[EscortSportage]

so ive been doing some research on some k members and for one thing i really dont want to spend 700 or more dollars on the just k member....cuz after i have to buy the aftermarket a arms and coilovers... = more money

so ive been looking at AJE products pretty cheap prices (do-able) and i like what i see, they seem to have it all for front suspension... and then i run into this...i saw it on google, its some mustang forum member





Do NOT buy an AJE K-member!!!
I had an AJE K-member on my cobra and the dang thing broke in less than 3,000 miles of street driving and a few AutoX events. Not only that, but they are junk as far as not changing your front end geometry.

I had purchased the "Road Race" version directly from AJE and I was told that this K-member was "one of the strongest ones on the market and will hold up to Autocrossing, Road Racing, Street driving and Drag racing."

I had read up on K-members prior to my purchase and many guys at corner-carvers and on here told NOT to buy the AJE. They said Maximum Motorsports or Griggs are the only 2 K-members that anyone should buy. I felt I knew more than them and I would prove them wrong. Well now I have pie on my face.

I was in the middle of an autoX run when the front rack mounts completely broke off from the K-member. Luckily no one was hurt and my car was not damaged, but things would not have been so good had this happened going down the interstate.

After seeing the way my K acted under normal use/AutoXing, my buddy sold his D&D Kmember because his was made almost exactly like the AJE I had on my car.

Here are the problems I found with my AJE K-member:

1. Steering rack touched the front of the oil pan when installed.
2. Wheels were both shifted about 1" towards the passenger side. This required me to buy C/C plates just so I could get the car aligned CLOSE to factory specs.
3. Passenger's side wheel stuck out a little bit from the fender while the Driver's side was "neatly" tucked away almost out of sight.
4. Front rack mounts were "spot" welded in only 2 places on the front mounting area. Even a trained monkey would easily see that this could lead to a problem in anything but a Drag Racing car.


The most surprising part of this to me was when I called and spoke with Anthony about this. When I told him what had happened his reply was "I am not surprised. You are the 4th person to call me with this same exact problem." He wanted to get me a new "revamped" K-member made up and sent out, but I declined the offer and asked for a refund.

Since I was over a barrel, I didn't have the time or the means to swap K-members. Thus, I had to have the car towed to a shop and the K-members swapped. This cost me $300. Then I receive a check in the amount of $399 from AJE. Wow, thanks for refunding the K-member. What about my shipping costs to and from AJE?? That alone cost me $45 that wasn't refunded. Plus, since it was his FAULTY part, I felt that he should have at least covered part of the repair cost, but he didn't. I was nothing but nice about what happened up until now. I will never buy another AJE part and no one I know will ever buy one either. Apparently I hold safety in a higher regard than Mr. Jones does.

So to bring this to a close, please listen to people when they tell you to go with Griggs or Maximum Motorsports. I could have been killed, seriously injured or at minimum totalled my car because of his inferior parts. All of this hassle because I wanted to save $250 by not buying a GOOD K-member. Well, if you add it all up, I would have been money and quality parts ahead had I just bought the Griggs K-member in the first place. Live and learn, right?

Hope this saves just one fellow stanger from the same problem as I had.


Now, my question is has anyone here had this problem or any issues with AJE or was this just a faulty k member from the factory...im building my stang mostly for street...so any suggestions ?

[rodeheavers]

i have installed a ton of QA1 complete front suspensions and everyone seems to love em, the only complaint i get is that the coil overs dont have a positive detent for the adjustment...

[EscortSportage]

im thinking of doing UPR, they have their front end kit, priced at 700 and u can order the springs for the purpose of your car... i just need to find out with these coil overs will work with my tokico illumina adjustable shocks...

[flyin ryan]

I've never used a aje k but i've used upr and qa1 without an issue. The maximum motorsports k's are the heaviest and prob the strongest but also the most expensive. The griggs are close to mm's but dont' cost as much and they move the wheel base forward a bunch which isn't exceptionable with certain tire/rim combos.

I personally never wanted a mm or griggs because I drive my cars on the street, race them on the street and sometimes at the track. I don't auto x but I do run corners hard with my daily driver 88 hatch where as my 91 gt is mainly for racing 1/4 mile.

The upr doesn't change your geometry at all where as the qa1 will if you use stock a arms. qa1 also allows you to set your motor back an inch if desired as well.

