frame connectors

[(Neil) NChap4012]

 Hi all. Have front floor pans cut out of my dart (rust) and am in the process of swapping the rotted torsion bar crossmember out(more rust) with a rust free one from a west coast car. Car is level front to rear and side to side, and fully supported.  My question is can I install frame connectors now, or do I need the new floors welded back in first. Just seemed it would be easier welding the front part with the floor pans out. Also will be swapping left front frame rail, so thought having the connectors in would give additional strenth before I tackle that. (still more rust-amazing what you find when the undercoat is removed)  Many thanks for any input.

[268darts]

When I replaced the whole floorboard in one of my Darts I droped a piece of 2x3 tubeing into the frame front and back. I cut a small "v" in one side of the tube close to trans cross member and a small "v" on the opposite side close to the rear frame, because the front and rear frames are not inline. V's are cut from one side across to the inner wall of opposite side of tubeing. The v's allowed me to bend the tubeing just enough to aliign it with the 2 frames. I welded the cuts up when I droped the tubing into the frame. If you do it like that you will have to cut the foor pan and weld the tubing to it. It tubes looked kinda like this when I was finished.
   
    !      !      tubeing in front frame
    !      !  
   /        \   
  /           \   tubeing/subframe     
!               !
!               !  tubeing in the rear frame
           
                      

[mopar stu]

i would connect the frames,then cut the new floor to fit around the frame connectors.then weld it all together.

[bOb shingler]