I recently purchased a wonder bar from UMI performance. I was wondering if anyone had some pics of this bar installed on their car? I attempted to install it but noticed that the dual fans on my car blocked this bar. Does anyone have this set up on their car with dual fans? I called the company back up and they said to make it fit i needed to grind off some of the shroud where its hitting. I just wanted to see if anyone else had some tips before i do this. Thanks

 

Make sure the bar isn't upside down/backwards? They require a little pushing and shoving to get them to fit in right. I have a TDS bar and while it was straight forward to install, it required a bit of pushing and pulling on the swaybar and fan setup to fit in, but once I got it in place, it fit perfectly with no other modifications.

 

Well i think i should of done some reading before i bought the UMI one, cause i have read many people have purchased other Wonder Bars but from other companies and hit them fit dual fan setups. The thing that bothers me is i just called the comp and like i said they want me to grind away at the lower plastic covers around the bolts for the fans to make it fit. I just want to know if anyone has done this or has another way with this paticular bar?

 

I think the Spohn bar had issues with the dual fan setup and a 36mm swaybar combination. Don't recall what the fix was though. I bought my TDS bar for like $40-50, and it was definitely worth the price. Can get 'em cheaper than that even too. The stock wonderbar/steering brace off of an IROC can be had for pretty cheap sometimes. eBay tends to be expensive for those though. I've seen stock ones going for over $60 go figure.

 

i never heard of umi , do theyhave a website.

 

Yeah, it like UMIperformance.com or something, just do a search for umi performance and you will find it. Nice stuff too.

 

18inchboyds, here's the website, UMI Performance.

matt3383, your problem sounds like the one with the Spohn-designed wonderbar. I passed on modifiying the dual-fan supports and purchased a TDS wonderbar instead.

 

I have had nothing but good stuff sent from UMI. Thunbs up from me!

 

Me too, just got my rear relocation bracket from UPS today. Also have the following items from them, the panhard bar and rear lower control arm.

 

Well after some reading, i think im going to grind down the extra plastic around the rear fan mounts and see if i cant make this bar fit. Im too lazy to send it back do get 80% of what i paid for it back. So i will let you guys know if i can get it to fit tonight or not.

 

I believe this is the Stock wonderbar, Kinda Dirty tho maybe ill clean it soon.!!!

 

Yes those are the stock steering brace/wonder bar. Just happen to have 1 laying in the garage.

 

If you enjoy removing the LCA's everytime you would like to try and adjust they to proper alignment specs then hey, go for it. They are a slightly "cheaper" knockoff of Spohn's designs and are lacking the adjustability provisons that Spohn offers making them adjustable without having to unbolt them each time you try and get the setting correct. Sounds trivial until you try it, then you would wish you bought the Spohn ones.

 

Huh??? What are you talking about?

I can’t figure out what “they” could possibly be in reference to that has been mentioned in this thread that would have to be removed every time to align a car.

For that matter, how many times a week do you align your car? Donno about the rest of you, but I tend to get it someplace reasonable and leave it there, check it occasionally to make sure it hasn’t changed… It might have to be adjusted every few years when something wears out and gets replaced, if the car gets hit…

 

Hello Matt,

I was emailed a link to this post by a Thirdgen.org member and thought I would check it out and reply.

I am sorry you are having trouble with our Wonder Bar, when you ordered we should have specified some cutting may be required on the dual electric fan set up, but we must not have, sorry. Since this is our mistake I will not hit you with the 20% restocking fee and refund you a 100% if you still wanted to return it. If you would like to just email me or give us a call.

Thanks everyone else for the thumbs up

Regards,
Ryan

 

Well yesterday i decided to go at the fans but it started getting dark and rainging so i stopped. I did get the piece to fit in there better but it was still a little bit off. I think i need to just cut the plastic down a little further up than i have already and it should go in fine. I could get the pass side in but the driver side was off by about 1/4 inch, and it felt like it was hitting the fans. If i cant get it to fit this weekend i might take you up on that offer but im going to try and make it fit 1st. Thanks for the reply to my topic UMI

 

Gee, "they" meaning UNI products that are so called adjustable. Not hard to figure out.

