Am considering a tubular K member install so to make future modifications a tad easier...ie; long tube headers, coil overs, rack and pinion steering. Any ideas on which one is the best as far as 0-minimal modifications to the new piece, and best fitment in your opinion. Thanks in advance

 

Best would depend on a lot of factors.

UMI probably has the cleanest best fitting one. However, no provisions for rack and pinion available.

Detroit speed has a new one which looks pretty good too, but its too new to have much feedback.

 

I have to 2nd the UMI K member for fit..i was on Detroit speeds site but did not see any K members for 3rd gens...must be adding them soon...for rack and pinion mounts at BMR K members

 

I just installed a PA Racing one on my car and it fit great

 

Depends on what you want to do with the car.. drag racing? cruiser? road racing? why do you want to put a rack on it? none of the k members out there do it correctly unless you just want to drag race the car.


If you want to road race and/or autocross my vote would be for the Heidts K member.

 

AJE makes one that accepts rack and pinion. Looked like their K member had an adapter for rack & pinion. Kinda want to be different. There aren't but a few 3rd Gens around here, so thought I'd try to set myself apart is all. Very nice work prossi! Like the gold and black

 

Can you take a picture of your Heidt's k-member from straight on?

This is the first picture of the Heidt's unit in the wild, even Heidt's doesn't have an actual pic. I was beginning to think these were vaporware.

Interested in how far below center bar hangs below the A-Arm bolts.

 

Keep the stock one.
A tubular k-member is a really pointless modification that costs you $600+
I talked with a engine /chassis professional that worked with the group B Volvo race car. He said one of the stupidest things he sees people do is replacing everything with tubular parts.
it costs a lot of money with almost no benefits.
You drop a whopping 25lbs and gain header clearance.

As far as coil overs, again; not a good idea.
Coil overs limit tire width enough to off-set any handing you would gain from coilovers.
I talked with a Detroit speed rep and they said a coil over had no advantages over a good strut and weght jack spring setup with 3rd gens.
Look at the top preforming 3rd gens in autocross.
what do they have in common?
They aren't using coilovers and have a factory k-member.

Then the rack and pinion.
Also a bad idea.
The manual rack is only suited for drag racing and nothing else.
Installing one causes horrible bump steer and sacrifices steering radius. That combined with great steering effort at dead stops makes it a bad idea.

Sry to be so negative, but you can spend that money elsewhere and improve your car far more than these gimmicky mods.

 

as somebody that has been doing street cars for the last 35 years.. any time you drop weight. and add Horse power you go faster.. if tubular parts were a bad Idea..why are so many racers using them...(fast street cars..and drag cars)
(the op asked about who makes a Good K member) not who likes or dislikes Tubular K members)...

anyway there are a lot of manufacturers making them..some add things others dont..
if you want to drop some weight and pick up some speed..then do so..its your car..
I don't see a lot of fast cars at the drag strip using stock K members..or stock parts..
if they are fast..with stock parts..they would be faster with the aftermarket parts...
as for street racing/drag car... is not a track car.. but you can take your track car to a drag strip..


some like a rack..some don't.. but as you can see..ya get a lot of info...some good info..some not needed...
with aftermarket parts you can drop weight
brakes
k member
moving battery to the back
coil over struts wheels
you can drop over 125lbs of the front of your 3rd gen just brakes and alum struts can get you 54lbs (mine was 54lbs)
my K member was 28lbs..
it all adds up...iv had my car from the day it came from GM..

 

Thanks for the input. My car is heading more towards drag/grudge/street racing{locally}, cruise nights, and possibly Drag Week in a year or so. I have already installed a manual gear box, electric water pump, and fully tubular, adjustable, coil over rear suspension with a 9'' and full spool w/ 35 splined axles. Wilwood drag light discs all around, and many many more drag type mods. (If I could get pics off my phone I'd post them)

We have a bitchin' road course at Heartland Park, but haven't heard if it's been used for years except by the elites in town with their Porsches and the like. I guess I'm going back to what I really enjoyed in my younger years and that's drag racing/street racing. Again, thanks for the input everyone

 

Where did you find those Viking coil overs, may I ask? I've looked and all I can find are the ones that go where a front shock would be or the QA1s' like your setup.

 

I was under impression that the Wilwood drag brakes over heat on the street. They are made to heat up very quickly so the brakes work well when slowing at the end of the drag strip. That same propery makes it unsuitable for street and any other motorsport.

 

I think the theme here is you don't like drag cars.

Personally, I agree that a drag setup absolutely ruins a good street car. But we all want and enjoy different things with the hobby.

 

no offense is anything, but you have failed to provide any logical argument.
It sounds like you are trying to justify your bad purchases.
losing 28lbs at the cost of $700+ and a few weekends is completely illogical.
Not to mention the extra cash for a new alignment afterwards.
The cash and money needed for such a pointless modification makes it not worth it.
the difference between 28lbs and ymtge stock Member is so small, even a professional wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Spending $700 on a set of new tires would significantly more effective than a miniscule 28lbs.

