Has anyone thought of going to a welding shop and have them make strut bars and chassis supports for our cars? It will probably cost just as much as any of the struts out online and for sales in shops. You can do a permanent mount which would be way cheap; probably like $100-$150 with the materials and labor, or you could go fancy and have them try to make brackets and such, which will run up labor charges I assume. This however would still be around the same price as the part retails for.

For example I want fender braces and GTSpec is coming out with some in Apr/May this year for the G35 coupe, but they are like what... $350? You serious? A welding shop would charge 0.5 hr for taking off the rubber fender crap and the fenders off, weld 2 pieces of stainless steel or 3 or 4, whatever, onto your chassis and for about the price of the fender braces alone. I think this is a great solution for something like fender braces because you never see them, plus the welding shop could really see where to put the welds on and put more supports on if needed.

I am even considering doing this for the under-chassis supports that GTSpec sells. Problem is: if I want to have them be removable they have to make bolt holes or some sort of brackets, which is more labor. Overall I think you will pay as much for a welding shop to do all this as getting all these parts brand new from GTSpec or other retailers. Of course, once you have the parts, for those that can't install them or don't have the tools, have to pay labor.

Anyone have any ideas on this? My friend presented this idea to me while installing the front strut bar with me and I've been thinking of doing the fenders, at least.

 

Really though by the time you buy some nice aluminum to build it out of, and you pay a shop to do it (realistically 3-4 hours at what $45-80/hour) thats at least $140 in labor alone if not a good bit more. So in all honesty unless you have easy access to a shop or maybe a engineering lab and are good with a welder it will cost you every bit as much as buying one if not maybe a bit more (potentially a lot more!) to make it than to buy it.

This might be a deal if you have a great idea for something that isnt available for the car but like you said they are coming out with a fender brace in mayish, why build it if you can just buy it,...... especially if you run the risk of paying more for an inferior product.

All things equal though If you know you can build it as well or better for less $ you should, I am just saying its less likely that you will but far from impossible.

 

Your money might be better spent on doing some actual reinforcing welds on spots that you can't use a brace. No particular suggestions on wear to do the reinforcing welds, but something similiar to what is done on the NISMO Z might be a good place to start.

 

Awesome responses.

I agree about the labor costs, simply because there is no accurate way of estimating how much it would take. Aluminum bars (or whatever you want to call them) can't be too expensive, or can they be?

Good call on welds in places where you can't use braces!

 

Did you ever consider learning to weld yourself? That's what a lot of the guys on my Tacoma/offroading forums do, rather than paying someone else to do every little job that needs to be welded up. It might cost you a lot in the beginning, but will pay off in the long run if you plan on doing a lot of mods to various vehicles in the future.

I, for one, would absolutely love to learn how to weld... but haven't really had the need for it yet. When the time comes, I'll probably just buy a ****ty welder and read a book about how to weld and just play around until i feel comfortable with it.

 

Yeah, I have thought about it, but time is a big issue for me.

 

if you live near an industrial area, just find part time labor as a general laborer in a welding shop... they'll teach you AND pay you $10/hr. lol.

seriously, it's better than trying to learn yourself.

 

Kinda tough to do when ya have a full time career job already.

 

+1 ...

 

use DOM gauge steel it is stronger than the frame of the car.