kcaalarcon

im trying to decide on a new k-member for my car but i havnt decided on any specific brand so im just looking for some input on people wth experiance in that realm and oppinions. im looking for one that will hold up to road racing. kinda leaning towards spohn but im still very undicided. i kno everyone has different oppinions on that subject and some peolpe will swear by one brand and hate another and different people will have the opposit view. and i also kno alot of people will say if i was smart to just build my own and i eventuly plan on doing so but thats hard for me to do at the moment so ill haved to buy one. so anyone wth experiance please help me out?

D&S 85 IROC

I bought a spohn k member and a arms haven't put them in yet but I bought them

IROCtheThird

iTrader: (15)

UMI's piece is the only one I know of with a double main hoop design. Plus they now offer a RR version. I have the regular one and the peice is great. Fit no problem and there welds look top notch, very consistent. I picked up the k and a arm package on the thanksgiving day sale.

kcaalarcon

let me know how the spohn pieces fit and work out if u get it in the car. and i was kinda looking at the umi rr k member, it fit good tho?

Orr89RocZ

iTrader: (20)

UMI just came out with a road race design. Looks very beefy. I just installed it and the A arms. Pretty happy with the fit and finish. No testing yet but i have no concerns. Its braced in all the right areas.

All the others should do equally well

UMI Performance

Hello,

Thanks for the recommendations

We do offer what we feel is a very nice k-member set up. We have sold quite a few over the past 2 years with no complaints or issues. We addressed the fitment issues other brands where having. Under the oil pan we run a dual tube section for extra strength, we have been doing this on our 4th gen k-members since day one 7 years ago. We also made the k-member work with factory a-arms and we offer it in a road race version like mentioned above.

Below are three links, the first link is to our website. Part # 2401 is the standard k-member with stock engine mounts and pads for the coil springs. The others are for coil overs, LS engines, Road race ect. The second and third links are to a '85 Camaro we built that shows a ton of pictures of the k-member installed. They are both the same pictures, one link is to the Facebook album and the second is to the same pictures on our site.

http://www.umiperformance.com/catalo...ex&cPath=6_282

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...1448642&type=3

https://www.umiperformance.com/news/?page_id=412

If you have any questions please ask and we will be glad to help!

Ryan

Flip 2

iTrader: (1)

BMR worth a look, too.

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

I second the UMI piece. Good clearance for everything and customer service. I have been happy to very happy with it so far. There was another thread that I posted a couple pics of it in. You will never again be afraid of changing your motor mounts!

jbenge

iTrader: (2)

I have a spohn tubular k-member, If I was buying another one I would go with UMI or BMR especially for a road race application. The spohn k-members seem to be very inconsistant with fitment. My engine sat crooked, the passenger side was about 3/8in higher than the driver side. No amount of adjustment would make it level, I had to modify the mounts to make it right.

UMI Performance

Thanks for the feedback guys, we appreciate it.

We did a lot of research on this item before building it, we wanted to solve all the problems that are found with other brands.

For fitment, we have taken a stock k-member and built our jig around it. So you can take a stock k-member and it will fall on our jig and all holes line up perfect. For clearance we made sure it works with factory a-arms as well in case you decide to run those. We also add the triangle brace holes to the k-member for no extra charge. Some charge extra for this and others don't even have the option. Lastly, we built in bump stops.

I hope that helps,
Ryan

D&S 85 IROC

Well seeing that Friday is going to be a nice day here I'm going to be tackling installing the K member and A arms. I'll take a few picture during the process.

D&S 85 IROC

bth_camaroontheliftbeforesurgury_zps9476b751.jpg?t=1364578053

D&S 85 IROC

bth_driversideaarm_zpsa1ae90bf.jpg?t=1364578105

D&S 85 IROC

bth_passengersideaarm_zpsd32aaa17.jpg?t=1364578117

D&S 85 IROC

bth_passengersideaarmremoved_zpsaafcc28a.jpg?t=1364581108

D&S 85 IROC

bth_driversidespringremoved_zps25acbec3.jpg?t=1364580052

D&S 85 IROC

bth_kmemberremoved_zps0ffa1c8f.jpg?t=1364587859

D&S 85 IROC

bth_driversidespringandaarminstalled_zps8379d847.jpg?t=1364608003

D&S 85 IROC

bth_kmemberinstalled_zpse097514a.jpg?t=1364614332

D&S 85 IROC

Anddddddddddd the tool fairy dropped off a new tool.

bth_newtoy_zpse407c802.jpg?t=1364583971

D&S 85 IROC

well as you can see I installed the new k member, it went it very easy no problems if fact it was a easy installation. Good job Spohn on a good product.

