Tubular K member design

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fastdartswinger

fastdartswinger

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Dec 23, 2010
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Location
Calgary, alberta
hello
my name is Tim
I am looking for some input from FABO members about my tubular k member design
I have made a couple of prototypes already and tested them in my cars. first k member used the stock lower control arms and torsion bars but went to a front steer rack and pinion for oil pan and header clearance. second frame is a variation of that frame with custom lower arms and coilovers. both frames use the stock spindles and custom steering arms to maintain proper Ackerman angles. What spawned me making my own frame in the first place was 1: I had already spent a bunch of money on brake upgrades 2: cost of all the options in aftetmarket frames on the market and 3: I have installed and worked with a couple of the other frames on the market in customer cars and found design issues.

My question to anyone reading this is what would you like to see in an aftermarket kframe that is not being offered at the moment?

sorry no pics of the frames right now. there is snow on the ground and my cars are in storage. I'll take pics as soon as I have them up on the hoist next. thanks
 
I would like to see a tubular k frame like the one qa1 offers at a better price then $700

It would need to work with stock steering box and torsion bars - all the rest tubular
 
I got my QA1 k frame from Summit for under 600 with free shipping!
 
the QA1 unit is a good peice but is basically a tubular stock replacement. my main issue with other aftetmarket k members on the market is that they all use mustang 2 spindles. there is nothing wrong with that but what about those of us that have already spent money on upper control arms and brakes. also certain ones are way over complex and the engine must come out to change the rack.
 
Has anyone tried out a "AJE" tubular K-member yet? It's cheaper than the QA-1. I just looked at QA-1's video and it uses stock lower a-arms even tho the vid is usuing QA-1 lowers. and the AJE looks like it will uses stock lowers too.

Jim
 
dcdriver said:
Has anyone tried out a "AJE" tubular K-member yet? It's cheaper than the QA-1. I just looked at QA-1's video and it uses stock lower a-arms even tho the vid is usuing QA-1 lowers. and the AJE looks like it will uses stock lowers too.

Jim
Click to expand...

would like to see someone come up w/ lower control arm to frame strut system for tubular lower control arms. add on type -----------been thinking on this, may try a design I`ve got in my head, later on-
 
I just need something that will work with tubular upper and lowers, torsion bars and the stock steering box but tubular... any suggestions?
 
Not to knock the AJE piece but did anyone else notice that the motor mount bosses are attached by only a small point on the tube itself. I would think a well built motor would yank those off?
 
Subscribed.
The fact you are in Calgary is a bonus. Shipping is killing the aftermarket parts industry. So you should be able to serve the Northern members a little more efficiently.
As for the design.......variable engine mount positioning. Big / small block, forward / back, up / down, left / right. With the big block threads and header threads and Hemi threads, I see a lot of shimming going on with the stock style K-members.
 
fastdartswinger said:
hello
my name is Tim
I am looking for some input from FABO members about my tubular k member design
I have made a couple of prototypes already and tested them in my cars. first k member used the stock lower control arms and torsion bars but went to a front steer rack and pinion for oil pan and header clearance. second frame is a variation of that frame with custom lower arms and coilovers. both frames use the stock spindles and custom steering arms to maintain proper Ackerman angles. What spawned me making my own frame in the first place was 1: I had already spent a bunch of money on brake upgrades 2: cost of all the options in aftetmarket frames on the market and 3: I have installed and worked with a couple of the other frames on the market in customer cars and found design issues.

My question to anyone reading this is what would you like to see in an aftermarket kframe that is not being offered at the moment?

sorry no pics of the frames right now. there is snow on the ground and my cars are in storage. I'll take pics as soon as I have them up on the hoist next. thanks
Click to expand...

I'd be interested in the first one with the custom steering arms. I can't pull the trigger on the qa1 as I really want to run a front steer rack. Anxiously awaiting more info here!
 
a front steer rack setup is why I built the first one. I always hated how we are limited to midsump pans. To have a good capacity they have to hang down so low they drag over every speed bump. That is the last thing I want to be dragging over things. the major problem with the front steer that I ran into was that the ball joint is in the steering arm. the only ways around this is to make a custom balljoint/ steering arm with the propper geometry for the rack and pinion or make new lower contol arms. I tried both ways. as soon as you want to get away from the torsion bars there is a lot more parts involved, hence why most of the aftetmarket kframes will run you $3000+ by the time the smoke clears.
 
what did you do to for ackerman and bumpsteer? That seems to be the largest hurdle when making a tubular k member
 
tqfastfish said:
I just need something that will work with tubular upper and lowers, torsion bars and the stock
steering box but tubular... any suggestions?
Click to expand...
FYI - I hope you're not wanting a QA-1 or a copy of same to save weight. QA-1 themselves stated that they
wanted to save weight with their setup but by the time it was strong enough, it weighed just as much as the
stock configuration.
 
the Ackerman and bump steer issues can be fixed with a propper steering arm design. the very first version I made for my car I swapped the stock arms side to side to make it front steer. the bums steer was fine with this setup but the Ackerman was out to lunch and it had the turning radius of a Mack truck because the arms were too long. I realize that strength cannot be sacrificed in the name of weight savings and I'm not as concerned about weight as I am with strength, geometry and oil pan/ header clearance. I'm not 100% sure but I think the qa1 frame is mild steel I can't find any info saying it is chromoly. if it was chromoly I think the price tag would be a little higher. I'm not making a QA1 knock off. I have made a front steer version that still uses factoy spindles.
 
Isn't every company that's been mentioned here build a similar unit or whatever you want to call it for the 67 to 76 A-Bodies, leaving out what started iot all the 63 to 66.. It seems to me it is becoming more competitive than innovative.. I guess that is why a custom universal mustang II kit for vehicles at 55" 56" complete with R&P and suspension sells for under 1500... Want a link

Crazy World, ain't it, especially when it comes to our cars...
 
HotLines said:
Isn't every company that's been mentioned here build a similar unit or whatever you want to call it for the 67 to 76 A-Bodies, leaving out what started iot all the 63 to 66.. It seems to me it is becoming more competitive than innovative.. I guess that is why a custom universal mustang II kit for vehicles at 55" 56" complete with R&P and suspension sells for under 1500... Want a link

Crazy World, ain't it, especially when it comes to our cars...
Click to expand...

Competition breeds innovation and drives prices down, win-win in my book.
 
To fastdart, we have been working on our 1970 B Body front suspension and started with a Corvette C4 Knuckle. It happened by chance but solved three issues, front steer proper ackerman, dropped spindle and plenty of large brake options.

Dan.
 
fastdartswinger said:
the Ackerman and bump steer issues can be fixed with a propper steering arm design.
Click to expand...

Note the steering arms on an Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite which are properly configured
for correct ackerman on a front steer setup.

You can see how an imaginary line drawn from the center of the rear end through the lower
ball joint ends up at the outer tie-rod end. Same thing on a rear steer and this is why you
cannot use rear steer spindles flipped side-to-side on a front steer. Look how far off that
would be.


Bugeyespindlec_zps2c43aa08.jpg
 
Isn't every company that's been mentioned here build a similar unit or whatever you want to call it for the 67 to 76 A-Bodies, leaving out what started iot all the 63 to 66..
Click to expand...

RMS has been making an early abody alter-k for years now. and HDK has on ein the works..
 
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