Tubular k-member on a street car

forum155pl · Feb 28, 2007

right off the UPR's site.. doesnt make it right .. but i have never seen a "crap i broke my K-Member" thread on stang net...
"UPR's all new Chrome-moly K-member kit - will save more weight and exceed any strength limitations of mild steel while allowing maximum header and oil pan clearance, This kit was designed for the abuse of hardcore dragrace, roadrace, and Street Enthusiasts !!!most importantly it will handle the everyday wear and tear of city & highway streets like that was it's main intent.!!!!

TonyG · Feb 28, 2007

01BlkGT said:
Well I've had mine for almost 30k now and haven't noticed any problems with it. I try and check for cracks when I can, but haven't noticed anything. That doesn't mean I'm not worried about it though, but it seems to be holding up pretty well to the rigors of DD, drag, and a bit of auto-x.

01BlkGT, what type of k-member do you have?

01BlkGT · Feb 28, 2007

Early edition of AJE k-member with tubular a-arms. Like I said, if I could do it again, I'd go MM or Griggs or nothing. There is a reason why MM and Griggs are well respected in the Auto-x/Road Racing community, and UPR is not:

http://www.corner-carvers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1638&highlight=upr

and here talks about MM and griggs:

http://forums.corner-carvers.com/showthread.php?t=21550

The newer AJE's are supposed to be solid, but I'm unsure if I have the one that was in the batch of failures or if mine is just fine. Oh well, eventually I will swap it out for the MM one and be done with it.

tomustang · Feb 28, 2007

Rickey_Bobby said:
-There are NO actual added cornering abilities
due to moving the front wheels foward such a small amount.

Having the block moved back 1/2in behind the front wheels will make a good deal of a difference, it's more weight tranfered to the rear...

Benny knows his schit.

Sometimes it is better to just save up and wait. MM has a long lasting great K-member that is good for both road racer and mild street rider, Griggs is more tward the hardcore corner carver and will feel harsher on the road, either way any aftermarket K-member will be harder on the road

myponyrocks · Feb 28, 2007

QA-1 on for well over a year, I've hit pot holes hard enough to need an immediate alignment... K is just fine.

UPR one is sitting on my couch and looks like a high quality piece.... Actually I'll dig up pics...

*EDIT* NOTE UPR changed their K-Memeber since the above linked thread where people had issues.

And here's the QA-1

LaserRed01GT · Feb 28, 2007

Most of the manufacturers of aftermarket k-members know damn good and well that people will be using them on the street. And this is why most of them are manufactured to be just fine for daily driven use. I had the PA k-member in my 8 second 97 Z28 and drove that car on the street all the time. Texas cops didn't like that.

BTW, after I installed the PA k-member in my 97 Camaro Z28, we measured the weight with aircraft scales on the front and rear tires. The motor mounts were moved back about 5/8". The weight difference on the the front/rear tires was negligible at best...a few pounds.

View attachment 400299

View attachment 400301

san~man · Feb 28, 2007

UPR and "roadracing" aren't generally used in the same sentence.

tomustang · Mar 1, 2007

LaserRed01GT said:
Most of the manufacturers of aftermarket k-members know damn good and well that people will be using them on the street.

Actually most of them do not care, it's about sale, if they did there would be data to follow. When was the last time ANY K-member company tested their parts in a crash rating? Never

LaserRed01GT · Mar 1, 2007

tomustang said:
Actually most of them do not care, it's about sale, if they did there would be data to follow. When was the last time ANY K-member company tested their parts in a crash rating? Never

LOL, dude if you crash hard enough to FUBAR your tubular k-member you are screwed anyway.....there are no two ways about it.

Any they do test their k-members. They test the tubing for it's compressive and tensile strengths, and they also sonic check the welds, at least most of them do. Tubular k-members are designed to save some weight, allow for custom suspension setups, and make room for custom modifications, and they do their job well. Tubular k-members aren't designed to save lives. It's not the aftermarket parts manufacturers responsibily to make your car safe either. Crash ratings aren't even applicable to most aftermarket parts anyway, as well they shouldn't be.

