Ok, I have read and read about after market K-members. Such as the following brands Spohn, Race craft, PA, UMI, BMR etc. But, I still haven't really got a good answer on which one is the best for installing. I have read about fitment issues, engine setting at a angle or trouble mounting the engine. Which brand does has the highest success rate in direct bolt on fitment? Also has anybody encountered any failures in which something has broke while driving? As my camaro is a daily driver.

 

Hello,

Our K-members are a direct fit, no complaints on installation and no failures. We also keep the engine in the factory location, we do not move it. All UMI items are designed, tested and built right here in our factory.

If you have any additional questions please ask. We are happy to help.

Thank you,
Ryan

 

Hey Ryan
Do they cross members come with mounts installed or do I have to remove the factory ones? Also I haven't seen front coil over kits from you guys, but I know you recently developed rear ones. Got any prices on those for me? Thanks!

 

Unfortunately we haven't finished our front coil over kit, we hope too soon. I think Viking has a kit almost complete and QA1 also has a kit. We would be glad to help you with either of those.

I am not sure what mounts you mean? I am glad to help if you can supply a little more information.

Thank you,
Ryan

 

What do you plan to do with your car? a K-member swap will get deep into your pockets regardless of the brand and the benefits people list over a stock aren't all that drastic for the money you spend. JMHO.

 

The UMI K-member is the best one out there IMO. Their A-arms are very nice too...

 

That all depends on the funds available and how important the benefits are to you. I have the UMI K member and can offer a very positive opinion of it. No problems whatsoever with installation and any questions were answered very quickly. The UMI piece may be the strongest unit as it uses a double hoop on the bottom as opposed to one.

Reported on these boards there is only one K member failure I have heard of and it was due to a bad weld that had been outsourced. Search for Redraif and her K member story. You will hear members blasting K members as unsafe simply because they are not as strong as the factory piece. They tell scenarios of hitting and running over big heavy objects. Whether or not you believe that is likely or could happen to you is up to you to decide.

The two main benefits are weight savings and additional clearance. If you drag race seriously I would say one of these will be high on the list since it's taking weight off the front. If you have an engine or exhaust setup that takes up lots of space down low and it becomes a pain to do anything on the bottom sides of the engine, you will absolutely love a tubular K member. Changing motor mounts will become so easy and fast! Changing springs is also a little easier.

 

Problem is you have to get a second mortgage on your house to pay for it.

-- Joe

 

I had a pro-fab k-member. Kind of a POS. I didn't "break it" but I did rip the rack mounts off since they were like 2 inches off the ground.

-- Joe

 

Great to hear guys and thanks for the positive feedback.

We haven't had any issues with our k-member and we are happy with the design. We have a massive jig that we check them on before going into powder coat.

One thing customers need to keep in mind is these cars are upwards of 32 years old now. Cars could have been wrecked, tweaked, bent ect so a little hot rodding (as we call it here) can be required from time to time.

Thanks again for the positive feedback,
Ryan

 

My car was hit so hard in the 80's there is a ripple in the floor pan and tunnel.

A porta-power is a good thing to have in the shop to make things fit.

-- Joe

 

I got the new umi road race kmember and it installed great. However i could not get their solid motor mounts to work with the kmember and my engine clamshells. So i put the stock mounts back in with poly bushings and fit great.

The amount of room available underneath makes for great access to sparkplugs and other things. With twin turbo piping and oil cooler lines, etc its tight in there. But tube k makes it easy to work on car. Great mod for my purposes.

A Arms are nice too but i could not find any spring coil compressor to work with them. I ended up lowering A arm down and chaining spring in place and jacked arm up slowly compressing spring. Then used a metal bar and hammer to push spring over into seat pocket as i went along. Works but you cant get end of spring coil to sit next to the built in stop on the spring cup. Index point if you will. Bout an inch and a half away. No problem tho, car sits pretty good and actually seems half inch taller which is what i needed anyway

 

Got pics of the install? I wonder if it would help with turbo piping on mine.

-- Joe

 

May have a few shots in my one build thread? Let me check. Probably nothing up close with everything installed tho

Edit. No pics here i see. Have them on my facebook. If you want to see pics send me your email or number, i'll text or mail them.

It does give more room to work with

 

I can vouch for BMR and UMI K-members

Top notch quality and durability.

Personally, I'd go with the UMI. BIG fan of their products...no second mortage needed (I own my house).

 

My name here at cisdi.com


I just did downpipe # 5 or 6 (lost count). I really wish I could move the crossover forward to have more room for the downpipe. I think I'd need a tubular k-member for that.

I've considered taking the fenders off and re-doing the frame from the firewall back, using 2x4 box tube along the drip edge kind of like a corvette. Although I bet the race track/inspector would lose his mind if he saw that much alteration.

-- Joe

 

Whats the problem with BMR? I like the fact that they use integrated LS stands vs buying them extra.

 

Integrated as in you can't switch between SBC and LS ?

I have a bad taste in my mouth since buying their poorly designed subframe connectors. No experience with their K-member though.

