rack and pinion in my barracuda

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67barracuda

67barracuda

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Jackson Michigan
My shop is building me a new tubular kmember for a rack and pinion and tubular arms with coilovers set up. He will be making one extra set if anyone is intreasted. I will post pics of the progress and the finial installation. Cost should be about half of what most other kits cost.
 
Will do, the rack is a flaming river 3 3/4 turn. He dose this all the time for chevy race cars he build for others, but this will be the first mopar he has done.
 
67barracuda said:
My shop is building me a new tubular kmember for a rack and pinion and tubular arms with coilovers set up. He will be making one extra set if anyone is intreasted. I will post pics of the progress and the finial installation. Cost should be about half of what most other kits cost.
Click to expand...
Very interested in K member, Please keep us posted.Will that work on 73 Dart?
 
He called and said that the kmember was done. I will stop by on my way home and take some pictures. Look for them tonight around 8pm.

Also, if anyone is doing a gasser. He has a straight axle front end complete with disk brake for sale.
 
Kmember with rack mock up

P1130847.JPG


P1130845.JPG
 
He will have two finished and painted up nice next week. This is only the mock up, so the weld arn't the nice and clean.
 
upper and lower contorl arms he builds. He built the jig to my frame and tested.The one pictured bolts in and out on my car nice and clean. Motor mounts aren't on the kmember as I am using elephant ears, dosn't mean he can't, I just didn't need them. The kmember with rack would be around $1100, he thought a complete set up would cost around $2000. I not sure what the differents would be on a dart.
Friday I should have some good pictures with painted parts to more easly see it installed on my car.
 
I talked to the builder tonight and he thought it should bolt in dart abody with out a problem. He could do motor mounts, I just don't have any for him to mock the location.
I also try to get him to set a finial price. He said for the Kmember,upper and lower control arms $1350. You buy and bolt in the rack($209),shocks(your choice), and screw in you owne ball joints and your ready to go.
More pics to come this weekend.
 
It just dont look strong enough to me. Good luck though.
 
RedFish said:
It just dont look strong enough to me. Good luck though.
Click to expand...

I agree......do the LCA's bolt together? Rod ends on the lower control arm mounts seems like a weak point as they will be under a load (coil over is mounted to them). What spindle is this designed for?

A strip only setup? Like Bob pro fab or Cap's setup?

Kframe looks up to the task though.........keep the progress going!! Not trying to discourage.....none of the aftermarket front ends were nailed on the first try I bet.

If it fits your 67 B-cuda is shoud fit all 67-76 Abodies, I believe
 
No, we are looking for any feedback to help us build strongest possible unit, with can and keep the cost down.
The spindles are 73-up big ball joint ones. I'm I not sure how we is going to hold the a-arm to the lower control arm. Here is a better picture of the tab on the lCR.

P1180001.JPG
 
The original K was made of a whole lot of something for a reason. Mainly to hold the frame rails from spreading etc.. from the weight and torque of the engine.
GM trucks of the late 70s with big blocks had problems. Their frame rails looked lie this
[ ] with the K beneath and the upper arms attached at top. Those frame rails would slowly twist and that K would sag all the way to hitting the draglink.
If those highly paid engineers cant get it right how do we without trial and error.
 
Have you ever looked at ss/aa car kmember. They trim about 50% of it away, cutting the weight down to 23lbs. These are all hemi cars that carrie the front tires along ways and come down hard. Never seen one twist a frame rail, have seen broken control arms though.
 
Here's a picture of what moparmuscle mag decribes how what to do. They also remove the motor mouts as most mount to the frame rails.

0706_mopp_21_z+k_member_modifcations+paint.jpg
 
I think the Kframe will be fine with the T-bars and steering box gone, afterall that is why factory ones are so bulky/heavy/big. I cant believe it would twist the rails (not referring to 900hp, of course). I would weld it in solid instead of bolting it in.

The big aftermarket companies like Art Morrison, DSE etc....dont use much different stuff than the K posted. Assuming the weld quality is there.

I still would question the LCA strength.
 
67barracuda said:
Here's a picture of what moparmuscle mag decribes how what to do. They also remove the motor mouts as most mount to the frame rails.
Click to expand...
Are there more views of that K ?
A write up on the net somewhere?
 
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