Ninety-One

About two years ago I rebuilt my steering (original parts had some slight slop) with the spohn steering kit. Now that it sits in a garage for 2 years and I drive it only has 2,000 miles on it, my buddy helped me move the steering wheel while I looked to see if I had a sloppy rag joint or box was shot, to my amazement all the slop was in the brand new centerlink and idler arm, so I pulled the cotter pi s and checked the tightness, tight. Pulled out the whole kit, to find its completely shot and every joint is totally loose, accounting for about 1/4 of a turn in the steering wheel. Also checked and all the Joints are fully greased (boots full)

So my question is, has anyone else had any issues with this kit or spohns quality? These parts are complete crap! They will be receiving a call from me tomorrow. (Monday). I'm going to try and send them these parts and get an explanation why fully greased parts after less than an oil change, are shot. And hopefully get my money back so I can replace these parts again.

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

I was not impressed with the Spohn steering stuff.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...d-rebuild.html

Rich92 RS

iTrader: (16)

The threads on my Spohn centerlink got stripped aswell. I did however receive a free replacement from Spohn a few days later. With this and all the other problems they seem to have, I wont be running any more Spohn products on my car.

DJP87Z28

I ordered my zinc coated Spohn steering kit before they changed over to the cheaper (my opinion) black painted parts. Well over three years and no problems with the install or driving (tight).

Brendan91Z

I will vouch for Ninety-One, helped him remove part of that kit and I was glad I kept my stock ****. I will probably go with MOOG but I am still undecided.

87350IROC

iTrader: (2)

I am talking about the older plated parts. Have they changed again?

Ninety-One

Mine is zinc plated, everything is worn out the center link being the worst

b4ccamaro

I had a bad experience with spohn on the wonder bar. They claim its a bolt on part but its not. At that point I learned that their cust service blows too.

I wont be using them again either.

89RS305TTops

That really sucks, I've got most of their other suspension pieces like the torque arm which seems really well built. Glad I saw this before I got the steering!


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UnderCover89TBI

iTrader: (25)

I thought they sold MOOG? I've never had a problems with their products. I own a shop so I bought the MOOG parts cheaper than I could get thru them.

89RS305TTops

I had thought the same, I used moog on my old 89 and it worked great. They must be doing a knockoff


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96BlownSSragtop

iTrader: (5)

ANYTHING for them is schitt. I've purchased a couple of things from them over the years and they were the biggest POS I've bought for my car. With the biggest one ($$$), I opened the box, looked at it, thought to myself ....WTH, ***** this heavy worthless cluster-***** of a part and promptly turned around and sold thing without even installing it. The only company I've ever dealt with that was worse than SPOHN was TPIS....I don't even wanna get into that nightmare....

3genpio

iTrader: (6)

few year ago i bought tubular K-Member and A-Arms.....
K-Member on the pass side is hiting the rod end, and A-arms are making spring change a nightmare, off course they look cool and thanks to K-Member there is a lot of free space around it but the i would`t spend this money again for it.

84ws6ta

I'm not impressed with Spohn at all. I bought their tubular k-member with a-arms and it was a nightmare installing. Bolted up to the front sub-frame alright, but the holes for the motor mounts didn't line up. E-mailed them about it and they told me that using aftermarket motor mounts wouldn't line up. I never even told them what I was using. In fact I was using the factory shells with Energy Suspension isolators. Then they told me that the bolt holes were drilled for larger bolts and that their bolts probably weren't fitting the factory motor mounts. I explained that the factory bolts were larger than what they provided. I never got a response back. So I just drilled their holes bigger to get the mounts to line up and fit the proper size bolts. Then there was the issue with the inner tie rods hitting the k-member. They tried to tell me there was an issue with the sub-frame on my car and I never heard from them again. The front springs required me buying a $200 spring compressor to install them. I did figure out how to get the steering to work and the k-member does work well, but I'd never buy from them again. Their customer service just isn't there and any issue is due to something other than their product.

sorrys70

I bought a set of tubular lower control arms from them . The spring seat was so low you couldn't drive the car. Once I solved that problem they where ok for a year or so and then the arm broke while I was driving. It snapped where the bolts hold the a arm to the car!! It didn't even break on the weld. The metal ring tat the bushing sits in just cracked in half. I wasn't even driving over a bump! And to top it off mr spohn was a jerk on the phone when I called to ask why this happened. DO NOT buy their products. They are junk!!!!!

