In need of major body stiffening...HELP
 

Alright people..

I notice my car seems to have an extraordinary amount of body flex, whether at slow or fast speed.

It almost seems like it's enough to eventually shake the doors open. I could swear.....and wouldnt be surprised, if the noise is the doors chattering as the body flexes.

First off, is this common in the cars? Or common due to age now?

Second, what are all the components I can use to strengthen the body?

I am quite aware that there are front strut tower braces available.......how about a rear strut tower brace? Any subframe style connectors?

Other things I can use outside of a full roll cage?

All responses will be greatly appreciated...

VIRAGRA it help for the stiffness or so I am told:D :eek: :D :eek:

Wow, that was hilarious. Your parents must be proud...

But on a serious note.......how about some SERIOUS suggestions?

what works very well is a rollbar, it usually pulls everything toghter.
then add the tower brace
new coil springs
15in to 16in tires and rims
poly bushings in the ft and rear

and by the way I am prob old enuf to be you DAD lol

I read somwhere that the expandable foam will help in stiffing the chasis. My only thought was were to put it. I was thinking somwhere in the body panels around the rear wheel wells or something.

the fb is a pretty stiff car, i wonder if theres something wrong with yours?

mike

Are there any bolt in rear tower braces? subframe connectors?

Umm and yeah........I don't know how they do things in Washington.......but having kids at 11 years old?

Thats just craziness. :p:

Have your chassis seam welded

??????????????????????????????????????????????
what the hell does that mean???????????????????

I'd have to a agreed with that.

:withstupi :werd:

Sounds expensive.

Smells bad, too.

I think you need to have your car checked out. There maybe something seriously wrong with it as FB's are quite stiff.
Are you sure it's the body flexing? Perhaps the doors are loose/misaligned which is causing the noise. Misaligned striker or shot door seals can cause that. A worn out suspension could exerbate the problem.

Point of interest: Perhaps people wouldn't fuck with you as bad if your name wasn't H****guy?

You've got serious problems if your car is flexing like you describe.
Jack up the drivers side front corner. Open and close your door carefully.
Basically, you can grab any corner of these things, and lift them up by it, and you'll still be able to close the doors effortlessly.
Flex like you describe indicates rot or impact damage.

Expanding foam will serve only to help trap liquids inside the frame rails, ect. It simply lacks the structural strength to be effective.

It's likely that some of the rubber moulding around your door is permanently flattened, and the door is simply ratteling in place as the air pressure inside the cabin decreases the faster you drive.
Try tapping over the vents behind the doors and opening the vent in the car. This will insure positive pressure in the cabin. See if the rattle goes away.

Sure your seatbelt isn't just caught in the door?

(Seriously, I did that one time and got really scared!... until I realized what it was.)

It means that from your profile, you were born in 1969. I was born in 1980. You would have had to be 11 to be my dad. :p:

Honda is a swear word? hehe. As I said in my first post like 2 weeks ago or so, I am logged into a billion sites it seems as xxxHondaGuyxxx. I'm too lazy too change it...and as much as you want to have a race car...my car is what.....110hp? Civic - 127? Accord - 150? I like my RX-7 more than my Accord, but like I said, I'm lazy.

Maybe it is pressure. It's not like my car is bouncing around and flexing like it will break in half....but it is noticeable. I'm sure the suspension is completely worn out.

Yeah, I wear mine. I checked. And speaking of seatbelts...does the shoulder belt not keep you restrained as a new car will? If I yank on a shoulder belt in my 2000 Accord, it will lock and not move. The way it is supposed to keep you locked in your seat. My RX-7 will just allow more slack, no matter how fast you yank it. - Is that broken? Or just the way a 1984 RX-7 is made?

I bet your car was involved in a previous accident. Check the front crossmember and the bumper shocks. If the front end was hit the tie rods will not do their job right. There has to be something loose with the front suspension...once you find the problem fix it and get the car aligned, you'll be surprised how this car doesn't need strenghtening, it's factory race ready.

you also need to draw a distinction between body flex, and a softly sprung suspension with bad shocks.

mike

say it with me kids.... SEAM WELDING :D

Seam welding won't do half as much as even the most basic of bolt in 6 point cages

Seam welding is also one hell of a messy and expensive job (if you don't DIY it)


Hondaguy> I think we need to clarify what you definition of 'body flex' is ...

Ok...

I will do my best to explain.

I know the shocks have alot to do with it. They seem worn out, so I know the noise and rattles that will make.

Now, the doors rattle, around the area of the window frames (top). I don't know if I am imagining it, or actually seeing them shake a bit as I go over bumps.

I know they vibrate at high speeds (85+ mph).

I imagine something like a better seal in the door would quiet the noise down...but I am more concerned about preventing that flexing.

Now.....I also have a 1971 MGB convertible. I know that car has a weak body, because you occasionally have to LIFT up on the door to line it up better to close it.

I don't have any problems closing the doors on this car.....just a noticeable vibration in them.
I also figure alot of it would be cleared up with a newer suspension.....but would like EXTRA support throughout the car.

your mgb had worn out or misadjusted door hinges, actually your 7 prolly does too.

mike

SEAM WELDING???????!?!!!!!!!!!!

ok, would it not make sense to figure out what the real problem is before dumping $$$ into bandaid fixes that might not even solve anything or make a problem worse.

are the doors loose any? maybe the window frame area bent? did you try what sterling suggested?