You took the words right out of my mouth

 

Nice kit for sure.

Question, after everything is installed, do you have to drop the motor and K-member to change out a turbo? or can you get it out from the top?

 

Awesome, can't wait fo rmore pics.

 

Its a lot easier if you lower the k member away from the car, You can not remove turbos from the top, they are under the engine.

 

"Oh one last thing concerning the K-member design, I’ve spent over $8,000 with a patent attorney
and I don’t plan on letting any one copy it."

Nice Glad to hear it! That's what I wanted to hear. Hate to see someone pour there heart into something and not patent it.

 

This kinda sucks, would be nice if a turbo could be removed without lowering the k-member. Can the k-member be lowered enough without unhooking any of the suspension to remove a turbo?

 

I would hate to tell you that you could do it that way
and you find out that you can’t.

To be honest, you would be better off dropping the motor. Just about anything major you do to these cars
is easier if the motor comes out.

I see heads and cam swaps done with the motor in
but I would pull it.

I can have one out in 3-4 hr’s and not kill my self doing it.

I have a 2 post lift so that helps a bunch.

 

I agree with you and I have a 2 post lift also but I have NEVER dropped the motor out of the bottom. When you drop the motor out the bottom the car is stuck on the lift until you get it back together. I have always pulled the motor out the top and I can do that in about 3 hours and when I'm done, I can remove the car from the lift if I need to.

I wouldn't consider needing to remove a turbo a major thing to do on our cars, so that is why I would want to unbolt one and be able to get it off.

 

no, you can just put the k member and suspension back in less motor..

 

True but then I would want to check the alignment again.

 

If you leave the lower control arms on the K-member the alignment should be good.

Just un-hook the brake line, lower ball joint, tie rod end and set the strut, spindle and brake assembly out as a unit.

If you pull the motor out the bottom one time you will be amazed at how easy it is.

 

I can drop my motor and trans in the kmember by myself in 30-45 minutes with a lift. I would never pull one of these out the top. It's too easy to go out the bottom.

 

Well I guess we can agree to disagree...I will never pull one out the bottom...LOL

 

I've pulled engines out the 4th gens out top since the mid 90s. Not gonna change that now with trans attached with just a hoist and stands. Only pulled out the bottom becuz a tubular kmember was going back in place of stock.

 

try it, i've done it both ways and i'll never pull it out the top again...

 

Any time the K is removed you need to have it aligned. Even if you mark them like you should, it still SHOULD be aligned.

On that note, I can drop a k/trans in 45 mins on a lift... so why not?

 

Chris, Can you please confirm what material the K is made out of? ALso have any tests been carried out to ensure the stiffness matches/exceeds that of the stock unit?

Chris.

 

I have done it out the bottom before. Taking it out the top you don't have to mess with the brakes or have the car aligned again.

I agree if all you want is to get the motor out you can get it out quicker out the bottom but for me I will always pull it out the top. For about 3 hours I can have the motor sitting on an engine stand with no accessories or the intake and the brakes are still connected and the alignment hasn't been changed.

 

The K-member is 100% mild steel, no chrome moly anywhere.
The elbows that the turbo intakes breath threw are ¼ wall forged
steel. All the plate that makes up steering rack and control mounts
is 3/16 mild steel.

I chose mild steel because it’s easy to get, can be mig welded, and it is
not as sensitive to cracking and it’s about half the price.

People think 4130 is lighter, it’s not. It’s a lot stronger so you can use thinner
tube and that’s where the weight savings come from.

I don’t see the point in using chrome if it is welded to mild anyway.

It’s the design that makes a K-member rigid not the material.

I bought K-members from every major players in the F-body game.
I was not able to do what I done using there K-members.
Things were in the wrong place.

By me making my own K-member I have 100% control over lead time,
fitment and quality control.

By the end of this summer I will have my powder coating shop up and running.
My powder coater is a great guy, but it took him 3 weeks to get my parts
back to me.

One more reason to bring as much of this kit in house as I can.


I took features that I liked from all of them to help me with this new
design and I employed my own features like the fully boxed rear mounting
point for the lower arm and the hole for the bolt tab on the front mounting point.

This hole is a bigger deal than most realize. That hole is put there from GM
so the alignment tech can put a wrench on the head of the bolt and swing the bolt
back and forth though the slot to make alignments easy.

He can push and pull on his wrench and move the control arm ¼, ½ a degree or what ever
he needs just like the factory K-member.

 

Chris,

Post up more install pics! Everything looks great.

-W