Curious which is the best kit out there, I want room and better handling, need some insight from guys running an ifs. Thank you for the input my fellow fabo members!
My Vote is for GT suspensions.
I'm gonna quote my thread about it:
"Thoughts so far, will update on install.
This thing is built stout, I'd mount it on a tank. And he's proud of it. Said that if you can find a stronger unit, let him know, he'll make it even stronger.
Full IFS coil overs, Shocks are dual adjusting.
Ball joints are rebuildable and maintainable QA1 units. Very nice
TIG welded and man do the welds look amazing.
I compared all 3 that I saw at the nats, RMS, HDK and GTS. All had similarities, all had differences. To me, its about building a better mouse trap. That's pretty much what the after market is about. Improving on what is already out there. Here's why I chose the kit over the others:
A: It didn't use the factory shock towers like the HDK. I know HDK rienforces the towers in their kit, which I'm sure does work just fine. But it's not something I wanted ultimately
B: It uses stronger and thicker steel than the others, granted it weighs a tad more than the others, but it appears stronger. It's also got more gussests than the others I saw as well. RMS is at 3/16th steel, GTS is 1/4, not sure on the HDK to be honest.
C: No drilling the frame. Only cutting required is to remove the bump stops.
D: Construction. The welds look AMAZING. again, everything is designed to improve factory caster/camber specs, lowers and uppers are designed to eliminate the caster/camber issues with the factory. Plus fully adjustable. Lower control arms are double shear, 2 cross bars, bucket style lower control arms, all of which are unique to this kit.
E: Bang for the buck. Price is way less than the RMS and even the HDK, even if you go high end on the brake kits. There are a couple cheaper kits out there, but I saw their quality and it sucks. Ultimately, this is to me, the best bang for the buck.
If you're in the market for a tubular suspension kit, look up Gerst. You wont be disappointed. Plus, its almost half of an RMS and cheaper than a Hemidenny as well.
3300 plus shipping for a basic kit with stock style brakes and a manual rack. you can upgrade from there to power steering, wilwood, sway bar etc.
I opted for no brakes since I have a set of mustang 2 brakes in the shop from my dad's project. A kit like mine is 3050 plus shipping. Course bare, non powdercoated may be even cheaper than that.
Comparison: All data off respective company's websites and or flyers. Prices may have changed or whatever but this is the most recent i could find.
RMS ALterkation = with brakes: 5600 plus shipping without brakes: 4995.00 plus shipping
HDK= bare kit, no powder coatingno brakes, no spindels, no rack, no coil overs: 2800, add 100 for the rack, plus 300 to 600 in brakes plus 300 to 600 in coilovers, plus the spindels (price not listed on their website for spindels, so i didnt include that), : 3900- 4100 plus shipping
GTS: Basic kit, everything but the brake kit. = 3050, basic kit with stock style brakes, 3300 plus shipping. The GTS kit comes with QA1 rebuildable and adjustable tension ball joints, viking dual adjustable coil overs and springs. Manual rack(upgradable to power), forged mustang 2 spindels, upper, lower control arms.
800 cheaper than the HDK and complete. and 2300 cheaper than RMS."
Also, the GT Suspension kit uses American made, quality parts. Other kits, such as hemidenny relies on Ebay sourced parts, which may or may not be of the same quality and may or may not be USA made. And some of those parts are rebuilt or reman'd. GTS also features adjustable widths and adjustable bump steering, the most suspension travel.
Is it designed with the instant center inboard or outboard of the car? Also do you know the suspension travel??
Curious which is the best kit out there, I want room and better handling, need some insight from guys running an ifs. Thank you for the input my fellow fabo members!
OMG..... asking opinions like that on here is like asking what's the best steak....everybody has there favorite, even though they know nothing about the proclaimed facts there telling you, some opinions are from members who haven't ever ran them to compare or even have a car for that matter. Some opinions here are defiantly useful but Talk to the Manufactures yourself and base your own opinion before dropping that much coin. My vote is for the HDK. Just wait your going to get the die hard pipe in and tell you there all a waste of money and a stock setup can be just as good, which is not what you asked but it happens over and over every time this question is asked, then comes the name calling and were all of the original subject. Good luck.
Well I'm curious, rms uses a modified spindle, gt suspension uses a forged Mustang 2 spindle, and on here hdk says ebay spindle, his website says wilwood spindle, so which is it, I know a wilwood spindle is about .5 inches taller than a regular Mustang 2 spindle
for an accurate comparison.....no guessing
HDK........................................2800
spindles and 11" brake kit ...... 350 (e-bay, package)
manual rack............................ 100 (e-bay)
QA-1 coilovers........................ 400 (summit)
econo shaft hook up................ 100 (summit)
total....................................... 3750....complete. (add $300 for powder coating.)
I agree with Dukeboy318....it is all about building a better mousetrap, not to mention the bang for the buck. Please keep us up to date.
Denny
.......gt suspension uses a forged Mustang 2 spindle, and on here hdk says ebay spindle,
his website says wilwood spindle, so which is it
That question above doesn't make sense. It's like asking "Are you going to Cleveland or are you going
by bus?".
