K-Member *Edited & Updated*
 

Need some help guys, looking for any input on this K-Member. I'd like to keep the Stock Springs/Front'end setup for now and this seems to be the only option to do that. Has anyone had any experience with QA1? Good product?

http://www.cjponyparts.com/qa1-tubul...96-2004/p/KM6/

Thanks.

i have a buddy that builds and races mustangs and i just called him. He said QA1 products are fine sir. :) He has one in his foxbody drag car that turns 11.80's.

Cool, thanks man. Still hoping for some more feedback, I want to make sure that it's not only good on the strip, but on the street too. I'm working to make my car more of a multi-use car, Drag strip and getting out on the open courses too. Just want to make sure that it's a strong/dependable unit for more than going in a straight line. :D

He also had one in his Mach 1 if that helps lol

Is he running Coil overs or stock A-arms & stock style springs?

He no longer has the Mach but he was running stock style suspension. I think he is running stock style in the fox too

I'm a big fan of AJE racing K-members and plan to use this one.

http://www.ajeracing.com/mustang.php

I was going to suggest the AJE as well.

Sorry guys, I'm not going to do a coil over kit, at least not at the moment. Anything that requires the tubular a-arms and coil overs is out of the budget for me.

The AJE can be had with spring seats and you can even get tubular lower control arms from them with spring pockets, that's why I suggested it.

Just scoll down and you will see the lighter tubular control arms that have spring seats on them.

How about PA racing? Anyone ever heard anything good/bad/ugly about them?

I like the fact that they do them specific to your application and I assume that they're built in the USA unlike the QA1.

http://www.paracing.com/catalog/prod...roducts_id=144

Bump, r3d, anybody? :rolleyes:

Not to steal your thunder here Evan, but I'm just curious as to what an aftermarket K-member does. I don't know too much about suspension, but apparently it is a replacement strut assembly? I can read up on that, but the part that bothers me is a statement made on AJE's website.

I'm thinking about lowering the car in the spring, but I've never heard any talk of K-members as far as lowering is concerned. What's the deal?

'Eh, I think the biggest bang with a K-member is the weight loss. Hundreds, even thousands of Mustangs drive around every day with lowered suspension and most of them are just fine. The only reason why I'm really considering it is because I am doing the headers and the Oil pan gasket so the stock K has to come out anyway.. Might as well replace it with something better.

I sent an Email to PA Racing since no one seemed to have much of an opinion on here, hopefully they can clear some things up for me.

Most people run QA1,AJE,MM,UPR ones. I can't think of anyone with a PA one.

This is another really good buget K-member which is also on my mind too.

Yes its UPR, but I have seen a local guys car hit the wall at the track with this and it was still straight with no broken welds or anything. It gets a thumbs up from me after seeing what happened to the car.
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-p...member-96.html

From the feedback that I've seen about the PA Racing unit, it looks like a really good piece. They build it to your specs, even apparently have the option for extra bracing for open course/auto cross stability. The best thing that I have read about it is the fact that it is built in the USA by PA racing, unlike the QA-1 unit which has apparently been outsourced in the last year or so.

I'm going to wait to hear back from them, but I'm thinking that this is the direction that I'm going to go.

Dustin, I would be really leary of any suspension pieces produced by UPR.. I've heard much more bad than good about their performance products...

To be honest with you, a couple years ago I would have said the same thing about UPR. But they've got a new guy in charge now, and it seems the quality has skyrocketed within the past year or so. Their old K-Members had fitment and breakage problems, but the newest one that's been out for over a year now has had no complaints at all. I helped install one, and it fit like a glove. I run their new Pro Upper control arms on my car now, and I have to be honest, before I bought them, I held them side by side with a Very Very Expensive upper control arm, and the UPR was beefier and better built, and half the price......

So I really wouldn't be nervous about UPR's parts anymore, it seems they've really improved lately and are getting rid of their bad name from years past.

Its true, they used to suck. But now the parts are really good. I am most likely going with their upper control arms over Steeda now.

Well, the UPR part looks nice, but again I would like to use stock style springs and perches.. Not quite ready to pony up the dough to do a coil over setup yet. If that is an option with their K-Member, it doesn't make any mention of it.... Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I just sent AJE an Email hoping that they could explain what all would be needed to make their product funtional to my application, it seems that their setup is going to be significantly more expensive to achieve nearly the same result as the PA racing product.. So we'll see.

put that money in the S/C fund. just sayin. I kno why you are doing the K... but... S/C so much cooler than a K.

S/C fund will be started afterwards... K-Member is far less expensive. lol

Plus, I'll have to wait until the extra kick of the Headers/Exhaust has worn off to need the S/C.. HA!

Just ordered the PA Racing setup. Plain and simply, it was the least complicated option. Less expensive than the AJE, but I believe that the quality will be the same. They both have the ability to be used with stock A-Arms or aftermarket coil over setups. The other thing that bothered me about the AJE piece is that the perches and motor mounts were bolt-on options, not welded... That was kind of funky.

Paid a total of $334.95 shipped for the PA compared to what would have been $428 with AJE.

at least you arent dismissing the S/C.

No, I definitely haven't, but I have to figure out what path I want to take before I really start buying parts and all of that stuff.. I'll have to do axles and stiffen up the driveline before I even start thinking about really adding more power. I'd like to find an aluminum drive shaft and some other small things as well..

I really want to go with a roots style blower, just simply because I love the sound.. I know that's stupid, but I know that I will never have the fastest Mustang so I want to build it to my expectations and what makes me happy with it.

I kind of jumped off course with my plans by buying all of the things that I have this winter, but my plan of having the car paid off this year is still in full effect and I do believe by the middle/end of the year it will be mine, free and clear.

not stupid at all, roots FTMFW.

I just wanted to mention that the guys at PA Racing have been very courteous in helping me make my decision. They have responded within a very acceptable amount of time to all of my Email questions, I even got an Email response from them tonight at 8PM. So if their product is as good as their customer service, I expect to be an extremely satisfied and repeat customer.

http://www.paracing.com/ :t:

This is for sale local to me...looks like a bitchin deal. I'm not ready for something like this just yet. Comes with A-arms and spring perches.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/pts/1586522554.html

Dude lives about a hour from me...


Edit: I didnt realize you already bought a K-member. Disregard.

A/S/L?

hmm...maybe I should of been more specific and left out why I cant buy it.

I found a AJE K-member and tubular A arms with spring perches for sale on my local CL.

The ad is above.

Clearly states Phoenix in the hyperlink.