Like I stated, unless you are familiar with using them, you will have no idea the ease Spohn's adjusting provisions offer over the UNI. Every thime you unbolt and try to shorten or lengthenone side or the other to get the thrust angle correct, you will fight having to realign the hole by having to kick the TQarm forward or rear so the hole will line up- love kicking crap on jack stands.

Also, every time you unbolt UNI "adjustable" LCA's and slightly alter the length, when you re-torque the rear bolt in place holding the rodend, they will just remain basically the same length because of slight bolt hole elongation. The shaft of the bolt will move back and forth in the holes- this is why you need to hav adjustable provisions WITHOUT having to remove the torqued bolts to adjust the thrust angle on an alignment rack.

You my friend don't need this but your alignment mechanic does if you want the alignment dialed flawless.

Spohn is well worth the few buck more compared to the crappy engineered UNI.

Dean

 

Man, I don't ahve a problem w/ you but don't you ever get tired of running your mouth about everybodies products except Steve Spohn's? This thread in no way had anything to do w/ Spohn LCA's or his relocation brackets, so keep your propaganda spewing mouth shut about it. Everybody knows that Spohn's stuff is awesome, I have some of both.....and I like both, but you don't need to go around saying that everything else is engineered crappy. Leave it alone, stop trying to find ways to put down what other people buy, and praise Spohn in a thread that wasn't about his products, go ahead and start a new thread about it if you would like. I think you make a good point USUALLY, not this time man. Let me do this for you, ALL HAIL STEVE SPOHN, he is the man.....but there is room out in the aftermarket for other products, and I feel that UMI offers another quality product. If you knew anything about UMI products that you are bashing, you would know the name is UMI, not UNI.

 

To the uninformed person that comes in here, clicks on the UMI link and then decides to go shopping because the price is less, I am simply giving them info on the downside of UMI adjustable products and why they are cheaper. You are simply getting what you pay for.

Most people do not have a good understanding of how suspension products work in the real world and also how adjustments can benefit, these don't.

If I "shut my mouth" like you so arrogantly want me too, someone may end up buying a set of these unaware of the trouble they will have trying to use the misnomered adjustment.
Some may not care and have no idea there car could be setup better.

I state facts around here, not personal preferences. Spohn products are the best, I recomend the best and state why they are the best. The day someone makes a product better, I will readily state they are better than Spohn- I don't get paid to say anything by anyone.

 

Now with that said above, UMI does make a proper adjustable arm for the Mustangs. Why are they not making these adjustment provisions for the F-body LCA's?

http://www.umiperformance.com/1017.htm

 

The fact of the matter is what, I understand that the way Steve Spohn's LCA"S adjust is a better setup than UMI's for our cars, but if you look at some of their other products, they adjust like Spohn's do. Given the fact some people want a nice product that can give them some adjustability in their car, they may not have enough money to buy from Steve, then they have the right to do it. The UMI products have a lifetime warranty also, and if nothing else provide a quality piece to replace the crappy factory one. I don't feel that I am arrogant, I just said that because I feel you are being inconsiderate, rude, and close minded.....thats all.

 

Exactly, what I was saying. Besides that, the products are very nice, and the customer service was also very good. I am not saying they are the best, but I am saying they are nice....plus how can they be the best....Only Spohn has that rank.

 

I'm being inconsiderate and rude?

My friend, I happen to be the one giving factual info on how they adjust and what problems arise with that style of so called adj.
That is being considerate to others and giving shoppers information to base their individual purchases on.

How is that inconciderate? or rude?

What have you contributed in the way of tech?
I have, read my review above.
You have not given any tech feedback.
Who's bias?

