View Poll Results: What k-member should I buy?
Voters: 254. You may not vote on this poll
What k-member should I buy? UMI's or Spohn's?
01-09-2007, 11:31 AM
#21
Nope, not allowed to have that in my class.
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Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
01-09-2007, 11:48 AM
#23
That's true *most* are. And that's why when UMI decided to build one to save a few pounds from stock (25 actually), Ryan I talked about just that and how there wasn't an option worth a damn strength wise. Hence the double tubes and the gussets, etc.
And that's why I think it's the only option. Given the fact you save 25 pounds, you'd only save about 10 more with the other, but give up a LOT of strength. And there is a scary misunderstanding with folks in regards to street driving. Street driving is HARD on parts. Potholes, curbs, running over stuff on the road. Add a lot of side load to that and you need a good strong part. Also there is a lot of misunderstanding about what's "strong". Others brag about how cars can do wheelstands and not break k-members. Ok, but that has nothing to do with anything. The force exerted in a wheelstand it slammed through the shocks, springs and ultimately to the shock towers, not through the k-member. The load that does get through the k-member is a lateral force, which drag cars don't see much. That's why they tend to be flimsy.
Most k-members are all about weight, that's all. That's fine for a drag only car. For a car that is used, give up a few pounds for safety sake. BTW, I know of STOCK k-members that have broken. While rare it can happen and they are a lot beefier than those single tube designs. MHO of course.
And that's why I think it's the only option. Given the fact you save 25 pounds, you'd only save about 10 more with the other, but give up a LOT of strength. And there is a scary misunderstanding with folks in regards to street driving. Street driving is HARD on parts. Potholes, curbs, running over stuff on the road. Add a lot of side load to that and you need a good strong part. Also there is a lot of misunderstanding about what's "strong". Others brag about how cars can do wheelstands and not break k-members. Ok, but that has nothing to do with anything. The force exerted in a wheelstand it slammed through the shocks, springs and ultimately to the shock towers, not through the k-member. The load that does get through the k-member is a lateral force, which drag cars don't see much. That's why they tend to be flimsy.
Most k-members are all about weight, that's all. That's fine for a drag only car. For a car that is used, give up a few pounds for safety sake. BTW, I know of STOCK k-members that have broken. While rare it can happen and they are a lot beefier than those single tube designs. MHO of course.
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www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
01-09-2007, 11:58 AM
#24
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Originally Posted by slick1851
Most of these parts are more for Drag racing than hard road racing and auto cross
01-09-2007, 12:18 PM
#25
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what if the car only comes out once in a while, Would you guys reccommend the spohn or the umi. It will also be going to the track more often as well. I figure if i get a spohn I will get the chromeoly. I just haven't figured out what I am going to go with yet.
01-09-2007, 12:35 PM
#27
I don't get it--really. If you don't drive your car all the time, is it ok to use weaker parts? Funny, how so many junk the 10-bolts for 9" or 12-bolts having never broken one. But when it comes to a K-member and a lot fewer bucks for something beefier, then it becomes a second guessing game.
You can do whatever you like, certainly. But I think you all need to take a long hard look at the stock part, then compare it to the single tube designs. Then look at the UMI part.
You can do whatever you like, certainly. But I think you all need to take a long hard look at the stock part, then compare it to the single tube designs. Then look at the UMI part.
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
01-09-2007, 02:15 PM
#28
Originally Posted by Sam Strano
I don't get it--really. If you don't drive your car all the time, is it ok to use weaker parts? Funny, how so many junk the 10-bolts for 9" or 12-bolts having never broken one. But when it comes to a K-member and a lot fewer bucks for something beefier, then it becomes a second guessing game.
You can do whatever you like, certainly. But I think you all need to take a long hard look at the stock part, then compare it to the single tube designs. Then look at the UMI part.
You can do whatever you like, certainly. But I think you all need to take a long hard look at the stock part, then compare it to the single tube designs. Then look at the UMI part.
01-09-2007, 02:17 PM
#29
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I wanted to do the Kmember for my car a few years back for the extra weight savings and the added room was a bonus. But at the time there was nothing out there IMO that would hold up for street use I have seen to many posts about them breaking. For the amount of money I have put in the car I am not going to worry about saving a few dollars and a few pounds to me my saftey is more important. I will be getting the UMI setup for my car and I am glad I waited the few extra years for this well built product to come out. 
My car sees more street use than track use but I will still get the beefier part regardless and my car has been out of the garage twice in the past 3 months.
My car sees more street use than track use but I will still get the beefier part regardless and my car has been out of the garage twice in the past 3 months.
01-12-2007, 08:29 AM
#30
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Originally Posted by The1N_only
Like i said in my earlier statement, if your that worried about strength keep your damn stock K-member. I drag race, I dont put my car though the same things that you do. look at how many guy have put the car on the rear bumber and or carried the wheels a good distance and bottem out the K-member. You dont really hear stories about them breaking. I will go with a single tube because of weight
Originally Posted by Sam Strano
Also there is a lot of misunderstanding about what's "strong". Others brag about how cars can do wheelstands and not break k-members. Ok, but that has nothing to do with anything. The force exerted in a wheelstand it slammed through the shocks, springs and ultimately to the shock towers, not through the k-member. The load that does get through the k-member is a lateral force, which drag cars don't see much. That's why they tend to be flimsy.