-- Joe

 

I think the downfall is you can only ever use it for an LS engine. With some brands (like ours) it would work on your SBC then you can buy mounts later to adapt an LS engine. As for price, our think ours with the LS adapters is about the same price, this is because BMR charges extra for the coil spring mounts and ours is included.

Thank you sir.

 

Another +1 on the UMI, I originaly had a PA K, and arms and neither would fit right so I sent them back and UMI just released theres, I picked up the K member/A-arm package for $850 free shipping, which is what I had paid for the PA which had other issues.

The UMI K went in with out any issues everything lined up perfectly. I did have to touch one of the A-arm bolt holes with a dremel as it was a tad bit off. Unfortunately the RR version wasnt available when I bought mine which is what my car is being built for but I'm honestly not worried, everything is real beefy.

James

 

I have the UMI K member and A-arms. I purchased them when they had there thanksgiving sale. Well worth it. Great quality. No issues. And it made my life a ton easier installing long tubes.

 

I have umi products. I don't see me going to sbc from ls (is there even a reason to?) I also will have coil overs. Umi parts are good but the price is killing me. Umi a arms (500 a pair) are too much when im runnin coil overs. I will run umi rear coil overs.

 

the only failed parts talked about came from questionable makers. and almost 10 years ago. when they just started up. but even the Big 3 have installed parts that have failed.
Dodge had spindels falling apart (wheels coming off) makes for stunt driving school!
Chevy had ignition locking up when driving makes for a WTF moment!
Ford...you name it..the only ford i had was a 67 fairlane GTA. back in the 80's

today its a buyers market. with makers adding things others dont. and others making things others dont.and then ya have guys making some things with a Fantastic price!

 

I don't know if Jegs still carries them, but I have an AJE (Anthony Jones Engineering) k-member. I was at the store in Columbus and got my pick of the 3 they had in stock. Fit was perfect, weight was ridiculously light, the coil over A-arms are very well engineered, welds are second to none. Worth a look, but LOOK at them. The other two weren't as nice.

 

I've been reading a little but here and there about these tubular K-members, and I can see something like that making the install of long tube headers, engine mounts…and general accessibility easier. But most long tube headers for these cars offer terrible ground clearance for street driving..i.e..going over speed bumps, up driveways, over large potholes..things like that.

But what's the real weight savings over a factory frame and A-arms? I guess there's an advantage for a person that takes their car to the strip trying to get weight down and pull better times…so there must be a big difference in weight over the stock pieces?

-but for a daily driver? I question the real advantages….

Do these tubular K-members allow for additional ground clearance on a daily driver if you run long tube headers? Are they as robust as a factory frame? Any issues holding a front end alignment?

Don't misinterpret mt questioning guys…they seen to be a fairly popular item, and I'm probably missing the real intent of these..just asking... overall, what's the best advantage in having one of these on a daily driven street car, or a car that rarely sees the drag strip or road course?

Not bashing anyone that has one…just trying to understand if it's really worth it. I rarely change springs and motor mounts or starters. I've considered getting one myself.

 

I understand where you are coming from. For a nice weather car with really minimal track useage the benefits of a k member a arm package are almost one in the same- additional clearance inside the engine bay which makes working on anything much easier. Then possibly the aesthetic appeal. The regular steel version.s are not as strong as the factory. I have a nice weather car and i take it autocrossing and I don't have a turbo so I didn't need it per se. I just had the money to do it and I would greatly appreciate the added room and better looks. But when we start asking do I really need it or will it really help me it's a slippery slope. For street driving the stock TPI unit is fine, possibly a different gear ratio rear, shifter, subframe connectors and a few others is all we really need for street driving.

 

I use about 80% umi tubular suspension. no issues with fitment. my solid mounts fit perfect. and im running a big block too

 

I have the BMR k-member. The car isn't ready for the road so I can't speak to durability or performance, but it was very easy to install and looks well built. Combined with the tubular a-arms its around a 50 lbs. weight savings over stock. I don't know if that is significant but it may improve handling by shifting the front/rear wiehgt balance a little farther back. Who knows, it looks cool.

If you're on a tight budget and its a street only car, just replace the bushings in your stock front end and call it good. Save the money for something else.

 

I have a Spohn tubular K-member, A-Arms, and coil overs on my 84 Camaro. If I bought another k-member it wouldn't be a Spohn(made the engine sit crooked) but that is a totally different thread topic. Total weight savings was about 30lbs. No issues holding an alignment. Definately not as strong as the factory stuff but plenty strong enough for a weekend cruiser or street/strip car. I wouldn't want a tubular k-member/A-Arms on a daily driver, I would worry about them holding up to pot holes(especially the A-arms). Weight savings and easier access are the real advantages. Unless you are a serious racer a tubular k-member and a-arms are probably not worth the cost...not a good bang for your buck mod in my opinion. For a mostly street driven car I would stick with a stock k-member and A-Arms.

 

Thanks for the honest input on these K members everyone. 30-50 pounds weight savings and the accessibility looks great from the pics posted. I can see that being a slight advantage on the strip or road course.

