View Poll Results: What k-member should I buy?
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What k-member should I buy? UMI's or Spohn's?
12-29-2006, 10:30 PM
#1
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What k-member should I buy? UMI's or Spohn's? UMI's website says that their mild steel k-member saves 25 lbs. Spohn emailed me back saying that their mild steel k-member saves 32 lbs. and their chrome-moly k-member (which costs $250 more than the mild steel version) saves 40 lbs. Both vendors advertise their k-members to be perfectly fine on daily-driven vehicles. And the prices for the mild steel versions aren't that much different. Which k-member should I get and why? Thanks in advance for the info.
12-29-2006, 11:56 PM
#3
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Originally Posted by bigdsz
The UMI has twin cross member tubes that are gusseted, very stong. Also they have dual motor mount pedestal tubing, once again very strong. Does weigh a little more, but being able to jack under the cross is worth the extra weight.
A lil more weight and a lil stronger 
Also love there customer service. Very stand up guys! Last edited by 35thls1ss19; 12-30-2006 at 12:10 PM.
12-30-2006, 10:21 AM
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i have a full UMI front suspension ( sway bars upper and lower arms and a k-member ) and i wouldnt use anyone else, service was great and everything is very strong and looks great with that red!
12-30-2006, 11:35 AM
#7
Originally Posted by bigdsz
The UMI has twin cross member tubes that are gusseted, very stong. Also they have dual motor mount pedestal tubing, once again very strong. Does weigh a little more, but being able to jack under the cross is worth the extra weight.
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12-30-2006, 08:52 PM
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If you're dead set on an aftermarket K-member and you're going to daily drive your vehicle there is only one that I would use and that is UMI's (especially their marginally heavier road race version 
). All of the other designs I've seen look more suited to drag race-only applications IMHO.
). All of the other designs I've seen look more suited to drag race-only applications IMHO.
12-30-2006, 08:55 PM
#9
the whole reasoning for even thinking about putting an aftermarket K-member on your car is to loose weight and more room for other components Ex: Turbo set ups, big headers ect. if your that worry about strength then keep your stocker on there. To me the UMI piece is over kill and thats why when i order mine its going to be the Shohn CM one
12-30-2006, 09:09 PM
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Originally Posted by The1N_only
the whole reasoning for even thinking about putting an aftermarket K-member on your car is to loose weight and more room for other components Ex: Turbo set ups, big headers ect. if your that worry about strength then keep your stocker on there. To me the UMI piece is over kill and thats why when i order mine its going to be the Shohn CM one
Let's put it this way - IF you're wrong and you do in fact encounter a load case that Joe's Welding Shop (I use the fictitious name to prevent any finger pointing - its hypothetical) didn't realize was a design consideration for the OEM K-frame and you have a failure (unlikely as it may be), what are the consequences? Its an integral structural component of the car - not like a rear seat delete or cam install. You break a K-frame during a spirited romp on a curvy freeway entrance and it could be that we're reading about you in the newspaper tomorrow. Know what I mean?
12-30-2006, 09:11 PM
#12
Originally Posted by Fulton 1
Overkill? Have you done some stress analysis on the OEM piece and the UMI, so that you could confidently hand out this advice? Just curious what sort of data that you have that would lead you to this "overkill" conclusion? I sure hope its not, "So-and-so has had brand X on his street car for 2 years and its fine" either...
Let's put it this way - IF you're wrong and you do in fact encounter a load case that Joe's Welding Shop (I use the fictitious name to prevent any finger pointing - its hypothetical) didn't realize was a design consideration for the OEM K-frame and you have a failure (unlikely as it may be), what are the consequences? Its an integral structural component of the car - not like a rear seat delete or cam install. You break a K-frame during a spirite d romp on a curvy freeway entrance and it could be that we're reading about you in the newspaper tomorrow. Know what I mean?
Let's put it this way - IF you're wrong and you do in fact encounter a load case that Joe's Welding Shop (I use the fictitious name to prevent any finger pointing - its hypothetical) didn't realize was a design consideration for the OEM K-frame and you have a failure (unlikely as it may be), what are the consequences? Its an integral structural component of the car - not like a rear seat delete or cam install. You break a K-frame during a spirite
d romp on a curvy freeway entrance and it could be that we're reading about you in the newspaper tomorrow. Know what I mean?I agree, but i still stand by my statement. If your that worried about it breaking stick to your stock K-Member
01-01-2007, 05:45 PM
#13
I ordered a Spohn K-member and I am looking forward to changing out a OEM K-member that has been on the car for 91K miles and 8 years. I think it has done its job.
