How to chose a kmember

Widowedeight2 · Nov 29, 2023

Can anyone assist me with picking out a kmember, I am not ever, or rarely going to track the car, just wanted to lighten the front end and make the LT header install easier to put back together.

1997 Cobra

SR performance v2 adjustable coilovers
SR performance upper and lower rear control arms
SR performance front and rear sway bars

This is a budget build for a non numbers matching, non original color or interior car, not shooting for the best handling car just want to button the car up a bit

Basically I am just trying to make it a better backroad/mtn car, figured while the stock kmember was off I would swap it out but I have no clue what will work with what part wise, I have been on the platform 2 weeks.

Backstory: Body of the car has 233,xxx miles on it but was recently mildly restored

cobrajeff96 · Nov 29, 2023

Really any of the aftermarkets will do, but I'd personally recommend either Maximum Motorsports or Kenny Brown. They are on the high side but in the end you get what you pay for. The UPRs and the BMRs in my opinion are probably second rate, while the AJEs and QA1s are probably the cheapest and will do the job but, yea, like I said.

ttocs · Nov 29, 2023

depends on the budget most of the time unfortunately. I went with max motorsports because it is on the street more than the track and I wanted to be sure that there was a solid K in there. If you look at the brands you can tell who has weight savings as their first priority and then those that has that as the #2 priority right behind keeping the K stiff as heck. As far as I am concerned the K is too important to let the budget dictate which one you get. If you have to save up a little longer to get a solid one, start saving...

Randall Garner · Dec 5, 2023

One thing. Are you looking just for a K member, or whole suspension . I know UPR has a decent mild steel one that right Round 300$ and you can keep stock steering, and stock lower control arms. Willing to step up a few $$$$ they make a DOM member . Important thing. Is to ensure you order for the correct body and engine combo. Some of the k members will sit the engine a touch lower in the frame. Look at all the brands that'll fit your needs and then pull the trigger

ctandc · Dec 5, 2023

Don't sleep on BMR Suspension. I've used their stuff on multiple makes / platforms and they have never disappointed.

Mustang5L5 · Dec 5, 2023

The only one I really like is the Maximum Motorsports K-member, however it's not the lightest one by far. A lot of the other ones really do maximize the weight savings but I just don't feel they are robust enough for street driving on crappy roads which is what is all over the place here in Massachusetts. Even max motorsports admits that the strongest K-member out there is the factory one. I know folks use the other brands without issue, but i've also seen a few failures.

I put a MM unit on my car. I did the full setup which was K-member, A-arms, coil-overs, etc and ditches all my stock components. I weighed everything I took out and what went back in to replace it. At the end of the day, it saved me 40 pounds. Cost me over $2K though so definitely not a budget setup.

It rides awesome though. I know on the FB groups i sometimes see folks say that K-members and coil-overs rattle, are noisy and ride rough. Not the case at all with my MM setup. It actually rides and handles damn nice and is dead silent.

ctandc · Dec 5, 2023

Mustang5L5 said:
The only one I really like is the Maximum Motorsports K-member, however it's not the lightest one by far. A lot of the other ones really do maximize the weight savings but I just don't feel they are robust enough for street driving on crappy roads. Even max motorsports admits that the strongest K-member out there is the factory one. I know folks use the other brands without issue.

I put a MM unit on my car. I did the full setup which was K-member, A-arms, coil-overs, etc and ditches all my stock components. I weighed everything I took out and what went back in to replace it. At the end of the day, it saved me 40 pounds. Cost me over $2K though so definitely not a budget setup.

It rides awesome though. I know on the FB groups i sometimes see folks say that K-members and coil-overs rattle, are noisy and ride rough. Not the case at all with my MM setup. It actually rides and handles damn nice and is dead silent.

A buddy of mine ended up with the BMR Premium K member (provisions for factory style control arms / springs). The K member in his was rusted out. I was impressed with it and he's been totally pleased with it.

Free Shipping on all BMR Suspension packages!

Leader in High Performance Suspension and Chassis Products For American Muscle Vehicles.

bmrsuspension.com

Mustang5L5 · Dec 5, 2023

ctandc said:
A buddy of mine ended up with the BMR Premium K member (provisions for factory style control arms / springs). The K member in his was rusted out. I was impressed with it and he's been totally pleased with it.

Free Shipping on all BMR Suspension packages!

