Help! Lower radiator support reinforcements

[moz]

Hi guys.
I'm working on my b6t conversion and I've been advice to reinforce the lower rad support while I'm at it.

Do you guys do this because of rust problems? Or is the general structure that weak that it breaks?

I'm also assuming there are a hundred ways to skin this cat. So just to give me some inspiration. If you have done this reinforcement, could you post a pic or two?

If anyone has info on radiator upgrades and best type to use. That would also come in handy.
I'm looking at a civic alloy unit at the moment, but the bottom connector looks like it will clash with the front gearbox mount?!?


Any help is much appreciated! Thanks

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

[M3NTAL]

I used a 92-95 civic radiator and relocated the lower rad hose inlet to the bottom like a stock festy radiator.

[moz]

Awesome! Thanks mark!

Tell me this. Are the stock rad supports THAT weak?

Or do you guys upgrade because of rust?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

[M3NTAL]

I haven't done mine yet.

But from what I understand Charlie has educated me on this "There are also gussets welded on the engine bay side of the frame horns to strengthen that area and provide a strong area to bolt the support to.

Eliminating chassis flex here will greatly reduce torque steer, wheel hop and fatigue in other areas.

4 of the 6 sway bar mounting bolts now go into this stronger support. The bulk of the chassis flex is in this area on a Festiva because it uses it's sway bar to push the entire car" - Charlie

It makes total sense and he's been doing this a lot longer than I have so I believe it.


Oh, and I just remembered my lower rad output is on the side of the rad but I bet you can put it on the lower part if you want.

[Motoxpress]

Hey that red support looks oddly familiar.

[Festevil3]

Hey that red support looks oddly familiar.

kinda what I was thinking

[moz]

I haven't done mine yet.

But from what I understand Charlie has educated me on this "There are also gussets welded on the engine bay side of the frame horns to strengthen that area and provide a strong area to bolt the support to.

Eliminating chassis flex here will greatly reduce torque steer, wheel hop and fatigue in other areas.

4 of the 6 sway bar mounting bolts now go into this stronger support. The bulk of the chassis flex is in this area on a Festiva because it uses it's sway bar to push the entire car" - Charlie

It makes total sense and he's been doing this a lot longer than I have so I believe it.


Oh, and I just remembered my lower rad output is on the side of the rad but I bet you can put it on the lower part if you want.

Makes perfect sense.

I need to find a way to reinforce the existing support (can't be that hard).
Reason being that structural mods like that can impair my ability to get it past the scrutiny of the authorities engineers for registration (even though this would make the car safer. They always argue about affecting the cars crumple zones etc etc blah blah blah).

About the rad. I might even buy the civic one and have the outlet moved.
should be easy enough to do.

Thanks for the help.

And if anyone has any pics of a modded stock support. Please share


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

[Motoxpress]

Moz what if you took the pictures to a engineer to see if he has any problems with it. Most of the crumple zone on the car is between the rad support and the strut towers. A way you could reinforce the factory support is to measure between the frame horns and measure total length of the support on the bottom. Then have a piece of steel cut and bent then weld it to the factory support and add some gussets to the inside corners. This will stiffen the support and if you make it look good the engineer will probably never notice it. I had to do something similar to this before to the car that has the red support due to the sway bar mount getting ripped out of the support. I replaced it with the new support after I hit a deer which bent the original support in the middle.

[Motoxpress]

Oh I meant to say 1/8" steel for the lower support cap. Also you could point out that the new lower support improves handling which could help you avoid needing the crumple zone.

[moz]

Thanks moto. I'll be taking a look again today to see what I can do

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4