BMR vs Spohn vs UMI
01-25-2006, 08:13 AM
#1
BMR vs Spohn vs UMI ok, I need your opinions over here. I need to get a trak pak, due to the fact that I broke the factory torque arm. I am running Hooker Lt's, and a Moser 12 bolt. Which track pak is best for my application, and which one isnt going to clean out my wallet, and which one will stand up to a beating? One of my concerns is the fact that my car is lowered, and I am worried a little about ground clearance. I have no problems with my Lt's scraping anything right now. I have also heard horror stories about people with Moser's breaking Spohn's. Thank you for your input on this.
Rob
Rob
01-25-2006, 08:29 AM
#2
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Home: Flint, MI Stationed: Charleston, SC
Posts: 1,248
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I plan on going with all UMI suspension and chassis parts. They make a really good torque arm with a driveshaft loop installed onto it. There's lots of options with the torque arm. You should check it out. They are also comming out with a K member in the spring. My 2 cents.
BOSS APPROVED!
01-25-2006, 05:57 PM
#7
10 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had to get rid of my Spohn cuz it drug everywhere with the car being lowered. Went with BMR and the trans-relo bracket. I have a Stange 12-bolt and true duals. The Spohn is a GREAT unit, and VERY well built I would say better than BMR regular stuff not the Extreem but it just hung too low, I could not go over speed bumps with out dragging.
Trending Topics
01-25-2006, 07:03 PM
#8
TECH Addict
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Honolulu HI
Posts: 2,513
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rob, you know ive got the spohn chassis mounted ta....after the 9" install, i can hear everything!!!! Go with UMI's tranny mounted TA. It will hold the power your making and it will have good clearance also. Oh yeah, its cheaper than all of the others too.
Nino
Nino
01-26-2006, 08:50 AM
#9
well thats just the thing....I kinda dont want a tranny mounted one. My buddy has a trak pak on his 98, with a 9inch, and I have seen him launch his car at 5500 on slicks without any problems at all......I did get a quote for a BMR trak pak for $379.00 shipped too, so I may be going with that.....
01-26-2006, 11:44 AM
#10
10 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yeah, the thing I worry about the tranny mounted one with a 6M is all that instant TQ off the line, I have heard of people snapping their tail-shaft off the trans! That is why I went with something that moves that force off the end of the trans.
01-26-2006, 11:45 PM
#12
TECH Addict
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: NorcaL
Posts: 2,187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Im a very impressed with UMI, I got the 3 point SFCs and they rock. Noticeable improvement. i thought I wasnt going to feel a difference but I did. Even my shop where I got them welded on was impressed with them.
I say, UMI
Im going to keep on buying their stuff
I say, UMI
Im going to keep on buying their stuff
01-27-2006, 12:12 AM
#13
12 Second Club
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ft. Irwin, California (But Virginia is home)
Posts: 1,501
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes
on
1 Post
I'll chime in with my $0.02 on UMI's stuff, as I installed a chassis mounted torque arm, adjsutable LCA's (combo poly/spherical), and adjustable panhard rod two weeks ago.
The LCA's and the panhard rod are solid, well made, and dropped right in with no probs. Wheel hop is GONE since installing them. Increase in road noise was pretty small too. Definetly recommend.
Torque Arm. Wasn't quite so happy with this piece. I'm really not for or against this one. I'll just say what I've experienced: It looks nice and appears to be built to withstand massive abuse. I noticed some good some bad. I'll start with the iffy and the bad.
1. The driveshaft loop provides less than 1/4" clearance between the loop and the driveshaft as well as the loop and the Y-pipe. The Y-pipe occasonally taps the loop when on rougher roads.
2. The rear torque arm bolts also come within 1/8" of the rear U-joint on the driveshaft. If the bolt heads were oriented away from the driveshaft (as the torque arm is shipped), then the 24mm retainer nuts will actually contact the driveshaft. Not cool. So, my rear torque arm retaining bolts had to be installed with the bolt head facing the driveshaft. No prob....unless one of these ever backs out
3. The front mount bolts were also a royal pain to install. Getting clearance to install and then torque the two front retaining bolts to 45ft/lbs is an exercise in frustration.
4. Because the front of the arm "floats" on a pivoting bracket, it occasionally bangs the trans tunnel of the car. It will also bang when the car is in the "unfriendly aftermarket cam zone"...about 1300-1700RPM's for me. This fore/aft bang causes the driveshaft to slide fore/aft too, which causes a weird hop/shudder in the car. It's really noticable in reverse!
The torque arm isn't totally bad. Here's the good:
1. If you whomp on the gas...it plants the rear end. Hard.
2. If you stomp on the brakes, there's no nose dive. It seems to suck the entire car into the road. That's pretty awsome.
It's the slow RPM daily driving and the install/ clearances that I wasn't super happy about.
One last thing. UMI had excellent customer service.
The LCA's and the panhard rod are solid, well made, and dropped right in with no probs. Wheel hop is GONE since installing them. Increase in road noise was pretty small too. Definetly recommend.
