Feeler Thread Tubular K Members for Stock suspensions.

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abodyjoe said:
ok don't take any of this personal or as a shot . this is just what pope into my head when i saw the post.


personally i don't see why anyone would put a tube k-frame in just to run all stock suspension stuff. seriously what advantage is there? at the most maybe a couple pounds is all i can see.

where i see that you may run into problems is making it build-able from all stock suspension stuff to a full rack set up using the same frame itself. guess it could be done but i also think any weight savings if any in the first place will be thrown out the window having to put mounts for a rack,steering box, idler arm, strut rods..etc..etc..

good luck, hope it all works out for ya but its gonna be tough i think. i also think people will be very surprised as to how expensive it will be in reality after piecing it all together. hell a stock rebuild on a front suspension can get to $1500 real easy when doing everything and converting to large bolt disc (unless your getting a lot of free parts), add close to a thousand more for the new tube frame and your not far off from something like an alter-k which includes everything to drive in the garage with a stock suspension and drive out in a couple days with a coil over rack and pinion set up. only thing you need to supply is grease and brake fluid..

like i said man, good luck. keep us posted.
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The thing I really want is to use the factory engineered torsion bar set up and have a light weight rack and a light weight K frame. There is a lot of weight to be saved by replacing the steering box with a rack and the K frame itself is heavy.
 
turbodart68 said:
The thing I really want is to use the factory engineered torsion bar set up and have a light weight rack and a light weight K frame. There is a lot of weight to be saved by replacing the steering box with a rack and the K frame itself is heavy.
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??

Have to disagree. A manual box is made of aluminum so very light. Take a hole saw to your K frame if you think it's heavy,lol...
 
Strip a K frame some time and weigh it, then weigh the tube steel K frame. That factory K member is not as heavy as you think. The only REAL reason to switch out the whole front end, is for header/engine clearance issues. Every other claim, is to sell parts. I would doubt a tube setup, driven in normal driving conditions, could ever survive the abuse the factory suspension can. The Chrysler torsion bar suspension is a well designed system!
 
Thank you replicaracer43 for your reply as I will probably be one of very few that agrees with you. I personally love the torsion bar suspension but I feel there is one more reason to want a tubular K frame and I would say to run any oil pan.
 
needsaresto said:
??

Have to disagree. A manual box is made of aluminum so very light. Take a hole saw to your K frame if you think it's heavy,lol...
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Yes the aluminum box is light, however the rack is still lighter and the aluminum box still needs the steering linkage which is heavy. I have a chromoly K frame that I am trying to engineer myself and its at least 20 pounds lighter than a factory k-frame. I think a guy could loose up to 40 pounds off the front of their car by just these two items.

I get that your kidding about the hole saw but all that does is compromise the strength.

I agree that the torsion bar is the way the car was designed by Chrysler and it has to be one of the best factory suspensions out there.
 
I completley agree. T bar susp is tough! And yes just joking about the hole saw,allthough Im sure it's been done at some point in history.

Header clearance and rack/pinion would be the only reasons I would go to an aftermarket k frame. Weight savings is a definite plus. But I just cant justify spending almost $1000 on just a k frame.

Especially seeing as how brand X is 1/2 the cost of the mopar unit,yet costs the same to produce. Theres no arguement that justifies mopar stuff costing more in my books. As far as Im concerned,mopar parts are over inflated due to rich guys trying to create an exclusive club for themselves.
 
HotLines said:
Thank you replicaracer43 for your reply as I will probably be one of very few that agrees with you. I personally love the torsion bar suspension but I feel there is one more reason to want a tubular K frame and I would say to run any oil pan.
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That is one of my reasons for running a tube frame. Steve
 
Well this is still going to be going here guys so I hope you all like what you see in a couple weeks when the prorotype is done.
 
Careful putting the rack on the front. I don't think you can push the tie rod ends out far enough to get back the lost ackerman (tire/wheel will get in the way). Ackerman is somewhat important if you want to turn. In a straight line its probably OK. I would love to see you succeed, but steering/suspension geometry shouldn't take a back seat to fitment.
 
Chris said:
Careful putting the rack on the front. I don't think you can push the tie rod ends out far enough to get back the lost ackerman (tire/wheel will get in the way). Ackerman is somewhat important if you want to turn. In a straight line its probably OK. I would love to see you succeed, but steering/suspension geometry shouldn't take a back seat to fitment.
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Oh it wont
 
Ok seriously. I was all excited about the CAP stuff when they first came out, but then I read the horror stories of their stuff not fitting correctly. Oh, can't forget about their stuff breaking from what looked to be really inferior welds. I wouldn't trust my life with their garbage.


Having said that, I can't wait to see what your guy is cooking up.



Wylde1.
 
I think it is kind of comical people are saying that the oem k-frame is heavy. To replace the thing to save a few pounds will be an expensive proposition, unless you are building an all out race car. I read somewhere that the total weight savings between an oem, non power steering car and an alter k is only 50-60 pounds. For the price of it, I would just as soon skip a few Big Macs. No doubt the car will steer better with a rack in it, but again, for a car that will get driven 5 miles to the local burger joint and back will you notice?
 
inkjunkie said:
I think it is kind of comical people are saying that the oem k-frame is heavy. To replace the thing to save a few pounds will be an expensive proposition, unless you are building an all out race car. I read somewhere that the total weight savings between an oem, non power steering car and an alter k is only 50-60 pounds. For the price of it, I would just as soon skip a few Big Macs. No doubt the car will steer better with a rack in it, but again, for a car that will get driven 5 miles to the local burger joint and back will you notice?
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Don't know for sure but I read in one of the Mopar mags it is 95-120 pounds lighter depending on options and brakes used over a stock manual steering suspension.
 
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