Sub frame connectors
I disagree. I've done US Car Tool stiffeners both ways rotisserie and on a hoist. The only trouble is getting undercoating off or not knowing how to remove if. Other than that it's just welding. The trouble area on sub frame connectors is not placing the weld on the US Car Tool sub frame connector and rolling the weld into the floor pan. Once you learn that, it's easy. Just takes time and a good welding jacket.
Removing the undercoating is probably the easiest part of the whole deal. The USCT subframe connectors take
a lot longer to install, and the welding is not easy, at least not in my opinion. I've been welding for over 25 years. I wouldn't consider myself an expert by any means, but I didn't pick up a torch yesterday. The welding that needs to be done definitely isn't the hardest I've done, but it's not something I would consider "easy" for an amateur welder. And there's a ton of it- you're conservatively talking about at least 15 linear feet of weld bead to fully weld them (at least on a 111" wheelbase car). And if you're working off of jackstands, it is a pain in the *** IMHO. Not everyone has a hoist, and not everyone is stripping their car and putting it on a rotisserie.
I've installed both types of frame connectors, and installing the tube style connectors is MUCH easier. Done in a few hours, no line re-routing, and depending on the size of the tube and landing plates very little undercoating removal.
I
like the US Cartool connectors, they look a lot closer to factory and they're well made parts. But there is a big difference in the time and skill needed to install them compared to the tubular style connectors. I've done both, and after installing the USCT connectors on my Dart in my garage with the car up on 12 ton jackstands it's still my opinion that it was a pain in the ***, especially compared to a similar install of the tubular connectors on my Duster. That doesn't mean they aren't a good part, or that they shouldn't be used. It just means that a person should consider their skills and resources available when deciding what kind of connector they're going to install.
I believe that you don't see this as a big deal...but (correct me if I'm wrong here) the trimming and adjusting to get these to fit perfectly along the floor pan then prepping/welding the entirety of the length is orders of magnitude more troublesome than bolt-in/weld-in options.
It certainly doesn't sound like rocket surgery but doing it right is time consuming and daunting to people who don't have welding experience, proper working space, extra time, etc.
Are these better? Most people seem to think so! They certainly look way better. Is the level of improvement over more accessible options proportional to the additional effort/expense? That's not a forgone conclusion, IMO.
If anyone wants to offer up their Mopar for me to practice on, come on over! :D
Exactly. They have their pros and cons. They do look better IMO, but they require a lot more time and work to install. Even the brake and fuel line re-routing is not something to just blow off, it takes some time to do it right and have it look good.
And whether or not they actually work better is not something that anyone here can know for sure, absent of some really complicated finite element analysis that no one is going to do.