Leader in High Performance Suspension and Chassis Products For American Muscle Vehicles.

bmrsuspension.com

I've been hearing the BMR name more and more lately. So far it's all been positive. Definitely does look like a more robustly built K-member than a lot of the other offerings.

ctandc · Dec 5, 2023

Mustang5L5 said:
I've been hearing the BMR name more and more lately. So far it's all been positive. Definitely does look like a more robustly built K-member than a lot of the other offerings.

Best part is the guy who owns / runs the business is an actual car guy. Buddy of mine emailed them a question about some suspension parts / setup (Different make / model) - ended up with several emails back and forth then went into great detail about why / how and what would be a waste for his setup / use etc. Hard to find nowadays.

Jksr · Dec 5, 2023

If weight is the goal, it is possible to get a pretty good lithium battery for the car nowadays for a reasonable price. For a K-Member I agree with going the rout of KB or MM. they move the suspension forward and have a great reputation and a lot more track time to set geometry correct than anyone else. Gaining more castor is a plus, better weight distribution with moving wheels forward and great build quality. KB has done some impressive things with the SN95 mustang, but MM makes good stuff as well. I know it’s budget car, but there are less expensive ways to take weight off the front.. the insainly heavy hood is another way. I.E. if you’re going to go through the trouble, do it right the first time. No sense it doing all that and spending the money otherwise.

ttocs · Dec 5, 2023

I personally just don't know anyone that doesn't like Maximum motorsports... I thought it was a rule that all reasonable people followed?

ElrodKTPQ_89 · Jan 5, 2024

ttocs said:
Maximum motorsports

I thought we couldn't say that here anymore? lol

I went with MM when I overhauled my front suspension too. I went all in and did K member and control arms, CC plates, rack bushings coilovers etc. etc. One thing I missed in my research though was my need to swap to 96+ spindles in my application which wound up having my car down and a friend's lift tied up for about 2 weeks while I waited for parts to come in since I also upgraded to Cobra brakes and stainless hoses too. Whatever route you go just make sure you have everything you need to get the job done right. As for the results I couldn't be any happier with everything. It was pretty expensive but it completely changed the way the car felt and made it a lot more fun to drive.

CobraRGuy · Jan 5, 2024

Don't forget about Griggs Racing (www.griggsracing.com). Their stuff isn't cheap, but it really is the best out there. The only MM part I prefer is their caster-camber plates. I don't know if Griggs has a K member that will work with stock or other aftermarket control arms.
For a budget build, I second the MM suggestion.
My car is a pretty hard core track monster, so I went with the best stuff Griggs had at the time which was their World Challenge setup. I went with their severe duty adjustable panhard bar in back instead of the watts link so I could continue to carry a spare tire. The watts link eliminates that possibility, and the 1/2 second per lap meant little to me.
Griggs has a SLA (Short Long Arm) setup in front now which is far superior to anything out there. They have billet adjustable height spindles and billet hubs as well. The stock SN95 hubs do not stand up well under heavy track use, but are fine for the street. Griggs has race-prepped Timken hubs with the best Timken bearings, are packed with the best grease and are preloaded to Griggs specs by Timken. That's what I just put on my car.
I have a video of fellow NorCal SAAC member Guy Cunningham setting a new single lap track record at Sonoma in American Iron Extreme (AIX). I do not know if that record still stands. He did this in a Griggs-built car that uses all of their latest stuff. I'm going to try to post it. I also have another video of that same car defeating a 695 RWHP race prepped 2600lb Acura NSX at Thunderhill raceway in SCCA Group 1 where Vipers, Corvettes and Porsches run. That is a crazy great video! I'll try to post it as well.
Bruce Griggs, who I know personally, told me about that same car defeating a factory Nissan GTR race car also at Thunderhill. He said after the race several of the Nissan crew came over to check out the Mustang that just defeated their factory race GTR. Bruce said one of them told Darrell Anderson the owner/driver of the car "Coolest f'kin thing I've ever seen".
To my knowledge, Bruce Griggs in the only person to ever accomplish a completely undefeated season in AIX driving his #46 car. I'll try to post an article about that car. If someone really wants THE BEST, Griggs has it in spades.

