GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

akstonbreakfast

Drill

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paint and install

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Like I said, nothing to it.

akstonbreakfast

As you can see, the bolt holes aren't exactly 90 degrees to each other

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but a slight twist when tracing the factory holes makes them fit quite nicely on our 90 degree block

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akstonbreakfast

Lift blocks: Because my Matrix is lifted and the new subframe corrects the suspension geometry by moving the upper and lower control arm mounts down by 2" relative to the car, I need to make some 2" lift blocks for the front mounting location of the lower control arm too, otherwise my rear...

akstonbreakfast

reducedIMG_2786.jpg reducedIMG_2787.jpg reducedIMG_2801.jpg The ABS sensor wire now mounts to the bolt that holds down the sway bar bushing. You'll need to let the one rubber grommet out of the metal bracket to do this reducedIMG_2808.jpg These are the 1/4" spacers to move the diff forward--re...

akstonbreakfast

Here are some pics of the painted subframe during installation... and some vanity shots of welds that I should have posted earlier.

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akstonbreakfast

Weird hose: So there's this weird hose that connected into the original subframe. Anybody know what it is? It runs back to the vapor canister, but for what? Does it suck? Does it blow? reducedIMG_2757.jpg Whatever it does, I marked where it seemed naturally to go reducedIMG_2758.jpg aaaand forgot al...

akstonbreakfast

aaaaand the unedited weld photos

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akstonbreakfast

Next step: WELD EVERYTHING I started by filling in all of the pass-through joints in the front and rear plates, adding a bead on the inside faces each time reducedIMG_2766.jpg No shame in using flux core, guys. Don't let anybody tell you different. As a rule, I made sure everywhere that two pieces j...

akstonbreakfast

Upper control arm ears:

As with the diff hangers, the best way to locate these is to bolt the upper control arm in place.

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Rotate on the bolt to make sure the gap around the tube is consistent before tacking. 2" tube won't have this gap.

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akstonbreakfast

Clearances are tight, but nothing touches.

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akstonbreakfast

Sway bar mounts: This step was some trial and error. The sway bar gets moved up relative to the factory position, but there are so many hoses and straps up there that I didn't try to figure it out beforehand. It fits where it fits, which happens to be right above where it's supposed to go. Here's wh...

akstonbreakfast

You will note that the diff hangers can rotate on the bolt. The top edges of each face are cut to the same curve as the bend line on the crossmember, so just line them up and tack. Screenshot (52).png Don't worry about these gaps. The bushings are a little thicker than 2", so this is expected. ...

akstonbreakfast

Back on the bench, the best way to assemble these hangers is to bolt them onto the bracket that they hang. This way, you know they'll fit. reducedIMG_2731.jpg reducedIMG_2730.jpg Tack them together and then we'll use the diff to locate them on the crossmember. The differential (technically the visco...

akstonbreakfast

Tack the crossmember into place and test fit on the car:

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akstonbreakfast

Once the holes are marked, drill them out with a 1/4" or smaller bit to guide the hole saw reducedIMG_2738.jpg and then drill through with the hole saw reducedIMG_2739.jpg You'll get something like this (you can see from the two little notches that I forgot to add the half tube diameter) reduce...

akstonbreakfast

Now we're gonna do the same trick as before, locating sets of holes and using them to align our hole saw to notch the tube. Take the slightly bent tube from earlier, and make sure you can see the bend center line on both sides. I rubbed it on the ground so the line shows up as scratches: reducedIMG_...

akstonbreakfast

The crossmember that hangs the diff should be 7-3/4" off of the front plate at center. For a 2" tube, that means lines parallel to the plate at 6-3/4" and 8-3/4", as shown. reducedIMG_2736.jpg and our points along those lines where it is the shortest distance to the corresponding...

akstonbreakfast

Okay, time to wrap this baby up. We've got the diff hangers and crossmember, sway bar mounts, torque strut/bushing arm thing, weird hose, and reinstall left. Locating the crossmember: First thing is to check clearance with the diff and associated components reducedIMG_2724.jpg Bushing looks good, ea...

akstonbreakfast

For those supremely confident in their measurements and assembling entirely on the bench without jigs, here's a shot of those notches lining up with the centerline: reducedIMG_2721.jpg While including this feature was a flex, I kneel before anyone brave enough to use it. For intermediate-level or le...

