Sub-Frame Install Costs?

How much did it cost you guys/gals to get your sub-frames welded in? I got the BMR ones and the first shop I called wanted $80. I asked him how long it would take and he said 40 min. $80 dollars is alot to me for less than an hour of work. Is there something I'm missing here, is there removal involved? I thought they just put it up there and weld it on. Is $80 dollars a normal install price? Thanks

There is some slight prep work that has to be done....Its not just stick and weld.

80 bucks sounds good to me. I paid 100 bucks to put them on and it took a little over an hour. They are not simple weld on like the ads make you think. The SLP ones I got (I was told their diamond weld on was the best) need to bolt onto the rear, the center and are welded onto the front. I watched the guy put mine on and sure am glad I didn't try that without a lift :)

Plus, after they got the car off the lift, the guy jacked up the front passenger side. Three wheels left the ground. I was told that would happen but to see it happen was pretty cool :D

Anywhere from $50-100 is the norm.

Just make sure to shoot the welds with an undercarriage paint to keep it from rusting.

I still have to do that :mad:

A prominent shop by my house want's to charge $80 to install SLP diamonds. Normal price I guess.

I paid $60 for both BMR subframes and LCA brackets. I ended up having to get it done at a small garage back home where they knew me... no "speed" shops around here and no one else wanted to touch it.

I only paid something like $25 to have both my exhaust and SFC's welded up on the Camaro last summer. I think the main reason was because it was a Muffler Shop that had recently opened and the two guys running the place were guys that I'd known from high school. Neither one of them had welded SFC's in before so I helped them out by showing where they mounted up and where to scuff the SFC's to prep for the welds. It was overall a pretty damn simple install.

I was very happy with their work and the price :D

I haven't had much luck finding a cheap place where I live. If you check the BMR website there is a set of instructions there that predicts about a 2.5 hr install time.

At what seems to be an average of about $70 / hr labor costs I've been quoted as high as $250. That was at a local speed shop that had done them before and said that the Camaros are harder to do than Mustangs and it's probably 3.5 - 4 hrs. All of the local places that have experience with it are saying at least $150. :(

Originally posted by SP99SS
I haven't had much luck finding a cheap place where I live. If you check the BMR website there is a set of instructions there that predicts about a 2.5 hr install time.

At what seems to be an average of about $70 / hr labor costs I've been quoted as high as $250. That was at a local speed shop that had done them before and said that the Camaros are harder to do than Mustangs and it's probably 3.5 - 4 hrs. All of the local places that have experience with it are saying at least $150. :(

3.5-4hrs?! It took two guys w/ no experience less than 30 minutes to complete both sides. That includes the time it took for them to get some flat black rust preventative paint to spray on the welds.

You should get some KY with that $80 fee.

Check out some mufler shops or weld/fab shops.

I agree.. ~30 min job for a first timer, start to finish.

i had mine done in san francisco for $50. it's a good idea to make sure that they get welded in with the full weight of the car on the suspension.

Originally posted by jthomas
it's a good idea to make sure that they get welded in with the full weight of the car on the suspension.

Wah? I had mine put on at Ryan's Performance (http://www.ryansperformance.com/) and they told me they have done hundreds of Sub Frame installs and they had my baby on the lift. The car still does feel stiffer, squeaks gone and launching is easier, which is why I got the SFCs so I'm happy.

Originally posted by Pewter Z
Wah?

the alignment of the unibody will be different with the wheels off of the ground... you don't want to weld a "spring" into the chassis of the car.

cool, thanks for all the posts, I'm much more educated now. I'll check other prices, but at least its not the highest quote. If I had known what I know now, I would say get bolt ons, you guys agree?

i paid 50bucks at a muffler shop little corner gas station/muffler shop they never did an install of subframes they mostly get the riced out honduhs to come get a chrome :lol: 5" muffler installed. I had to go under the car and show them how to do it basically but i knew the son of the owner so i got a discount kinda .



oh i have the SLP diamond weld ins.... i wanted the bolt ons but the weld ins are cheaper
:p

Originally posted by 02 NBM TA
oh i have the SLP diamond weld ins.... i wanted the bolt ons but the weld ins are cheaper
:p

Unless you add in the cost of installation, I thought it would be 30-50 bucks, but if consider that it costs 80-100 than its not really cheaper is it?

I believe the bolt ons are around 100 more so even if they do charge 100 to weld in you are still making out because you are not doing the install so its not really wasting your time spent on the install :p :D

Ok, I have a newbe question on this. Not all lifts are level, if the car isnt straight, will the sfc weld or bolt in straight? Meaning, will the car's frame be crooked or twisted?

I thought the same. However, after calling around and talking to a bunch of people they said that frame machines etc... are not needed. After watching Ryan's Performance put mine on I saw the guy welded everything pretty straight on. I could put a bolt through the front of bars if I wanted to (The holes in the body/SFC are lined up anyways). All they used was a lift.

Originally posted by 02 NBM TA
I believe the bolt ons are around 100 more so even if they do charge 100 to weld in you are still making out because you are not doing the install so its not really wasting your time spent on the install :p :D

Good point, I wish we could make a FAQ that tells people whats in store for them about these things. Like I also didn't realize that you should get poly bushings for the sway bars. I thought a kit would come with everything it needed.

I second the FAQ idea. :thumb:

Zoomjrl, I paid 100 for my install, so 80's a pretty good deal.
I like the new rims on your camaro! nice car!! :D

And.. uh... don't polyurethane bushings squeek?????? stay away from that idea, unless you want to be lubing them up all the time.
;)

Originally posted by Lan01z
And.. uh... don't polyurethane bushings squeek?????? stay away from that idea, unless you want to be lubing them up all the time.
;)

Polyurethane doesn't compress like the old rubber bushings which leads to wheel hop and mushy handling, so I'd just get them and put in the extra effort to keep them lubed.