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

If you hang around frrax.com (body road race) they stear away from tubular a arms and k members. In general, the cost,weight,strength don't really make since. Most k members will fail under these conditions. However the umi piece seems the most substantial. Also a arms, if you take stock arms and put del-a-lums they will perform very well. It's your money do what you wish. This is what I read from the "experts" guys who race every weekend in our cars. Heck. Look at big mods, he is running "stock" k member and a arms.

Now I'm not saying there is NO gain, just to me, not worth the money unless you need clearance or have the money to throw at it.

And this is not a knock at the craftsmanship of these manufacturers. I have seen the work and they are all pretty much top notch.

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Taken from frrax.com..


-member As far as road course or autocross usage you will be stuck with the stock k-member. The factory geometry is so good that there isn’t much to fix with an aftermarket k-member. K-members currently on the market are lightweight tubular pieces that aren’t as strong as the stock k-member and are prone to failure under our uses and sometimes even daily driving! The factory K-member is plenty strong, and by the time you get most tubular K-members gusseted and reinforced enough to stand the rigors of racing, they weigh almost as much as a factory unit. LG Motorsports built and released photos of a prototype 4th gen k-member suitable for autocross and road course duty, but it has never reached production. PA Racing produces a 4th gen k-member (not listed on their site) that they claim to have modified for road course usage, but there are still doubts about it in the community.







Again, this is BEFORE
umi released their product. And this includes 4th gen tech. It's your car, do what you want. And do research on several different sites

kcaalarcon

thank you. and i dont have the money to just "throw around" so i changed my mind and just keep the stock k- member and weld up a new one somday thats a little stronger. im still thinking about spohns chromaly a-arms with solid rod ends so i can play with my geometry and such for tunability

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

I have heard Many issues with the spohn and rubbing issues. Keep stockers and put del-a-lums in and go. If you wanna mess with alignments get adjustable strut mounts. Then if you want more, get taller ball joints. That's just my two cents

kcaalarcon

ive heard of alot of issues with spohn too but from what i have heard they seem to put the front wheels either to the forward or back of the car so they rub. i already have no inner fender wells and if they still rub ill get a different offset spacer for the rod ends if that makes sence at all so its not that hard to deal with even if the arms are messed up. im not that set on them yet but just a possability for now until i do somthing totaly different. i already have umi caster/camber strut mounts but i want a ittle more tuning ability plus the solid rod ends have no deflection or bind. how are the del-a-lums for that?

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

I'm 99 percent sure they are a form of solid bushings. They replace the rubber with a spherical ball with delren bushings. Take care of deflection. Do a search. Should find them easy. A lot less expensive too.
Even quality rod ends make noise after awhile. On a daily, I'm not sure I would use on this application. Several people have been very pleased with del-a-lum. This is an application also where they are just moving up and down. This is one of the few areas where poly would be OK I would still use something else though. Let me do a quick search and see if I can find a link for you. I would hate to spend big money n something just to modify it to fit correctly

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

http://www.globalwest.net/82-02-cama...omponents.html

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Ah just what I thought. It's "like" a bearing. So no deflection.

SlickTrackGod

As good of products as alot of manufacturers may put out craftmanship wise, there is nothing as heavy duty as the stock Kmember. As you age, and your driving experience in years grow, most likely you will have hit as many things on the road as I have and will be grateful you have that heavy duty massive piece under there.

I would never change one to a tubular unit unless it was for a drag race only car that needs light weight on the nose.

Reid Fleming

iTrader: (2)

Similar, but the wrong part # for our cars. We use the 1022 model.

kcaalarcon

thank you for the link. and it is for that reason of the stock k member being stronger that i decided against a aftermarket one. are those sleeves plastic?

kcaalarcon

and how will they hold up to road race and track applications?

conlinj

iTrader: (3)

That's what they are meant for, great pieces. Also they are http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

Reid Fleming

iTrader: (2)

The del-alum are delrin wrapped aluminum. Very strong pieces that should last for a lonnnnng time. No worries with racing.