Furthermore, OP seems like he has no idea what he wants in his car. His statements are contradicting themselves.
Having a drag set up makes his car basically useless on a road course.
How well do ultra light drag brakes work on a road course? Pro tip: poorly
He needs to come up with a true vision/part before spending money on pointless parts.
People that lack a vision for their car, end up very unhappy with the end results.

 

I'm sorry I said anything. Jeez... I didn't ask for anything but an opinion on K members. I do have a vision for MY car. Keep your opinions on my vision for MY car to your damn self.


I said I was going back to what I enjoyed..drag/street racing. I mentioned there was a road course here, not that I wanted to do it. I know several very successful drag racers that would give left and right nuts to lose 28lbs on their cars. Keep you worthless, arguement starting opinions to your self.

 

You need to be more specific next time.
Don't mention road courses if your intent is drag racing.

Even a drag car doesn't justify an expensive K-member though.
28lbs will not make any noticable difference in acceleration.
Now $700 worth of drag radials or a cam swap will actually make your car faster.

 

More specific next time? I asked about opinions on the best tubular K member with 0-minimal mods to part. I wasn't the one who brought up road courses. I merely mentioned one here near me. Why don't you actually read the entire post before interjecting an opinion? Again, sorry I even started the thread.

 

Markys88
let me Apologize for the TROLLS on this site.. that will jump on a post..and start with what they think you should do..when in fact..they them selves have NO clue..but post about things they have never done....OR POST.things that have nothing to do with what you ask about...

I had my fist track car done by Lingenfelters. a stage 5 upgrade 383 1992 Z28 when the car was brand new..and was fun to drive..but my heart is drag racing..so I did what anybody would do to go even faster.. I dropped. more weight off the car..

look at this as a Kit.. any one thing is a start...but add it all together..and you start dropping the lbs off like an ex wife...

a tubular K member will drop weight from the front of a car.. ball park 25 to 28lbs ($560)
tubular A arms drop another 12 to 15lbs off the front of the car...........................($300)
and if we add headers drop another 18 to 20lbs off the front...............................($300to $750)
willwood 6 piston vented rotor front brakes and.................................................($750 6 piston vented rotors for the street)
aluminum coil overs as a example w/ brakes drops 54lbs....................................($1000)
drag wheel tire combo (3.5 wide aluminum) drops another 25lbs.........................($1000) ya can go cheaper
this adds up to 135 to 140lbs off the front end..

now add aluminum heads 50lbs
mini starter 12lbs
move battery to the trunk 40lbs
and that's another 102lbs off the front...that's over 200lbs off the front..

you can also drop the AC off and other things for even more...

this drops the car down to a game wt that makes it faster then stock parts..
add a 400hp eng and the car is faster..as for street driving..it stays the same..with power steering..fri sat night fun..its always cool to have all the ricky race parts..and guys will ask ya the pros and cons..me iv seen none of the cons...as the car is a street car..and drag car..

THE ONLY SIDE AFFECTS... ARE OPINIONS OF OTHERS..who have never done the mods..
Bench racing at its finest..

have used 2 diff K members. and 3 dif after market A arms..until I had what I liked...(not from hearsay)


there are so many parts a guy can upgrade to to make a car lighter and faster

 

they make a vented rotor for street use..with 4 piston or 6 piston.just like GM used. vented..




have done more then a few track mods....but what do I know...Note the first first set of coil overs on the car.lake wood/sphon....before upgrading to the Viking coil overs..and 6 piston wildwood calipers


any wider and I need to back half the car


one thing I will not do to the front is cut the car up it...even more wt could come off the car....but the only cutting I have done is the mini tub.. and soon a full back half...

 

you can drop the LBS off the car..any place ya can think of...and at the same time make it stronger then stock...aluminum 9" for 3rd members..as the itty bitty 7.5 GM set up cant take any rear power when hooking up..
but as others who don't know..would think this is a waste of money...LMAO..3 diff gear sets...why have just 1..
the aluminum 9" drops 28lbs of the 3rd member and runs about $900 ea

 

this is the Latest from Viking...the crusader line in the 90/10 front coil over struts

orderd with founders camber plates (upgraded to crusader struts by calling viking) $150 more..

but ya can just spend your money on none speed stuff like chrome plating...(NOTE THIS WILL NOT MAKE YOUR CAR FAST!)


this only adds to good looks after your car is Fast...

 

and if you want to drop even more wt off your car go to aluminum billet oil pump and pan.. this drops another 12lbs off the car...
but at this point your spending money on parts that others would never even think of...as the price for $600 oil pan is a bit more then some would spend...but when sitting on a set of scales..ya see whos in need of a diet... test have shown the moroso billet oil pump frees up to 5 to 8 HP.. so ya get of free ponys with the money spent...



