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Torque box question

T

Triton

Member
I did some stiffing to the front of my 65 coupe and I plan on adding some torque boxes. This car will be a weekend driver and I would like to learn to drive it through some cones one day. I have upgraded the front suspension with the usual stuff, struts, roller perches, boxed and roller LCA, arnim mod. Sometimes maybe there is too much info on the web, I found this on another website and I wonder what the opinion on this is. I would hate to have vibrations or shake problems!

Here is an excerpt from an article printed in 1965 on engineering the new Mustang.
"The all-welded platform frame provided the key to the design goal of minumum weight with maximum strength.....
In front, a deep box to surround the engine compartment was welded up of full height, heavy-gauge stampings for cowl, side panels, and radiator support. Integral torque boxes, welded up where the side rails joined the rocker rails at front, were part of the original frame because of their success in the Fairlane. But the engineers found that the torque boxes actually made the hardtop frame so stiff it amplified shake problems, so they they were specified only for the convertible."
 
Sounds like you have similar goals for your car as I do. I did a ton of little things to tighten my chassis, and since my 67 only had one torque box on the driver side, I added another to the passenger side. It was a pain in the rear getting the torque box installed. If I were to do it over again, I'd still do the install, but I'd disassemble the torque box and install it in pieces.

Speaking of chassis stiffening, I didn't see you mention subframe connectors. If you haven't planned on subframe connectors, you should. Subframe connectors made a huge difference to the chassis stiffness. The best way to go is custom subframes that bisect the rear floor pan. I didn't go that far. I went with the Maier Racing subframe connectors that connect at 2 points in the front and 2 points in the rear.

Lastly, none of the chassis stiffening mods I did created any vibration issues, and it drives fine on the street. If you wanna push your car on the track from time to time, you definitely want to tighten things up as much as possible.

That's my 2 cents. Good luck.
 
I added a torque box on my 67 as well and also the subframe connectors that go thru the floor pans. Also fully welded all the seams on the shock towers and added export braces and whatever else I could find or think of. I drive my car a lot and it drives real nice. no vibrations.
 
Everything I've read says it the a needed mod, but you know how it is when you read that one thing then you start second guessing your self. I forgot to add that I have Global West sub frame connectors and I can really tell a difference. Before I had them I could launch the car and the dash would shake till I hit second gear. Thanks for all the advise
 
If you haven't already get the two piece torque boxes. I installed boxes on my '66 and got the 1 piece ones, I ended up drilling out the welds and installing them as two pieces. It makes it alot easier and you can weld some of the inside to make it that much stronger. Also makes it easier to paint inside of it as well
 
Just a thought, but radial tires and gas shocks may have taken away the vibration/shakes Ford experienced back in the day...
 
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