How much more work could it be? :think:

Maaaan, with my Subframe connectors and my strut tower brace, I can whip around corners like nobodys business. The bushings squeeking would drive me crazy. I'm already annoyed with my cup holder squeeking if its out, so i guess noise bothers me more than it does other people. One thing on the rubber bushings, they make the car have a "softer" ride.. where as the polyurethane make it rough.. I'm old... i like it soft.. even though with my "35 profile tires the roads are pretty bumpy :D

This wheel hop stuff is a myth.

Yeah... i'm a walking contradiction! :cool:

i paid 150 to have a set custom made to my car and then welded in. if your in the arkansas area i highly suggest going to see John Hickman at Dyno & Performance.


*edit*

i see your in OK city, just drive out to fort smith and have him make you some. well worth it.

Originally posted by Lan01z
This wheel hop stuff is a myth.


Ummmmmmmmmmmm nope. Soft bushings and springy LCA can cause wheel hop.

Originally posted by AL SS590 M6
Ummmmmmmmmmmm nope. Soft bushings and springy LCA can cause wheel hop.

Ok, i'm not going to argue that... rather, i'm just going to say, I haven't ever had wheel hop... I think the polyurethane bushings and stiffer LCA's would make the ride less comfortable for no benefit.
Do you seriously have wheel hop all the time???

I'm all stock, and just for kicks I spun all through 1st and almost through 2nd:D w/ no wheel-hop! So if I upgrade the suspention,like I'm going to, I might get wheel-hop?

Originally posted by Lan01z
Ok, i'm not going to argue that... rather, i'm just going to say, I haven't ever had wheel hop... I think the polyurethane bushings and stiffer LCA's would make the ride less comfortable for no benefit.
Do you seriously have wheel hop all the time???

Wheel hop will only happen under certain conditions. Usually right at launch and when traction is good. With poor traction you'll just spin. And poly LCA bushings are almost completely unnoticable as to effecting the ride. A poly trans mount is way more intrusive.

Ok, ok. I claim to know *nothing* about the suspension here. Is there any informative site (besides reading through posts) that tell you the absolute best thing to do to your car's suspension, depending on how you'd like to use it (Auto X, Drag, Street etc..)? Maybe with people's comments on certain products they own. Personally, I'd like the car to handle a *little* better, the SFCs sure helped a lot. I experience no wheel hop because my tires suck (stockies). but I'd be more interested in softening the impact of a small ripple in the pavement, or a crack in concrete, without giving up any handling :confused:

We have added a few new forums, and one is for Susppension, Chassis and Brakes.

I am moving this one there now...

Originally posted by colorchange96
i paid 150 to have a set custom made to my car and then welded in. if your in the arkansas area i highly suggest going to see John Hickman at Dyno & Performance.


*edit*

i see your in OK city, just drive out to fort smith and have him make you some. well worth it.

I already bought mine, but why are the custom ones so good?

if you shop around im sure you can get it done for 50-60 but i doubt you could get it done for much less then that

im taking a welding class at the local highschool and its only $100 i highly suggest the class its fun and all you do is weld what you want after the basic lessons

A friend of mine owns a performance shop, he's charging me $50, but that may be less depending on other stuff he's going to do (he's also going to rebuild my broken tranny and install a torque converter too)

Originally posted by 02 NBM TA
I believe the bolt ons are around 100 more so even if they do charge 100 to weld in you are still making out because you are not doing the install so its not really wasting your time spent on the install :p :D

Whats the advantage of a bolt on rather than a weld?

Originally posted by Meccadeth
Whats the advantage of a bolt on rather than a weld?

From what I always heard, the advantage is that you can take them out whenever you wanted and an average person is able to install them. From what I"ve heard though is that over time the bolts can become loose fitting and rattle alot. Personally I'd rather have weldins because I think that you get a little more long lasting rigidy over the bolt ons.

Originally posted by Tang
From what I always heard, the advantage is that you can take them out whenever you wanted and an average person is able to install them. From what I"ve heard though is that over time the bolts can become loose fitting and rattle alot. Personally I'd rather have weldins because I think that you get a little more long lasting rigidy over the bolt ons.

And the counter point to that is that bolts on installed properly will work great and not loosen. There are ways, like lock nuts, nylok nuts, permanent loctite.
With the 2 pluses being easy removal (if you sell the car) and you don't grind and burn up the paint and other coatings at the attachment points.
That being said mine are weld on type.:)

Originally posted by AL SS590 M6
And the counter point to that is that bolts on installed properly will work great and not loosen. There are ways, like lock nuts, nylok nuts, permanent loctite.
With the 2 pluses being easy removal (if you sell the car) and you don't grind and burn up the paint and other coatings at the attachment points.
That being said mine are weld on type.:)

That is true, if they are installed properly they shouldn't come loose. I still prefer weld on's though, Its probably just a mental thing.

i had alot of wheel hop before i got my LCA's i also had alot of sway at high speeds when i took out the old ones i could bend them with my hands. now more sway at speed and no more wheel hop

How about saving the install by doing it yourself and weldind in the bolt on. I hear the bolt on is more accurate than the weld in with the body flex and all on the lift,then just spot weld later.

Originally posted by 1stls1
How about saving the install by doing it yourself and weldind in the bolt on. I hear the bolt on is more accurate than the weld in with the body flex and all on the lift,then just spot weld later.

my thoughts exactly. spot welding would prob cost you a max of 20 dollars. I think bolt on is the way to go