It's just common sense that if you are building a car to race, it's your responsibilty to accept the risk that comes along with racing.

san~man · Mar 1, 2007

IMO, and from what I've read here and on many other sites, "most" tubular K's are designed primarily to save weight. Most are also primarily designed for 1/4 mile cars, and NOT cars designed for street use or road racing. Does that mean they won't work on the street or last? No, of course not, but ultimately, that wasn't their intended goal when it was brought to the market.

The only two I'd ever consider buying are MM or Griggs. They've done their research, built something that lasts and is designed properly, and have a reputation for quality. It's also PROVEN to work. I honestly can't say the same for most or all of the other brands on the market.

And no, I'm not a fanboy, but before I throw my hard earned $700 to $1,000 (or more) on a product, I'm going to find out everything I can about it and read every article or review or thread about it until I puke.

Now, if you aren't a roadracer or your car doesn't see SCCA duty, do you necessarily "need" an MM or Griggs unit? No, but look at it this way: compare the price (Griggs doesn't really factor into this example) between an MM unit and the other brands and you'll realize that although you are spending more, it truly isn't "night and day" price-wise between the two. To me, I'd rather spend the few extra dollars.

forum155pl · Mar 1, 2007

i mob the **** outta my UPR with 0 problems..

LaserRed01GT · Mar 1, 2007

I know lots of guys (including myself) who have PA, AJE, D&D, and UPR k-members and have put them through many dropped wheelstands and they never broke. Dropped 45° wheelstands aren't easy on k-members either.

The Griggs and MM k-members are designed for road racing because of the additional bracing. This additional bracing makes them heavier than the rest which doesn't make them as good of an alternative for drag racing.

Unless you plan to take your Mustang offroad Baja racing, most of the aftermarket k-members are perfectly fine for daily driven street use.

san~man · Mar 2, 2007

Exactly.

If you want weight savings, any brand will "do."

However, if you want to improve upon the suspension and handling, IMO only Griggs and MM fit that bill.

Serper3 · Mar 2, 2007

i seconds that...
if ur remotely considering auto x or road course...
mm or griggs is the only way to go...

tomustang · Mar 2, 2007

LaserRed01GT said:
Any they do test their k-members. They test the tubing for it's compressive and tensile strengths, and they also sonic check the welds, at least most of them do.

I'd like to see these tests, even though UPR and PA are under the light in this thread, they post no data on their websites they offer of their product, so what's the point of strength test if they don't reveal data to back them up? Where are the track tested UPR or PA Road Race cars, or even winners for that matter? Track results, strength tests.. it's all hidden data I guess

LaserRed01GT said:
Unless you plan to take your Mustang offroad Baja racing, most of the aftermarket k-members are perfectly fine for daily driven street use.

There you have it. That's what everyone is agreeing on

Rickey_Bobby · Mar 3, 2007

Of everyone on here, who has actually run more than one brand of K member on they're car?
Well?
I dont jump on here after reading MM's website and start running my mouth.

Listen, the extra cash you spend for an MM product gets you an extra brace. one that cost me about $3 to fabricate.
Moving roughly 400-500 pounds 1/2" rearward is equivelant to having driver and passenger move their seats back an inch... you dont see many $1,000 seat bracket kits for weight distribution..... Think about it.
Also, not everyone always has the $$ for the most shiney part on the market. Why blow $200 when you don't need to. You're all so quick to spend someone elses cash. I stand by the UPR all the way. Take a lap with me at sebring and I promise you will **** your pants before that K member thinks of failing....

san~man · Mar 4, 2007

What type of track is Sebring?

Rickey_Bobby · Mar 4, 2007

san~man said:
What type of track is Sebring?

http://www.sebringraceway.com/track_lay.lasso

Rickey_Bobby · Mar 4, 2007

san~man said:
What type of track is Sebring?

http://www.sebringraceway.com/track_lay.lasso

LaserRed01GT · Mar 4, 2007

san~man said:
What type of track is Sebring?

You've never heard of the 12 hours of Sebring?? It's one of the biggest races in the country.

SIR is a road course down here in Florida. I think it was converted from an old Air Force base.

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