JesasaurusRex

iTrader: (3)

Been a tgo member for over 10 years now, when I initially got started on this board Spohn was the company everyone swore up and down about. Funny how times (and apparently companys) change.

84ws6ta

When times are good, a lot of places over expand, only to find when the hard times hit, they're in over their head and quality and the like begin to suffer. Could be the same for Spohn. Look at Cranes Cams, everyone used to love their stuff 20 - 30 years ago. Then they went bankrupt. They got bought and are still producing, but on a smaller scale. Now we have MSD that has declared bankruptcy. They got big and started outsourcing to China. Probably what bit them in the ***. A lot of people swear by Spohn, but after going through the bullshit when installing their k-member and then dealing with their lack of customer service, plus hearing enough tales of whoa from others, I wouldn't be surprised if eventually they file for bankruptcy. **** off enough people and word gets out.

blue75roc87

I am having issues with Spohn products as well, I have loaded my car with their products but haven't driven it yet. I have their K-member and A-arms, along with their bump steer kit. I was curious how you fixed the interference issue as i am having the same issue on the passenger side. Thanks.

88gunmetalgta

iTrader: (1)

This.

I've also seen companies' production out grow its quality control and customer service. Customers end up with sh!tty parts that took months to get, and even longer to get a refund. The good companies own up to it and work towards improving things, other companies completely ruin their reputation and never recover. I haven't heard too much about Spohn working to remedy any of the problems people have been having with their parts...

Dyno Don

iTrader: (7)

I tried to point this out back in 2000, no body would listen.

sidwyz

Ouch....guess if you aren't building civics for race wars....spohn isn't the all its cracked up to be huh

84ws6ta

To Blue75roc87, this is what I did.

Parrydise7

iTrader: (1)

This thread has been active for months. Now would be an appropriate time for a response from Spohn!

The Project

iTrader: (6)

Hmm....kind of funny how when there is an issue or question with UMI or Founders products, both companies come on the board and interact.

I'll give my business to them since Spohn seems to not be interested.

96BlownSSragtop

iTrader: (5)

....very much; I've also been saying it for years. Their stuff is ABSOLUTE JUNK!!!!!! If the only thing they made were air fresheners I wouldn't even think of purchasing it since I'm sure it would be a schitty copy of product R&D'd by someone else; the big difference being the Spohn @#$% would not work and/or fit. I'm convinced if Spohn offered such a product that no matter what they did it would also smell like schitt!

86IROCNJ

I'm in the same boat. Looking to get back in to my car again. Is Spohn really not the resource for suspension on these cars anymore? If not them, then where would be a good resource? They offer practically every component for a solid rebuild. Too Bad

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Nyloc nuts??

I'm not too sure about that.

84ws6ta

This is a temporary set up to get the front end together and check for bind on the steering. Trying to find a decent fastener as everything seems to be cheap Chinese junk.

Mirror Image

iTrader: (2)

This is a bummer I just got a transmission crossmember for a 700 has anybody had bad luck with them and how are their bump steer ?

glitch666

iTrader: (1)

Wow, I thought Spohn's crap was over priced crap and decided to steer clear of them. (No pun intended)

Cameron@LFM

Thank goodness I found this thread, I am revamping my entire suspension and was planning on spending grand on suspension. I was a member here back in the early days and remember Spohn being the ONLY choice. Thanks for saving me what looks like a HUGE headache!

JohnnyT/A

I was just going to order a steering suspension kit from Hawks for $350 which includes the ball joints. Does anyone have any insight on them?

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

Well this does it, I'm not going to install the Spohn steering kit I bought five years ago. But I will say this, the rear panhard bar and lower control arms are doing very well. But i'm not going to mess with the steering.

Ninety-One

I am completely blown away that their design team built that K member and never mounted the steering kit to it. That tells me that A. It's not ever been road tested and B. everyone who bought it are test subjects. Scary!

And with regards to the steering, spohn refuses to refund, stating they were sold too long ago(2 years) i figured they wouldn't refund my money and wasn't going to put any of their parts back on anyhow, so I replaced with all MOOG "problem solver" models. The steering has never felt so tight. And quality is great, and interestingly enough the rubber boots actually have this nice metal ring that holds them on and grease in on the bottoms, great pieces and half the price of spohn's kit.