But -I like to keep my own car available for those occasional long trips to different states…and it kinda sounds like this frame/A-arms might not be idea for long hauls. That's not to say something else might not break mechanically on my car anyway…

I'm a bit critical on some of the aftermarket suspension parts due to the fact that I managed to break a stock K-frame on a old Dodge Charger I had years ago…of course running into a divider didn't help.

I hit the thing doing around 40 mph in heavy rain…..and it ripped the lower control arm mounting holes/bushing holes oblong on the drivers side lower control arms in the K frame…the whole wheel leaned inward. So the whole stock K frame was toast and had to be replaced…

So my concern with the lighter tubular K-members is that it would only take a big pothole or something less drastic to crack them, or cause a weld to separate etc...

 

Made in the good ol usa too! (correct?)

 

I honestly dont see that happening esp with the re-enforced road race designs that have connections gusseted. It really looks strong! I cant wait to hopefully pull my front wheels a few ft in the air and come down all 2000 lbs on front end. It should really test the suspension design lol

 

The PA Racing K-member I put in my car was by far the easiest tubular K-member install I've ever done on any car, and I've done upwards of a dozen from most of the popular brands across 4 different platforms.

 

i too have a pa racing kmember.....it's a good bit lighter, way more header room.

 

Are these likely to be re-engineered in chrome-moly any time soon? It seems to me that the potential additional weight savings are significant since the K-member is composed mostly of tubular sections, and that those additional weight savings may make the swap significantly more compelling.

 

Re-engineered? Have you shopped an aftermarket K-member? Nearly EVERY company offers them in chromoly. They're for strip use ONLY.

 

It seems that we were talking about the UMI "road race" unit, which I have not seen in 4130 -- have you? My question pertains only to that particular model by that manufacturer but perhaps I was not clear enough.

I am not aware of anything about 4130 which prohibits its use in street cars if that is your implication -- it just makes for a lighter car (on many parts, relative to mild steel) at a somewhat greater expense, partly because it requires TIG welding so can't be slopped together with MIG like a lot of other parts are. Would you like to report on some weakness of this material which you regard as prohibitive for street cars?

Were the UMI road race unit to be offered in 4130, its development would justify a certain amount of re-engineering. There are rules of thumb for the substitution of 4130 for mild steel, but particularly due to the existence of welded joints, it's really a better practice to re-develop an item especially for the material.

You seem either offended by your misconception of what I meant, or mocking. I'm not interested in interacting with either of those emotional poses, but I hope that this response has cleared any misconception for you.

 

I didn't see any discussion about the UMI road race K-member. The "road race" versions are designed for additional strength. It would be counterproductive to offer a heavily braced design with a more brittle material. Chromoly K-members break under high torsional loads or impacts (which are common on the street), and the manufacturers are aware of this through years of warranty issues and angry customers. Chromoly is for drag racing only.

 

Just thought I would weigh in on the Spohn k member...

I have the mild steel tubular Spohn k member. Everything bolted up great (I use Spohn a arms too). HOWEVER, my car is lowered a bit with Eibach Pro (not the Sportlines) springs/new GM spring isolators and I have the complete centerlink/tie rod setup from Spohn, I think it's OEM'd by Moog?

When my front suspension compresses, the thick diameter tie rod hardware setup rubs the k member because the notch in the tube does not go high enough to take into account a lowered vehicle. It has rubbed thru the black powder coating at the top edge of the notch on each side.

 

I would be interested in seeing a picture, no problems on my UMI so I would be interested in seeing/knowing a difference that you're describing.

 

Has anyone done the lsx swap with any of these? Just wondering about keeping a/c. Any other complaints?

 

made the swap over to UMI also.
alot better customer service.
will be doing a full post on how some of there stuff/parts works with ea other.with full photos.
will put light on a few things..

 

Thanks for all the great feedback.

Our RR version is our standard version with additional bracing added. We do not used chromoly on our k-members.

thanks again,
Ryan

 

100% fall into place. like it came off the car.
100% works with others A arms

no tire/wheel setback like on sphons

lots of room for anybodys tierods

also picked up a set of there uper coil over plates..
as im thinking about swaping out the ones that came with QA1s rear coil overs...

 

I wonder if one could chain the engine to a bar spread over the shock towers, and remove the k-member and swap it without taking the engine out.

If I have to take the engine out of this car one more time, I'm parting it out

-- Joe

 

Looks great! Super clean installation and car.

What motor mounts will you be running?

 

I dont see why not, i would have bar hooked there and to engine so all weight is supported equally across the bar

 

That's kinda what I was thinking. Might be a winter project. Could use better clearance with the turbo piping.

-- Joe

 

There are a few threads where this is talked about. I did mine by simply using a Jack and wood boards under the oil pan. Another member used 4x4 wood with a chain like you suggest and another member bought the $80 piece that harbor freight tools sell, I think it's intended for fwd cars.

 

I have a lift in the garage.

I do have one of those contraptions for FWD cars, but It is kind of designed for an engine bay that has 4 flat locations to hold it in place. I think I used it once years ago on a thirdgen and it slipped.

I'm kid of stuck in a rut with my car. I've not really looked at it in a few months. I need some motivation. I hate sinking more money into it, but it's still 'not right'..

-- Joe