C2/C3 Old racer question, Frame reinforce

[Jerry G.]

I have a 64 Vintage racer that was involved in the crash at Road America this summer so I'm doing a little frame work. I have been through the Chevy Power books and used their information in frame reinforcement. The question I have is for the area around the trailing arm mount in the frame. Chevy doesn't say much but I see in old Corvette News articles that this area was reinforced. Does anyone out there have expirience with reinforcing this area for road racing? Anyone have pictures or knowledge about how this was done in the sixties and seventies? THe Greenwood cars looked like they had reinforcement in this area.

[Terry F.]

Re: C2/C3 Old racer question, Frame reinforce

The bolt holes for the trailing arms tend to want to elongate. I suspect the did something to thicken the steel in that area to distribute the forces over a larger area. That is the only thing about that area that I know of that is weak. Sorry I can't help you further. Terry

[Jerry G.]

Re: C2/C3 Old racer question, Frame reinforce

Thanks Terry. Your right, and I have reinforced the hole area. The reinforcement I'm trying to figure out seems to be on the inside of the frame rail where it goes verticle from the horizontal frame member. Anybody know what that's about?

[mike mccagh]

Re: C2/C3 Old racer question, Frame reinforce

sounds like you are describing the gussets that the 68 up vette frames had from the factory. doubt you could incorporate the gussetts in a c-2 without extensive floorpan modifcations.mike

[mike cobine]

Re: C2/C3 Old racer question, Frame reinforce

Jerry, the area near the kickups were triangulated to the cross member similar to the braces on the late-68 up frames. Chevy used a monster plate the limited all access, but racers used tubing, angles, or channels at a longer length to give access to the trailing arm pivots. Unfortunately, I don't have a good picture of that area.

If you look in these pictures, you will notice the inside of the rear hoop was X'ed so that the hoop braced the kickups also. There is also a lower cross bar between the kickups.

My kickups had an adjustable toe-in piece rather than shims and the outer sides of the frame was reinforced with roughly 1/4 inch plate a couple of inches long to protect the pivot hole.

If I can find a better picture, I'll scan it and email you.

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