I did pass up spending $3500 on a aluminum block..that drops 90lbs off the front of the car..but I am looking at a all aluminum 632cid BBC $17.000 but with 950HP and over 800fpt at 6000rpm..as it comes in at what a stock cast iron sbc would...
that's with no power adders...just brute power on pump GAS

ya can even get a aluminum sheet trans pan..that is 4lbs lighter then a stock pan

if one was to just add the above mods to there street car.. it would be faster the the same car stock...just sayn..

how fast you want to go..is directly related to how much you spend...that's the hard facts...
and you can always go faster...its the little things that add up...

so yes there are a hand full of aftermarket K members out there..some in just the last year look pretty good..


Remember:
THE ONLY SIDE AFFECTS... ARE OPINIONS OF OTHERS..who have never done the mods..
Bench racing at its finest..

 

here you go. please don't mind the half *** wrap on the exhaust Im in the middle of redoing it all. I just needed to get an exhaust on the car

 

I agree!! Unfortunately not many people see the true benefits of weight reduction in the right places!!!!

 

My gawd the pictures are beautiful! I'm going for basically stockish / stop the car from floating over the road so she is fun to drive again at a reasonable price (my car is a Sunday driver). Some of the work here is definitely high end and gorgeous! I look forward to seeing the completed projects. Please continue to post progress.

I love this site...

 

Thanks. Wow, that really does hang low.

 

The pictures are a little deceiving its only about 1.5" as you can see its nowhere near being the lowest point of the car

 

I'm a little confused, are you saying every K member manufacturer does it wrong or every manufacturer other than Heidt's does it wrong? In either case, why?

 

Heidts does not have a R&P K-member.


In order to correctly convert a third gen with a k member mounted rack, like what's available, and maintain correct steering geometry for cornering you would need different spindles
OR a very expensive rack like some of the ones available from Sweet


so hence why I said the ones out there are wrong...for cornering


yes there are R&P k members out there but they are all manual steering...from what I've seen, and are for drag racing


Now since OP has stated he is wanting to drag race this is a mute point.

 

we can hope somebody will make a billet aluminum or cast aluminum power steering box..or machine one down.to as light as ya can...but until then. ya can just make it look nice..at close to 30lbs..on the driver side..


I like the look of the Heidt's K member..a bit close to the oil pan.(canton pans are big)..but with the sheet metal under the tube.ya would think they would have a better way of holding the brake line then zip ties..like all the other K members on the market..using zip ties.. that thing is sceaming to have the GM brake line clips installed..on the flat plate in back..or is it just me?

 

Your picture looks like a UMI K Member with Sphon A-Arms. Am I correct?

 

yes..thats the 2nd set a sphons A arms..the last is there I forget the name they call them..but this is what the 3rd set looks like...
they make 3 dif types...sorta 1st 2nd 3rd..i had all three..all looked good..just wanted one I could work/tweek on if needed..
the car was upgraded as I read about new parts..sort of..a PITA..



I also had 3 sets of wildwood front brake set ups... from the bolt on taking stock style pads single piston..to 4 piston to 6 piston.
the stock bolt on set is just that..drops almost 11lbs off the car. unstrung WT..no mods needed.. looked good.. but wildwood offered me the upgrade to 6 piston for $50..who was I to say NO...lol it was a upgrade they just came out with the same month I upgraded to the 4 piston...this set I had to mod the spindles...10 min with a chop saw...

 

[QUOTE

I like the look of the Heidt's K member..a bit close to the oil pan.(canton pans are big)..but with the sheet metal under the tube.ya would think they would have a better way of holding the brake line then zip ties..like all the other K members on the market..using zip ties.. that thing is sceaming to have the GM brake line clips installed..on the flat plate in back..or is it just me?[/QUOTE]

Hah funny you noticed that....Production ones do have provisions for brake line clips. The one on my car was the first working prototype so it’s slightly different than them and they are not there.

 

very cool...they put them on...im doing a bracket that is held in place with the A arm bolts.
with the brake line on it..shielded as it crosses the span..classic tube sends me the ss line..i then bend it to what I need.

I'm glad there are manufactures still coming out with new parts for 82/92 Camaro..

 

Haha. Funny you said that. As I was using zipties to put my brake lines on I was think to myself "Why don't they put some way of mounting the brake line on here?".

 

I have a BMR k-member. It fits but it sure is flimsy. I'll go back to stock one of these days.

 

some are made better then others..

 

Gorgeous stuff guys. I'll be doin the k member for no other reason than making it easier to work on. Regardless of expense

 

That is why I got one. Really easy to work around it and reach things on engine. I can't jack on it though or it will bend. Had to invent new ways to lift the front of car.

 

you can still lift (on ball joints) and the Jack placement points..
I have a the UMI K Member 2 tubes..wood block on the head of the jack.. with towel to keep from marking the finish...works just fine..

 

Ditto. I haven't noticed any flex when jacking with the UMI.

 

Its actually very worth it when I'm going to be running an 402 ci LS2 swap with a low mounted A/C compressor and a D1X ProCharger. Also, people like me are professional techs that work in a shop with lifts and a Hunter Alignment machine. I also have loads of cash from huge crypto profits I'm going to spend. Basically, your arguments have no bearing on people like me. The dude didn't ask is a K-member was worth it, he asked for the best one. Be a positive contributor or keep quiet.