K member spacing and safety questions...

Adam95GT · Mar 19, 2009

Ok were i put in the k member and noticed the qa1 was not as quality as expected:

i had to grind down the nut to fit on the back side of the a arm...

I also had to clearence the stock a arms i knew about this no big deal but did i cut too far??? i thought i did so we added some metal:

There was also a gap on the sides of the a arms... is this normal or should we add a washer to the back side to add positive camber or is it caster???

also ran in to problems with the stock bolt hold down system for the back of the k member tried to weld to fix with no luck had to cut a small hole and use some good hardware to hold it together

You guys think im ok

95strokerPSU · Mar 19, 2009

If you build a halfass motor, it'll blow up and you'll coast to a stop. If you put together a halfass suspension you could be running off the road, or worse, into a another car.

There's some things we "can make work". I don't think anything suspension or brake related should fall into that category.

Honestly that control arm looks pretty bad. Do it right

Adam95GT · Mar 19, 2009

95strokerPSU said:
If you build a halfass motor, it'll blow up and you'll coast to a stop. If you put together a halfass suspension you could be running off the road, or worse, into a another car.

There's some things we "can make work". I don't think anything suspension or brake related should fall into that category.

Honestly that control arm looks pretty bad. Do it right

Know any tube arms that work with stock style suspension not coil overs

most people grind the tabs off completely i just went down with them... http://www.mustangmafia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16255

Pokageek · Mar 19, 2009

95strokerPSU said:
If you build a halfass motor, it'll blow up and you'll coast to a stop. If you put together a halfass suspension you could be running off the road, or worse, into a another car.

There's some things we "can make work". I don't think anything suspension or brake related should fall into that category.

Honestly that control arm looks pretty bad. Do it right

:Word: or kill someone else. Not worth it.

Killercanary · Mar 19, 2009

Yikes! I wouldn't run that A arm after you cut it up. I'm not sure what the other picture is showing.

PA racing make A arms that work in the factory as well as aftermarket K members with spring perches. They are shaped like a D though and as such they don't offer as much wheel/tire clearance as the stock arms do when the wheel is turned lock to lock.

ProKiller · Mar 20, 2009

i wouldn't trust that a-arm. besides, your putting in a k-member and doing all that work on the engine bay, do it right. get better arms.

Adam95GT · Mar 20, 2009

It was just the tabs though i didnt touch the metal that holds the bushing at all

divit250r · Mar 20, 2009

Adam95GT said:
It was just the tabs though i didnt touch the metal that holds the bushing at all

The problem lies in that it's a stamped part, all those ribs are necessary for stiffness and rigidity. It will flex like a demon, that's what I'd worry about. The bead of weld might actually make it want to stress crack more quickly, since it won't really flex.

You might be able to take a piece of sheet steel and form it into a radius and 'cap' the arms by welding it in to make the open end closed. Just a thought.

Scott

madams74 · Mar 20, 2009

Taking a torch to that was not a good idea. You probably fried the bushings as well. You could have used a grinder to clearance them. Yes, those nuts have to be done that way on a Qa1. You do not have to remove that material with the blue tip. You use the stock A-Arms and casually remove the material with a grinder. You bolt them up and when they swivel up and down without eubbing the K-member, you stop. Little bit at a time. I would find me a wrecked Mustang and go about getting me another A-Arm. You have weakend those with the heat cycle and the torch most likely. Qa1 specifies the need for removing this material in the directions, so for those who do not know, it is a must. The other thing is that nut bracket. Good lord, get one from another Mustang as well. The gaps are normal. When you torque the bolts for those A-arms to the proper toque the metal flanges on the K-member will flex and close the gaps. A mess like this is like the economy. It is going to come falling out from underneath people at any given moment.

Yobi1Kanobi · Mar 20, 2009

Im sorry but I wouldnt use it. And I reuse alot of things

Adam95GT · Mar 20, 2009

madams74 said:
Taking a torch to that was not a good idea. You probably fried the bushings as well. You could have used a grinder to clearance them. Yes, those nuts have to be done that way on a Qa1. You do not have to remove that material with the blue tip. You use the stock A-Arms and casually remove the material with a grinder. You bolt them up and when they swivel up and down without eubbing the K-member, you stop. Little bit at a time. I would find me a wrecked Mustang and go about getting me another A-Arm. You have weakend those with the heat cycle and the torch most likely. Qa1 specifies the need for removing this material in the directions, so for those who do not know, it is a must. The other thing is that nut bracket. Good lord, get one from another Mustang as well. The gaps are normal. When you torque the bolts for those A-arms to the proper toque the metal flanges on the K-member will flex and close the gaps. A mess like this is like the economy. It is going to come falling out from underneath people at any given moment.

They were grinded not cut we welded on a little extra metal just incase. The bracket was replaced nstead by grade 8 bolts/nuts/lock washers and should be fine... i just wasnt sure if the grind was too close it gives room for full range of motion. I figured that the gaps were normal they looked a little big however.

you think i should weld some bars r wrap a 16g or 22g piece of metal around it and weld it in for extra support

madams74 · Mar 21, 2009

Check your PM Adam. Real quick though, from the pic on the top it really looks like slag from a cutting torch. Good to know you did not use the torch. I did not place the spring on the A-arm and just kept working it up and down in I found a gap that was not rubbing and then left 2-3 mm of room. Read closely about the hardware. If you insist on using Grade 8, then do not use lock washers and a regular nut. Get the Nylon locking style nut, and go ahead and use a flat and lock washer. You can use Loc-Tite and think to yourself you will be OK, BUT the guy who does the alignment may have to loosen the K-member up for adjustments. It wont help you then.

mustangnick88 · Mar 22, 2009

I had to do the same thing with my ford racing lower arms. I have alot more meat than yours. maybe mine are offset a little cause I only had to grind a very little.

thethirdeye88 · Mar 23, 2009

we didnt have to grind anything for mine, then again i went for the coilovers and tube A arms too...but if you are still having problems finding some, i should still have my stock ones...

Zero_chance · Mar 23, 2009

Cobra A arms are cheap enough as well, if you wanted to source new ones. Ive contemplated a new K member over the years but always stopped when I started thinking about how long all the bolts have been in place that hold it in. 15 years without moving and something tells me theyre not going to want to come out at all....

Adam95GT · Mar 23, 2009

only one problem bolt

madams74 · Mar 24, 2009

PB Blaster and then try them in 15 Minutes. You wont have a problem.

Zero_chance · Mar 24, 2009

I think working at the dealer for so many years makes me wary of a lot of things I maybe shouldnt be.

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