CobraRGuy · Jan 5, 2024

Here's what the SLA setup looks like.

r3dn3ck · Jan 5, 2024

That Griggs SLA is super slick and spendy. Just go Maximum Motorsports. You'll thank us in the end when the install goes 100% butter smooth and the car handles like it's on rails.

I went out last night and (empty road) was bopping to the stereo and realize at 45mph that I was just about to miss my turn so I just jerked the wheel right and rolled into the gas. Not even a tire chirp, just sailed through a 90deg right turn at 45mph. Didn't even bounce off the internal bumpstops in the Bilsteins. For OP's info, I'm running 350lbs springs in front on my MM coil overs and 600lbs springs in back (IRS cobra) which are right up at darned near race level firmness. The car doesn't try to rip my head off my shoulders on bumps. It's really quite comfortable of a ride for how much handling capability it has. It's a little less pleasant at 1st gear speeds but zipping along even rough highways at cruising speed is nicer in my Mustang than in my Honda Accord. I'm running MM offset A-arms with poly bushings, factory k-member, Eibach front sway bar, MM CC plates, MM coil-overs all around, Bilsteins all around, MM solid non-offset rack bushings, and MM subframe connectors. It's not a bargain brand but it does something bargain brands don't always come with, it works the first time every time and any brain donor can install it in a day, even taking your time.

r3dn3ck · Jan 5, 2024

CobraRGuy said:
Don't forget about Griggs Racing (www.griggsracing.com). Their stuff isn't cheap, but it really is the best out there. The only MM part I prefer is their caster-camber plates. I don't know if Griggs has a K member that will work with stock or other aftermarket control arms.
For a budget build, I second the MM suggestion.
My car is a pretty hard core track monster, so I went with the best stuff Griggs had at the time which was their World Challenge setup. I went with their severe duty adjustable panhard bar in back instead of the watts link so I could continue to carry a spare tire. The watts link eliminates that possibility, and the 1/2 second per lap meant little to me.
Griggs has a SLA (Short Long Arm) setup in front now which is far superior to anything out there. They have billet adjustable height spindles and billet hubs as well. The stock SN95 hubs do not stand up well under heavy track use, but are fine for the street. Griggs has race-prepped Timken hubs with the best Timken bearings, are packed with the best grease and are preloaded to Griggs specs by Timken. That's what I just put on my car.
I have a video of fellow NorCal SAAC member Guy Cunningham setting a new single lap track record at Sonoma in American Iron Extreme (AIX). I do not know if that record still stands. He did this in a Griggs-built car that uses all of their latest stuff. I'm going to try to post it. I also have another video of that same car defeating a 695 RWHP race prepped 2600lb Acura NSX at Thunderhill raceway in SCCA Group 1 where Vipers, Corvettes and Porsches run. That is a crazy great video! I'll try to post it as well.
Bruce Griggs, who I know personally, told me about that same car defeating a factory Nissan GTR race car also at Thunderhill. He said after the race several of the Nissan crew came over to check out the Mustang that just defeated their factory race GTR. Bruce said one of them told Darrell Anderson the owner/driver of the car "Coolest f'kin thing I've ever seen".
To my knowledge, Bruce Griggs in the only person to ever accomplish a completely undefeated season in AIX driving his #46 car. I'll try to post an article about that car. If someone really wants THE BEST, Griggs has it in spades.

Hey hey... a local. I suspect that we might even know each other. I lived right down the street from Bruce for a long time. Were you around the scene back in the early 2000's when Apex Motorsports still existed?

CobraRGuy · Jan 5, 2024

Yes I was. I remember when they moved away, very sad. They had some pretty big name clients including a few SF 49ers players. I had them do some stuff to my car, but I can't remember what. They were in Santa Clara, right?

CobraRGuy · Jan 5, 2024

CobraRGuy said:
Yes I was. I remember when they moved away, very sad. They had some pretty big name clients including a few SF 49ers players. I had them do some stuff to my car, but I can't remember what. They were in Santa Clara, right?

Did you work for them?

cobrajeff96 · Jan 5, 2024

Cortex also has crazy nice (and crazy expensive) stuff too. For a while they advertised SN95 SLA systems on their site, but they took it down years ago but I think they'll still do one-off SLAs if you come off as serious about it.

Ride Tech just launched last summer a Fox Body SLA system, and soon they'll have an SN95 version available. I'll be eagerly awaiting the launch day for that so I can try to compare it to others like Griggs, etc.