I hope to feel a little safer with the new parts as already stated I do not want to be in the head lines. I have alot of Spohn parts on the car already and every opart has come to me with perfect fit and finish.
I have had no problem with customer service.
I hope to feel a little safer with the new parts as already stated I do not want to be in the head lines. I have alot of Spohn parts on the car already and every opart has come to me with perfect fit and finish.
I have had no problem with customer service.
01-02-2007, 05:04 PM
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Originally Posted by N2RACINGLS1's
I ordered a Spohn K-member and I am looking forward to changing out a OEM K-member that has been on the car for 91K miles and 8 years. I think it has done its job.
I hope to feel a little safer with the new parts as already stated I do not want to be in the head lines. I have alot of Spohn parts on the car already and every opart has come to me with perfect fit and finish.
I have had no problem with customer service.
I hope to feel a little safer with the new parts as already stated I do not want to be in the head lines. I have alot of Spohn parts on the car already and every opart has come to me with perfect fit and finish.
I have had no problem with customer service.
same boat. im waiting on mine too
01-02-2007, 10:16 PM
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sorry to bud in here but this is just the thread i was looking for. my front suspension is completely stock, except for springs, and the ride is nasty. i'm all over the place when i get on it. i've got some aftermarket lower control arms waiting to go on the car but am waiting to buy more suspension. what will an aftermarket k-member do other than weight reduction? what is it's purpose?
01-04-2007, 05:49 PM
#17
Look at the size and beef of the stock K-member. Now, compare that to the aftermarket stuff.
Let's see, if I was after some weight savings, I'd consider what's lighter than stock, but also what's lighter and also strong. Driving around on the street and doing some drag racing isn't particularly hard on K-members, then again, I've seen stock ones break after time has passed. And me and my customers drive the cars around corners hard. This is after all the "handling and braking" section. Not the drag racing section. And all the lateral load generated goes through the k-member. Let's see, 3500 lb car, capable of 1g or sometimes more.... yeah, I want all that load going through one little tube. No thanks. And furthermore, because of the way the lower control arm is arranged, there is even more leverage acting upon the k-member from the rear part of the control arm. This is why when K-members break, they tend to break where the LCA mount and the cross tube intersect. This is why UMI's has not only two tubes, but also extra bracing.
Ryan could have made it lighter. I was against that. Anyone with a clue will realize that 25 pounds less and strong is better than 35 less and flimsy IMHO. Or at least I though that would have been the case.
Overkill..... no. Just smart.
Let's see, if I was after some weight savings, I'd consider what's lighter than stock, but also what's lighter and also strong. Driving around on the street and doing some drag racing isn't particularly hard on K-members, then again, I've seen stock ones break after time has passed. And me and my customers drive the cars around corners hard. This is after all the "handling and braking" section. Not the drag racing section. And all the lateral load generated goes through the k-member. Let's see, 3500 lb car, capable of 1g or sometimes more.... yeah, I want all that load going through one little tube. No thanks. And furthermore, because of the way the lower control arm is arranged, there is even more leverage acting upon the k-member from the rear part of the control arm. This is why when K-members break, they tend to break where the LCA mount and the cross tube intersect. This is why UMI's has not only two tubes, but also extra bracing.
Ryan could have made it lighter. I was against that. Anyone with a clue will realize that 25 pounds less and strong is better than 35 less and flimsy IMHO. Or at least I though that would have been the case.
Overkill..... no. Just smart.
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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
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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
01-04-2007, 05:51 PM
#18
BTW, for the record I sell UMI's K-member and that's all. I'm not willing to sell anything that is not that strong. I'm not going to have to feel guilty when a major part of the suspsension fails. I also had a lot of input into that part @ Ryan's request, and I think I'm at least partially the reason it's as beefy as it is.
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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
01-06-2007, 02:07 PM
#20
Sam, are you using the UMI K-member with the extra gussets on your autocross car? If not, when do you plan to install it, or, is it restricted in your class? I'm personally waiting for field testing before ordering one. But of those available, it's the only one I'd consider.