street/strip car, you can do that just as good with the stock suspension. It ain't that bad, just needs a little attention. BTW, I have pulled some 1.4X 60' times on the stock leaf springs and stock 50,000 mile front suspension. Still had the original dash in the car, original rear shocks, 8" rear end...etc. That was with a 393w STUFFED between the trimmed towers.