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Sorry I was in a hurry and didn't bother to choose them in the drop down menu. I 2nd the whole drop in and don't worry about them. Designed for what you are looking for

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Corrected link

Tibo

iTrader: (15)

You always say your some professional Ferrari driver Nascar crew chief of some super truck so fine I will respect your opinion, but what roads do you drive on, or what do you hit? I hear that line often and I just don't accept that as the reason for not purchasing one.

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Not talking to me but I was once driving home after work driving my wrx and cut a line a little too much and ended up dropping into an 8inch or so dropoff. Bent two rims and possibly broke wheel bearing and ball joint(I say possibly because I replaced bearing but still doesn't feel right) now did I mean to do this? No, the fact is, things happen. Factory stuff is made to "survive" these things. The way I see it. Even if a very good weld is on a piece of metal, that weld or close to it seems to break. Something I would not want on my car. This is one reason why I see some very high end cars use billet instead of tubular

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Also back reading posts, if an a arm moves wheels forward or backwards, on theory it would mess up your caster angle and the range you can adjust as well.

SlickTrackGod

Driving Ferraris or NASCAR as nothing to do with this here, it is simply a statement for a normal guy driving a normal car down a normal road. You come down from the mountains here in So Calif (you know, the recent Christopher Dorner news area)and those winding mountain roads have very common raok falls onto the road. You come around a bend following a truck and you have a 6" rock laying dead center of the road that the truck cleared ut you can;t- WHAM. Happens alot . Same ont he freeway with big rig tire retreads- those things can tear up underneath the car like concrete. A retread hit with enough speed will bend the crap out of a tubular kmember.

I bent a 3" exhaust pipe on my lower truck once hiting one, and blew off my entire front splitter on another incident which cost me about $400- a joyful afternoon

SlickTrackGod

There is alot of stuff you have to consider when using the rodends for issue like that.

First and foremost you never want to adjust it enough to where the coilspring misaligns in the spring can and rubs.

Secondly, you can in fact set the a-arm fornward in position a little, as well as outward a little to gain positive caster and negative camber- however you are messing with tierod geometry and will have to bump the car to make sure you are not getting different archs in articulation- meaning the distance of the tierod now comes forward and thus the angle cuases you to have to lengthen it in static form. Then as it comes up the A-arm distance shortens as the tierod lengthens and you get massive bumpsteer if not corrected with bumpsteer shims.

you have a wider track issues that increase spring leverage- not real important, but a mute issue

you have fender issues of possible tire contact with the inner fender- this also happens with simply adding wider front wheels and increasing the scrub radius- a very common mistake on 3rd gens or any car for that matter, wider is not necessarily better (it is for a little while until they wear out faster because they drag across the ground when turning tigher corners)

In other words, know what you are doing if you plan to fudge A-arm link distances with rodend mounts.

kcaalarcon

well i have baers bumsteer kit so i can adjust the angle of my tierod so thats not an issue. but as you said with bringing the arms farther out is partialy what i was considering so i can run more negative camber without hitting my master cylinder with the strut mounts. and as far as the tries rubbing the fender i have a bit of room to bring them out farther with the wheels i have, plus i dont have alot of suspension travel with the springs i have

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Then I would look at extended ball joints.

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/index.php?showtopic=14954

kcaalarcon

can you maybe give me a link to a website that has them?

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

That thread should have thrm

91camarosRS

iTrader: (5)

Them* my phone doesn't know to spell and my fat fingers can't type

kcaalarcon

it just tells me an error occured while trying to open the link and its broken or out dated. do you just know the company or companys?

SlickTrackGod

These are what I use and recommend.

Afco low friction balljoints.

it is a 1/2" longer stud than stock and will put your A-arm angle in a more favorable position to maintain camber gain and the suspension compresses.

It will also lower your car exactly 1/2" on the front. You will need a bumpsteer kit to correct the angle of the tierod with the angle of the control arm(so to speak in laymans terms- you are changing the archs between the tierod and the a-arm, so the tierod also needs to be changed to match the geometry arch in parallel height so as not to get toe gains or losses through suspension travel.

The part # on Summitracing is AFC-20038-4LF if you wan tto order through them- otherwise, here is a link to Speedway Motors:
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/AFCO-2...ong,58122.html