There seems to be some confusion here. You guys are mixing the TYPE of the spindle with the BRAND
of the spindle. The HDK uses a Mustang II (TYPE) 2" drop spindle that is available (BRAND) from eBay
(lower priced stuff), Wilwood (higher priced stuff) and probably a few dozen other places in between.
They choose to use this type because it gives the customer flexibility. They are the correct front steer
configuration and are standard street rod stuff, therefore the choices are many; just specify Mustang II
2" drop and pick your price bracket.
FYI, no matter what IFS you use, there are probably lots of choices on spindles and brakes. Suffice it to say that there is a sizeable price difference between "Ebay" stuff and Wilwood Pro. The Wilwood being not only more expensive but a LOT lighter too.
That question above doesn't make sense. It's like asking "Are you going to Cleveland or are you going
by bus?".
There seems to be some confusion here. You guys are mixing the TYPE of the spindle with the BRAND
of the spindle. The HDK uses a Mustang II (TYPE) 2" drop spindle that is available (BRAND) from eBay
(lower priced stuff), Wilwood (higher priced stuff) and probably a few dozen other places in between.
They choose to use this type because it gives the customer flexibility. They are the correct front steer
configuration and are standard street rod stuff, therefore the choices are many; just specify Mustang II
2" drop and pick your price bracket.
Ok, first off, a wilwood pro spindle is taller than a regular everyday Mustang 2 spindle, so by putting one or the other on, changes the instant center, therefore changing bump steer characteristics, you can't just use a taller spindle, so if a suspension is designed based off a regular everyday Mustang 2 spindle, that's the ONLY style spindle, that should be used, if it's designed for a wilwood pro, that's all that should be used, dropped or not, that makes no difference, it's the upper and lower ball joint distance between the pivot points that matter, and you can't simply shorten or lengthen that distance, and not change the geometry.
Well said, I couldn't agree more with the HDK and Denny part ....but it's obviously brunette's:thumblef:This is like asking who is hotter: redheads, brunettes or blondes?
I will tell you that i have seen the RMS alterkation and ridden in an car with the set up and i own, drive and race a big block dart with the HDK setup. I chose the HDK for several reasons: The price point is easier to swallow. The unit is priced well. It also uses some off the shelf components that you can purchase on your own (steering rack, spindles, coilovers). This makes the system cost easy to split up and afford a bit at a time. It is also at a lower cost them some of the competitors. The quality it top notch. The customer service is second to none. I spoke with Denny @ HDK several times in great depth prior to even committing to a purchase. He spoke to me, not at me. He was able to explain his product in easy to understand but technical terms. He also took the time to ask about my build and its intended purpose. I have continued post purchase communication and he is very responsive and has ensured that my expectations were met. In this day and age I think the exceptional customer service is a selling point on its own.
Mine MAY have been a unique experience....but as far as customer service goes RMS sucks...Felt like I was bothering him by asking questions.
Hi 440 dart
I agree.....the Wilwood spindle has an extra 1/2" from the center of the pin to the upper ball joint mount....which, can help improve (lower) the instant center on some builds.
With the HDK, on builds that are slammed (low stance).....I like using the basic (common street rod / not brand specific ) 2" drop, but
as the stance goes up, I find it beneficial to also raise the upper ball joint pivot point. I do this by utilizing the Wilwood Pro or other means (extended upper ball joint). On some builds with a high nose....a std NON-drop spindle (Wilwood or basic) is used.
One of questions I ask a potential customer...What stance / front end height are you looking for?....and what diameter tire are you using? From there, I can suggest the best combination for each specific build.
what is fun to me is all these builds are a little different......different strokes for different folks.
unique for sure. you are the only person i have ever heard of that had any type of bad to say about dealing with bill.. hell i know guys that have talked to him for an hour and ended up not buying anything.. like to hear the rest of this story thats for sure.
NO NO NO... red head baby..
Makes complete sense denny, and I couldn't agree more. As your changing ride height ( not by spindle, but actually adjusting your coilovers) how are you compensating the bump steer, because as your suspension travels, the instant center changes height and length.
As previously mentioned......the upper balll arm pivot is (somewhat) adjustable in increments of 1/2", by spindle or with extended upper ball joints. By doing so I can tune the angle of the UCA. The angle of the LCA is set....based on ride height. What good is changing the tie rod angle if you cannot adjust the LCA angle?. If the K builder does not have the FIXED LCA pivot point in the right place.....you can chase your tail all day raising and lowering the tie rod end attempting to adjust it, but it will do no good.
Any suspension with upper and lower arms at unequal lengths will have some bump steer at the ends up the travel, geometry makes those rules.....the goal is to get it a a minimum .....all while still using the factory UCA pivot points and frame rail location.
As I have mentioned in previous threads....the biggest disadvantage I found in utilizing a heim joint is limited travel.....especially at the narrow track width exclusive to the HDK.
BTW....ride height change of more than 1" on the HDK is done primarily by changing shocks (longer /shorter). ....by excessively cranking up the preload, you effectively stiffen up the ride
I have read where others claim their aftermarket front has longer travel......my thought is...at what track width?
I can move the HDK out 2" and get increased travel, but the price is the wheels no longer tuck in nicely.
In my experience, I could never get much travel out of a heim end, not to mention the difficulty to easily keep them clean and lubed.