SLP Bolt-On Subframe Connector (SFC) Install - Blackcamaro.com

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The following is for informational use only, author(s) are not responsible for damage or any other expense caused by the use of this information.  In all cases of jacking up the car, or using tools, BE CAREFUL and DO IT PROPERLY.  Parking brake, wheel chocks, and jack stands are NOT OPTIONAL, they are NECESSARY.  Always disconnect the negative battery lead where electronics or welding are involved, and make sure the lead is touching nothing but air.  Be safe, and have fun.  See the Safety Tips page for more info.

This was a great mod, right away I noticed a ton more stability, on take off, braking, and cornering.  Can only imagine what it will be like when the rest of the suspension is in.

Anyway, the bolt-ons are fairly easy to put in.  I decided to get these over the weld-in ones since it is hit and miss with welds if you don't know the person doing it, and these are supposed to be just as rigid if installed right.  Plus they're painted black already.

Just want to make some notes to help with the install, the SLP ones are a bit too basic.  First of all, the angled part of the SFCs go toward the front, and you want the SLP logo to be oriented so it is readable.  The part of the SFC that sticks up higher than the rest should be on top.  This will save you the 10 mins of going "which side is which".

Secondly, before you start anything, jack the car and put your stands under the rear bolt of the Lower Control Arms (where the axle passes through).  Read up on jacking, use the differential but don't use any part of the differential cover or you'll kill it.  You can use ramps as well (jack it up, slide the ramps under, lower it, unless you have long non-steep ramps).  Basically this install needs to have the chassis in the normal position with the weight of the car on it.  Chock the front tires!!!  The E-brake only seems to do the rear tires.  I lowered the jack just enough to rest the car on the stands, then closed the valve.  This way if a stand goes its still on the jack, but the jack isn't getting ruined by the constant weight on it.

Now is a good time to slide one SFC under the car, hold it up to see how it fits in, note the holes you are going to be using.  You'll notice the rear hole (not the one that bolts to the LCA, the other one) has a lip around it on the car.  Cut this lip off with a rotary tool or grind it down.  This makes the install a ton easier and it also fits a lot better.  SLP does not mention this step, but if you don't do it it is a royal pain to get them in, and the holes on the SFCs will not align and will have to be made larger.  Just flatten the lip off completely (I cut with the rotary then ground the rest off).

Also on the driver's side you will have to cut a chunk out of the heat shield over the gas/brake lines.  This piece comes out easily with 2 nuts and 1 bolt being removed.  Before you take it out, mark where the SFC comes to on it, and how deep you need to make the cut.  I estimated, cut it, put it back in, held up the SFC, eyeballed it, took it out and ground it down a bit more.  You don't want to take off any more than you have to.  Also, when you install the SFC it will push the lines behind that shield up some toward the car, everyone says this is perfectly harmless, just don't catch them between the SFC and the car.

Now you remove the 4 bolts holding the shield over the Y-Pipe and remove that shield.  The hardest part is next.  You need to remove the front bolt from the rear LCAs.  The way I did this was to loosen the nut (I used a 3/4" socket on the bolt and a adjustable wrench on the nut).  Loosen the nut, not the bolt.  You can take the nut right off.  DON'T take out the bolt yet.  Since the jack stands are pushing on the LCA it will be hard to remove the bolt, and nearly impossible to put it back in after.  I gave the jack a couple pumps, until the jack stands were no longer bearing the weight, but were still right there in case the jack gives out.  Now you can remove the bolt from the front of the LCA, this is kind of a pain, it has to be unscrewed all the way.  Put the bolt through the rearmost hole on the SFC, then put the bolt back through the LCA, screw it most of the way through, so the SFC can still be moved, and hand tighten the nut on it.  You can do both sides at once I guess, I felt safer doing one side at once.  If you're using ramps, you don't need to jack the car up for this step, this is only for stands.

Now let the jack down a tad so the car goes back onto the stands and close the valve (back to the original setup).  Now it is just a matter of putting the 3 SLP bolts into the 2 SLP plates (Lockwasher then regular washer on each bolt), just screw these in, don't tighten yet.  The rear (single hole) plate slides right in the open end of the frame, and I oriented it so it was perpendicular to the hole in the chassis, since the hole is oblong.  The front (double hole) plate slides into the biggest of the 3 holes that are there, the one you aren't going to be using, then just slide it along and align it with the other 2 holes. 

Now thread the 2 screws from the Y-Pipe heat shield (without the shield) into their holes through the SFC.  Just hand tighten.  Now tighten the SLP bolts fully (I would recommend some blue lock tite to keep them from loosening).  Re-tighten the LCA bolt and nut all the way.  Remember how hard it was to get off, try to get it that tight, not something you want coming loose.  Once all the SLP bolts and LCA bolts are fully tight on both sides, remove the 4 heat shield screws again (the ones you just hand tightened), put the shield over the SFCs, line up the holes, and tighten all 4 bolts.  Jack the car up a bit, remove the stands, slowly lower it.  Remove the chocks, clean up, and go feel how much stiffer and more responsive your car is.

Even if you used lock-tite, check all the bolts after a few hundred miles to make sure, if you did not, check the bolts after a few hundred and then every time you change your oil.