 

This may provide some info (but has nothing to do with UMI), since I too wondered about problems with dual electrics and an after market steering box brace:

https://www.thirdgen.org/techbb2/sho...hreadid=254631

JamesC

 

Yes, you are. You give very good tech advice, advice I follow....that's not the point. You also state your personal opinion on top of that.....thats what I am saying. You don't need to bad mouth products w/ out having all the info, someday(not likely this will happen) someone may have a better product than Spohn, then I doubt your view will change....thats how you are close minded.

 

plus how can they be the best....Only Spohn has that rank.

(Cough, Cough)
The jury is still out on that one!

 

Hello Dean,

Maybe these will help you out a little. We try to make different applications for different set ups. These are on our new web site that is being put up shortly, we also have the Panhard bar that is the indentical set up.

http://www.umiperformance.com/images/2017a.jpg

http://www.umiperformance.com/images/2017c.jpg

Regards,
Ryan

 

Just to stop this. I bought a non adjustable Wonder bar. I dont care about Spohn bars TCA bars or A Arm replacments. I wanted to see some pics of intalled UMI wonder bars. Make a new thread to bash UMI if you want. Keep my thread the way i intended please.

 

Um, yea… after reading what you wrote and this response I finally figured it out…, at least I figured out why I was confused. What does their LCA design have to do with if their wonderbar clears the stock fans?



I own a set of Spohn LCA’s, they’re hanging on the wall in my garage. They used to be on my ’97 WS6 but at this point all my f-bodies have suspension links that I made myself. The only bought fabricated suspension piece on any of my cars right now is the GW wonderbar on my formula 350. Well, I have the spohn relocation brackets on my WS6 but the LCA’s are bolted in the stock location.



The only _real_ issue that design causes is that the closest that you’ll possibly get the alignment is within ½ a turn of the rod end. Those rod ends probably have 18TPI threads which means that the smallest amount that each side can be moved is 1/36” (1/2 of 1/18”) and there is no reason to be more then ½ of the smallest adjustment difference off or you can just move to the next ½ turn on either side so realistically you should be able to get within 1/72”. That means that you should be able to set thrust angle within .01*, better then the accuracy of an alignment machine (this is assuming a track width of 70”, but you get my point).

BTW, to get some concept of exactly how ridiculous this whole thing is, take a look in the body section of an early 3rd gen FSM, it lists factory tolerances there. The granularity of adjustment that we are discussing here is 13.5 times the tolerance that the factory specified for that measurement.



Um… haven’t paid anyone to do an alignment in a while, well not on any of my f-bodies or the assorted race cars that I tinker with. There are a bunch of ways that you can do an alignment with relatively simple tools fairly accurately if you’re willing to take the time, but in my case I built a setup using some fixtures and laser pointers that I was able to confirm vs the alignment machine at a local shop.

That way I can futz with my setup till it’s much closer to where I actually want it to be then taking it to a shop somewhere.

heh… Spohn stuff is no great example of marvelous engineering. In a nutshell, especially their older designs are basically over built and under engineered. In most cases you can rely that his stuff will not break, but you can also bet that it’s heavier then it needs to be and nothing stunning WRT to suspension geometry. If you want to see some nicely engineered suspension pieces there are a bunch of places to look, ex, GW, Herb Adams, Unbalanced engineering all have at least 1 or 2 interesting pieces… I’m not saying that anyone’s stuff is “the best,” but I will say that there are a number of companies out there that appear to have a better handle on what is necessary to make things work then the more common Spohn and similar knockoff pieces.



Interesting thing to bring up… the 2 major players, spohn and BMR both sell relo brackets that _look_ completely different. Funny thing is that if you actually compare the two and their critical dimensions when installed you’ll notice something funny, they are functionally identical with their relocation being EXACTLY the same. Hum… I wonder who built theirs first?



heh…

Now back to your regularly scheduled program. I haven’t tried the UMI wonderbar so I can’t speak from first hand experience, but I know that the GW one fits perfectly with the fans in my dual fan Formula.

 

No longer worth my time. Buy what you want and learn for yourself.
And Mark, In the other posted that you asked me how "Scrub angle" effects handling? its "scrub radius" and included angle". But hey, you are an alignment expert and do it in you own garage.