Shame on you spohn for your poor quality stuff and selling dangerously low quality suspension and steering parts for any vehical. And for Putting peoples lives in danger....

b4ccamaro

We just need to re title this thread to "Spohn is junk"!

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

Well not all their stuff is junk.

rusty vango

what am I missing? is there anything wrong with the steering and suspension stock? mine is as it came except for the ball joints and struts, its fine!! im sure there MUST be a reason that people decide to "re engineer " their cars. but for the life of me I never did understand why people tear up a perfectly fine car only to later go WHOOPS!!

I'llrocya

I used a few things for my car from Spohn, boxed rear control arms, front & rear sway bars, wonder bar and a trans mount. I did this last summer, so far so good. Those parts seem good.

b4ccamaro

Have you read this thread?

rusty vango

sure, understand why anyone would go that far on a street car ,no. and what must bite the hardest .it seems for all that work and money all they got was....well...porked

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

I don't really feel that people are re-engineering their third gens.

From my experience, most auto manufacturers like GM, Ford, and Dodge know that we as owners are going to beef up our cars.

The big three know that it would cost more money to buy their cars if they added the equipment we really want and need.

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

The big 3 stamp out a car to sell.. with the lowest cost on parts...not always the best...just what works...thats why a vet cost more the a camaro...even with the same eng.....so us guys who want to add better made parts do...some times they work better then others....
just stock.. is not always better....

GTAman

iTrader: (2)

wow, very shocking. I also remember back when i started modding my car(around 2004), spohn was the best choice for suspension parts. I bought things from them years ago and was happy then. Shame how the mighty have fallen.

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

It still would be nice of Spohn to check in here to respond to us like others have mentioned.

87oldschool

Sorry about that!

Ozz1967

iTrader: (4)

I have the Spohn sub-frame connectors and they went in without a hitch, matched up to the underbody perfectly.

A few years ago, I went with Hotchkiss for my springs and swaybars instead because they were marginally cheaper at the time.

I'm now wondering if I should even consider going through Spohn or not when I finish my suspension (Torque arm, pan-hard rod, lower control arms etc.)

MY87LT

iTrader: (2)

The rear solid panhard rod and rear boxed control arms have been working great for over four years. I just don't trust their steering from all the nightmare stories I have heard from other members.

anesthes

iTrader: (12)

I don't know. Even I for a brief moment thought his a-arms were defective, but it wasn't the case.

Most of the people that whine about parts not fitting shouldn't be trying to install parts in the first place. This isn't corvette forum, if you can't figure out how to make it work buy a car already built by a professional.

Some vendors do make mistakes in their design, for example I have some BMR subframe connectors that can't possibly do anything beneficial, and the issues with Dyno Don's headers hitting on some cars since the tubes are too close in some areas.


-- Joe

84ws6ta

There's a difference between something that might need some tweeking to fit verses something that just doesn't fit. The Hotchkis subframe connectors I bought were advertised with the notice that a stock exhaust system might not fit and may need modification. I can deal with that. I delt with the Spohn k-member and made it work. What I have a real issue with is the attitude I got from Spohn that any issues were due to the car and not their product. There are some changes that need to be made to it and they are unwilling to admitt to such. There are others that had the same issues I did with their k-member. A simple disclaimer to make the buyer aware that the steering may are may not have to be modified would go along way. But they advertise that their k-member is built on a jig that perfectly matches all the factory mounting points. If it did then there wouldn't be any issues for people to complain about.

articwhiteZ

iTrader: (56)

I can tell you that in the start of this summer I am doing a full spohn front suspension going in... My car is as close too perfect as you can get from gm its never even seen a dirt road or rain.. from day one iv had this car.. the OD is at 53.000. If any of their parts do not fit or misfit it will be posted with full picture documentation....the. only other place my car has been with out me is LPE...the paint still looks wet....even after 22 years....so if spohn parts are hit and miss...I will post it....

On the test fit they fit like a glove....

K Member w/front suports
A arms
bump steer rods
coil overs
Trans crewmember
all new drag link and inner tie rods (plated)AC Delco.