akstonbreakfast

Once you're sure everything is oriented correctly, install the front subframe bolts to attach the arms, through the bolt sleeves, to the vehicle. As you're tightening them, pay attention to whether the arms are pinching or binding anywhere. This is the step where all of our previous human error and ...

akstonbreakfast

Reinstalling, tacking the arms: Once you've finished drilling out the arms, install the bolt sleeve into the arms. This should be a friction fit, but don't worry if it's a little loose. IMG_2710.JPG Next, slide the upper control arm ears over the ends and reinstall the arms into the subframe as we d...

akstonbreakfast

Drilling with the hole saw is a lot of work. Maybe meditate first, I don't know. It's going to bind and kick and smack your ribs or twist your wrist A LOT. If you have a drill press that can do angles, that's probably the move. But I am a man of the people, so I did mine with my Milwaukee M12 drill....

akstonbreakfast

Interpreting the marker line, drilling guide holes: The next few steps will seem crude, but I promise everything works out perfectly. reducedmarkedIMG_2702.jpg The marker will have drawn something like the yellow line. Since the marker was in the bolt hole, we know that our bolt hole needs to be som...

akstonbreakfast

Marking continued: Now get your trusty Milwaukee Inkzall (say, isn't that the exact same diameter as that M12 bolt?) reducedIMG_2697.jpg Take it apart IMG_2698.JPG and thread it into the front subframe bolt hole with some pliers reducedIMG_2699.jpg Now move the arm forward and backward against the t...

akstonbreakfast

Marking the curved arms for drilling: There are 3 ways to perform this step. I'll be demonstrating the method that assumes the least specialized tools and systems of measurement--also the one that corrects itself. For more advanced fabricators, who have a drill press or a pipe notching tool, here ar...

akstonbreakfast

Fitting new frame: Now we install the tacked together frame to make sure it fits and to use as a jig to manufacture the remaining parts. I used the factory flange nuts to align the frame left-right and front-back. If the nuts are centered on the bolt sleeves, you're probably good, BUT you can measur...

akstonbreakfast

Removing the old frame:

Now seemed like a good time to take the old subframe out, the new one being ready for a test fit and all.
Here are a few more shots of the carnage and my little piece of tube, struggling to hold it all together

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akstonbreakfast

Tacking: This step wasn't terribly exciting. I tacked it together. reducedIMG_2661.jpg Of note, however, I did not tack the bolt sleeve in place. Why? First, that biting lower mount plate holds it tightly enough not to need a tack. Second, being able to turn the sleeve affords us an extra dimension ...

akstonbreakfast

Dry Fit (con't.) Once that's all handled, plop the 5 braces into their slots reducedIMG_2658.jpg reducedIMG_2659.jpg Check that everything is sitting flat and without any gaps. If it looks good, proceed to put the rear plate on top. reducedIMG_2660.jpg Check again that everything is fitting properly...

akstonbreakfast

Next step, Dry Fit: I found that my pass-through joints were a little tight, so I tapered the male sides of my braces with the grinder rather than hammer them together. reducedIMG_2648.jpg ^left side: untapered, right side: tapered Following that, I put the rear bolt sleeves (the shorter ones) throu...

akstonbreakfast

Next, we weld in the laser cut alignment tabs. These need to be facing the same direction as the tabs we just bent, to trap the alignment bolt. Position the alignment tab through the rectangular hole, as shown. Note that the tab has room to move inside the hole. reducedIMG_2652.jpg Tack it in place ...

akstonbreakfast

Alignment tabs: First, we need to bend over the outer alignment tabs-- make sure you keep track of left vs right side and bend them opposite of each other reducedIMG_2649.jpg Draw that line, which is just the continuation of the adjacent edges, and cut along it *almost* all the way through reducedIM...

akstonbreakfast

A note about bolts: While it would have been ideal to reuse all of the factory bolts, and you technically *can*, I wasn't happy with how little thread was engaged on the front bolts when I test fitted later. I'm talking like 2-3 threads. The front sleeves can't be shortened any more than they are wh...

akstonbreakfast

Bolt Sleeves: To make the sleeves that the bolts pass through to mount the subframe to the car, we need our laser cut bolt sleeve caps and some 1.5" O.D. round tube. I paid $14 at Metal Supermarket for the four pieces pictured, precut to 3", which was longer than I needed. I kept them full...