Torque Arm. Wasn't quite so happy with this piece. I'm really not for or against this one. I'll just say what I've experienced: It looks nice and appears to be built to withstand massive abuse. I noticed some good some bad. I'll start with the iffy and the bad.
1. The driveshaft loop provides less than 1/4" clearance between the loop and the driveshaft as well as the loop and the Y-pipe. The Y-pipe occasonally taps the loop when on rougher roads.
2. The rear torque arm bolts also come within 1/8" of the rear U-joint on the driveshaft. If the bolt heads were oriented away from the driveshaft (as the torque arm is shipped), then the 24mm retainer nuts will actually contact the driveshaft. Not cool. So, my rear torque arm retaining bolts had to be installed with the bolt head facing the driveshaft. No prob....unless one of these ever backs out
3. The front mount bolts were also a royal pain to install. Getting clearance to install and then torque the two front retaining bolts to 45ft/lbs is an exercise in frustration.
4. Because the front of the arm "floats" on a pivoting bracket, it occasionally bangs the trans tunnel of the car. It will also bang when the car is in the "unfriendly aftermarket cam zone"...about 1300-1700RPM's for me. This fore/aft bang causes the driveshaft to slide fore/aft too, which causes a weird hop/shudder in the car. It's really noticable in reverse!
The torque arm isn't totally bad. Here's the good:
1. If you whomp on the gas...it plants the rear end. Hard.
2. If you stomp on the brakes, there's no nose dive. It seems to suck the entire car into the road. That's pretty awsome.
It's the slow RPM daily driving and the install/ clearances that I wasn't super happy about.
One last thing. UMI had excellent customer service.
01-27-2006, 08:35 AM
#14
After talking to a friend of mine, who broke his Spohn tourqe arm, and it took out his pinion, I think that I am going with the BMR trak pak. I already have BMR LCA's, car has never had wheel hop. So along with that, I will be getting some re location brackets too. The one thing that I do not want is the DS loop. If I ever get the car down ET wise, and they start to question me at the track, then I will put one in it. I just dont like the look of the Spohn with the DS loop on it already. I have another friend that I have seen launch his car at 5500 on slicks, and he has never had any problems from his trak pak. As for ground clearence, well we are not driving 4 wheel drive trucks here, so ground clearence is always an issue. I am already careful driving around anyways, as to not hit my Lt's on things. I want to thank you all for your input on this subject, I really appreciate it. Thanks again
rob
rob
01-27-2006, 08:38 AM
#15
oh, and as for SFC's, I dont need them...in 2000 the verts came with a solid frame, my car does NOT flex at all
I pulled my car in a ditch sideways, to see if my frame flexed, stopped opened the doors, and there was no body flex at all And my car is already loud as hell inside anyways, due to the wining of the Moser But I dont mind it.....
I pulled my car in a ditch sideways, to see if my frame flexed, stopped opened the doors, and there was no body flex at all And my car is already loud as hell inside anyways, due to the wining of the Moser But I dont mind it..... 
01-27-2006, 01:35 PM
#17
Originally Posted by 1nastyss
Rob, im going UMI because ive heard nothing but good about them and u cant beat the price, and hes right, spoon hangs low because thats what i had on my ta and it drug without even being lowered and i know your car is slammed.
01-27-2006, 04:01 PM
#18
12 Second Club
iTrader: (24)
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Olathe, KS
Posts: 562
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Spohn quality seems good to me. I bought my Spohn T/A used. I did have to buy a new crossmemeber for it though. I also bought BMR SFCs and UMI PHR/LCAs. If I had it all to do over again I'd go UMI all the way. Quality is excellent and Customer service is impeccable. When you factor in cost...well UMI owns. Get in touch with Ryan and UMI. He's a great guy and will bend over backward to take care of you.
01-27-2006, 05:57 PM
#19
TECH Addict
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: The beautiful Kingdom of Bahrain
Posts: 2,401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Very nice informative thread. Before I read this thread I thought UMI was knock off crap but now I know Spohn isnt greater than all and there are many options out there. The T/A is going to be my hardest choice to make. I just cant decied who to get it from. These things arent cheap so I want to get the best one the first time around and have no regrets but I'm not willing to pay Madman prices for one.
02-12-2006, 06:44 PM
#20
Teching In
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Fay,NC
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sorry didnt realize the age of this thread
i have run the bmr for 2 years now and it has seen plenty of 1.59-1.55 60' times spraying nitrous out of the hole and it is still driveable as I have driven to and from Texas a couple of times now. It definatley lets you know where the bumps in the road are though as it is mounted to the sub-frames. BTW no clearance issues for me after a 1" drop.
i have run the bmr for 2 years now and it has seen plenty of 1.59-1.55 60' times spraying nitrous out of the hole and it is still driveable as I have driven to and from Texas a couple of times now. It definatley lets you know where the bumps in the road are though as it is mounted to the sub-frames. BTW no clearance issues for me after a 1" drop.