[e3sean]

no matter what you will always be able to google a problem with any k member kit in one way or another.

i have herd the maximum motorsports ones are great

i personially just installed a upr kit i got it for 670 shipped and it came with a arms and coil overs. it installed very easily and they were able to adjust my alignment much better then with the stock set up.
the thing is with qa1 kit is you can only use their shocks with their coil overs. some places will give you upr coilovers with a qa1 kit. my buddy has a qa1 kit and it moved his motor forward and threw his a arms off.

[slow 98]

I've had a AJE k-member in my car since around 05. Its mostly seen street time but i've had no issues with it. The one i have has none of the problems listed.

How long ago was the story posted about the guy having problems with his? I heard of problems with AJE in early 2000's but after that i've only heard good things.

[1slo5.0]

AJE makes some of the best and lightest K-members out there. I've heard chromoly k-members can crack under high stress (road racing, autocross, bumps, etc.) but I don't know if its factual or not to be totally honest with you. If you intend on road racing the car you shouldn't be putting a drag racing k-member in it anyway.

[88-gt-t-top]

The QA1 front end kit was a pretty straight forward install... The only thing a I had issues with was after the install I realized that where the k-member mounts to the frame they are almost egg/oval shaped so that you can get, I don't know maybe .5" of movement front or back with the actuall k-member to frame, and then you have two locations for the motor mounts. Pretty versatile, reliable, and room for adjustment.
I don't have any experience with other companies...

[EscortSportage]

well, i want to use aftermarket a arms and a coilover kit, im hoping i can use my tokico shocks with their coilovers, but im liking the UPR right now cuz they offer the entire kit for 700, and i can pick the springs i want to go with it (i like staying with one company for the parts) cuz i know the parts are designed to work together and they are matched. Id love to move the engine closer to the firewall, but wont that change the driveshaft length and a whole bunch of other things as well, i really dont want to go to crazy on this front suspension just yet,

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by e3sean no matter what you will always be able to google a problem with any k member kit in one way or another. i have herd the maximum motorsports ones are great i personially just installed a upr kit i got it for 670 shipped and it came with a arms and coil overs. it installed very easily and they were able to adjust my alignment much better then with the stock set up. the thing is with qa1 kit is you can only use their shocks with their coil overs. some places will give you upr coilovers with a qa1 kit. my buddy has a qa1 kit and it moved his motor forward and threw his a arms off.

The QA1 shouldn't move your engine forward. I've used a couple of them and have never had that issue. But if you use stock a-arms, it does move the wheelbase forward an inch. If you use QA1 a-arms the wheels are in the stock location. Its a geometry thing.

[1slo5.0]

Originally Posted by EscortSportage well, i want to use aftermarket a arms and a coilover kit, im hoping i can use my tokico shocks with their coilovers, but im liking the UPR right now cuz they offer the entire kit for 700, and i can pick the springs i want to go with it (i like staying with one company for the parts) cuz i know the parts are designed to work together and they are matched. Id love to move the engine closer to the firewall, but wont that change the driveshaft length and a whole bunch of other things as well, i really dont want to go to crazy on this front suspension just yet,

You get what you pay for. UPR has a nasty reputation with k-members and a-arms and there professionalism sucks. Search the Corral and you will see what I mean.

Staying with one company doesn't make the set up any better.

You can move the engine back an inch. Every aftermarket k-member I've seen has two sets of slots for the engine mounts. You won't have to shorten the driveshaft or anything else........well usually there isn't any problems anyway. I don't think I've ever had an issue setting the engine back in the rear slots of the k-member.

[flyin ryan]

Originally Posted by 1slo5.0 The QA1 shouldn't move your engine forward. I've used a couple of them and have never had that issue. But if you use stock a-arms, it does move the wheelbase forward an inch. If you use QA1 a-arms the wheels are in the stock location. Its a geometry thing.

I totally agree, my qa1 k had two mounting points for the motor mounts which if I used the other setting it would relocate the motor further back but I wanted the stock location. WIth stock a arms it will move the wheel base further forward about an inch which pisses allot of people off that aren't running skinnys and drag racing the car and qa1 will tell you they did this for two reason. One is to get better center of gravity and two to make it impossible for other brand a arms to work with the k's. So if you purchase the right tub a arms from qa1 your wheels will be back in the oem location.