akstonbreakfast

Assuming you're asking about FWD rear bushings, the big chunky bois that locate the trailing arm/twist beam axle assembly. I have an AWD, but I built a trailer on a used FWD rear suspension that I use to haul steel and have used to haul gravel, which I have to imagine exceeds any extreme use case th...

akstonbreakfast

2) My elongated bolt hole wasn't quite long enough for the alignment bolt's full range of movement and had to be filed out: reducedIMG_2646.jpg It took about 6 minutes per hole (4 holes) using a round file to remove most of the material and a 1/2" drill bit to smooth out the shape. reducedIMG_2...

akstonbreakfast

Upon receiving your laser cut parts: No matter how confident you are in the designer (I'm flattered, really) it is always good practice to inspect your parts before going any further. Some things look right on the screen but jump out immediately when you've got the part in your hand. I found I had m...

akstonbreakfast

Where to order your laser cut parts from: In my initial design criteria, where I said "under $500 material cost", I assumed you'd be ordering them online. For a quick, comfortable, no-nonsense experience, I recommend https://app.sendcutsend.com/customer#/quote The site is easy to use, reas...

akstonbreakfast

Ordering laser cut parts (which ones?): Here's what you need, ALL CUT FROM .188" (3/16") MATERIAL Screenshot (8).png I'll make the files available at the end, BUUUT, on the off chance that I die before that happens, take this screenshot to your local laser cutting store and ask them very n...

akstonbreakfast

Problems and solutions while rolling tubing: Once I got past the perfect semicircle shape, my tubing roller started breaking. and breaking. and breaking some more. Though it comes with 2" dies, this wall thickness is a little out of its depth. Again, this might all be because I'm using 1.9"...

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Now comes the hard part. With the 54" piece, we're making this: Screenshot (13).png This one requires a little more attention to detail because we're going to use the waste sections, note the 6.375" straight sections on either end. First thing, measure 6.5" or 7" in from either e...

akstonbreakfast

Okay, let's get to rolling this tube. Starting with the 42" piece, here's what we're making: Screenshot (14).png This is the crossbar that the differential hangs from. Its a very easy, gentle bend, and there's LOTS of room for mistakes with this piece. 42" is much too long--the finished pi...

akstonbreakfast

That looks awesome! After you get it all done and working on your car, please build a second one and send it to me. :D I would be happy to test your design on a different Vibe. Plus, it is always quicker and easier to do things the second time....... :lol: It would be an honour. If you cover my gas...

akstonbreakfast

Agree ... very impressive plan and approach. For simply "whipping up a design, it looks like you've done things like this before in the past. Update your profile for us , showing your location! Where has this Vibe been driven most of it's life and mileage? Over the 299999 limit? You need to ma...

akstonbreakfast

I've bent a LOT of heavy wall tubing over the years. I have access to the hydraulic Rigid conduit benders that electricians use to bend Rigid conduit up to 2" (which is just under 2.5" OD). Custom hand railings and similar projects is mainly what I've used them for. What you're doing is v...

akstonbreakfast

About tubing diameter: Do we need to be using 2" tubing? Great question, especially since I've foreshadowed that 2" would cause some problems. The answer is No. Any size of tubing will work, within reason. 1.25", 1.5", 1.625", round, square, etc. As long as we bend it to the...

akstonbreakfast

About rolling tube: This will be the most difficult part for anyone attempting to recreate this build because you will either need to do it yourself or find someone to do it for you. I called a few local shops around in my city (London, ON) to see if it was something that they would take on. I wasn'...

akstonbreakfast

AND THEN the entire left side fell down, interestingly causing the opposite tire to lean

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So yeah, it's time to get started

akstonbreakfast

Well guys, Tubing is rolled, laser cut parts are in, shop is clean: all systems go. I'm back, and it is build time. reducedIMG_2625.jpg reducedIMG_2626.jpg reducedIMG_2628.jpg ...And not a second too soon, because, in an update that will surprise exactly no one, things are even worse than before. Fi...

akstonbreakfast

Now, the situation certainly seems dire. I'm sure many a Vibe and Matrix have died for less. ...But "design an automotive suspension component" was on my 2023 vision board, so I decided to do something silly. While I had my old one out, I took some measurements and whipped up a little some...

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