01-12-2007, 09:00 AM
#32
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Originally Posted by The1N_only
Like i said in my earlier statement, if your that worried about strength keep your damn stock K-member. I drag race, I dont put my car though the same things that you do. look at how many guy have put the car on the rear bumber and or carried the wheels a good distance and bottem out the K-member. You dont really hear stories about them breaking. I will go with a single tube because of weight
In reality the OEM design is based on many factors including manufacturing costs, R&D budget, testing capablities, design goals, etc. I'm confident that GM could have made the K-member differently and saved a reasonable amount of weight had they wanted to do so. Problem is that wasn't necessarily their mandate. The part that they designed, built, and installed on our 4th Gens is the result of whatever constraints the designers were working under (eg they obviously wouldn't have come up with a tubular design just strictly based on the cost and labor involved in building such a thing) at the time. But this does not imply that with some thought and different constraints that a different part couldn't be produced with different design targets. For example, if you are willing to spend $500 on a tubular welded part to save 25lbs then that is your target. Joe Blow - average GM customer - could care less about this and likely wouldn't part with the money even if it were an option. Hence this is not a focus for GM on a $25k F-body. Now to see what is capable you need look no further than the C6 Z06 and its use of lightweight materials and designs. There is a car with different design constraints (and the higher price tag to go with it). See what I mean?
Bottom line is that with a well-thought-out design using constraints that match YOUR desires you can save weight (maybe not as much as the lightest aftermarket K-member) AND keep the strength to feel confident in the part for applications other than 1/4-mile straights.
01-12-2007, 09:09 AM
#33
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so has anyone begged Ryan for a CM unit yet? :o
everyone else is saying "Oh I'll do the lighter one, with CM" ...
fine... but if Sam says its not going to handle daily driving, there's no way in hell I'd buy it ... Daily Driving on parts is hard as hell especially in a place like, say, Houston... where some of the worst stretches of roads tend to be in the busiest parts of town... it's tearing my stock suspension up having to drive up certain roads every day back and forth, I can't imagine going to an aftermarket part and having it hold up even worse than the stock parts.
when you buy aftermarket, you buy for strength and quality of fitment, not just weight loss, that's an added bonus ....
why do you think you buy LCA's, Panhards and Torque Arms vs. keeping the stockers?
not necessarily for weight loss, but the strength and quality of fitment is a HUGE thing.
how about the 9" or 12 bolt like Sam mentioned? you sure as **** aren't saving any weight in that area...
sway bars? they might be slightly heavier for a better bar, but it's going to do its job a hell of a lot better...
why skimp out on something that is basically holding your entire front end together? If you're really worried about 15 pounds on the front, you can lose it from other places without compromising the structural integrity of the car... take off the bumper bar under the nose piece, relocate the battery, lightweight aluminum radiator, no tcs, abs... aftermarket hood even...
that's the one place I'd not ever take the risk... even if you're only drag racing and don't see a whole lot of lateral force, if you land the front tires and that bar snaps, it'll take you either right into a wall, or right into the other racer. Once that part goes, you go, and if you survive, you'll be looking for a new car, and having thoughts of suing for an inferior product, even though you were warned by many, and you'll just waste your time in the whole ordeal.
sorry, but I love Steve's products and what he's done for the 3rdgen and 4thgen communities, but just because he's been around awhile doesn't necessarily mean he's always the best. He's got a great thing and I'm not knocking that at all, but for the K-Member... thats just one thing I wouldn't be able to do. I can't take the risk like some others can ... I want something I know will hold up, no matter what I do with it, short of installing it wrong or jumping over a broken bridge Dukes of Hazzard style.
everyone else is saying "Oh I'll do the lighter one, with CM" ...
fine... but if Sam says its not going to handle daily driving, there's no way in hell I'd buy it ... Daily Driving on parts is hard as hell especially in a place like, say, Houston... where some of the worst stretches of roads tend to be in the busiest parts of town... it's tearing my stock suspension up having to drive up certain roads every day back and forth, I can't imagine going to an aftermarket part and having it hold up even worse than the stock parts.
when you buy aftermarket, you buy for strength and quality of fitment, not just weight loss, that's an added bonus ....
why do you think you buy LCA's, Panhards and Torque Arms vs. keeping the stockers?
not necessarily for weight loss, but the strength and quality of fitment is a HUGE thing.
how about the 9" or 12 bolt like Sam mentioned? you sure as **** aren't saving any weight in that area...
sway bars? they might be slightly heavier for a better bar, but it's going to do its job a hell of a lot better...
why skimp out on something that is basically holding your entire front end together? If you're really worried about 15 pounds on the front, you can lose it from other places without compromising the structural integrity of the car... take off the bumper bar under the nose piece, relocate the battery, lightweight aluminum radiator, no tcs, abs... aftermarket hood even...
that's the one place I'd not ever take the risk... even if you're only drag racing and don't see a whole lot of lateral force, if you land the front tires and that bar snaps, it'll take you either right into a wall, or right into the other racer. Once that part goes, you go, and if you survive, you'll be looking for a new car, and having thoughts of suing for an inferior product, even though you were warned by many, and you'll just waste your time in the whole ordeal.
sorry, but I love Steve's products and what he's done for the 3rdgen and 4thgen communities, but just because he's been around awhile doesn't necessarily mean he's always the best. He's got a great thing and I'm not knocking that at all, but for the K-Member... thats just one thing I wouldn't be able to do. I can't take the risk like some others can ... I want something I know will hold up, no matter what I do with it, short of installing it wrong or jumping over a broken bridge Dukes of Hazzard style.
04-04-2007, 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by 3.4camaro
i just ordered a spohn. ill make a thread if it breaks.
Thats funny, but really I think both of them are great, and I seriously doubt that either one of them will break...