[99v6stang]

So after 4 weeks of sitting at the shop i finally found out today the the kmember is too bent to be fixed and has to be replaced along with the passanger side a arm, but i already have the new a arm for a junk yard awhile back. I was told he could get the new kmember out of a used car for $500, and that just seems insane. So ive been looking into getting a tubular kmember kit from UPR for $750, but then you also need cc plates and a bumpsteer kit, so its over $1,000 plus shipping. Obviously i have to do something to fix this but am not really sure what to do i dont want to spend over $1,000 some kmemeber, cc plates, springs, and a arms that i dont really care about a whole lot to begin with, but i sure as hell dont want to waste $500 on a shitty stock k member. So......

1.I can look on my own for a used kmember and hopefully only spend about $200

2.I can spend probably $1,200 buying the stuff from UPR and have some nice stuff but not really what i want like (8.8 rear, new tranny, finish the m112 setup)

3.Can i buy just the tubular kmember and leave everything else stock? I'm assuming the a arms need to be tubular as well, and then i mid as well just be getting the entire kit. This is not my area of expertise.

[tigerfan2771]

Originally Posted by 99v6stang So after 4 weeks of sitting at the shop i finally found out today the the kmember is too bent to be fixed and has to be replaced along with the passanger side a arm, but i already have the new a arm for a junk yard awhile back. I was told he could get the new kmember out of a used car for $500, and that just seems insane. So ive been looking into getting a tubular kmember kit from UPR for $750, but then you also need cc plates and a bumpsteer kit, so its over $1,000 plus shipping. Obviously i have to do something to fix this but am not really sure what to do i dont want to spend over $1,000 some kmemeber, cc plates, springs, and a arms that i dont really care about a whole lot to begin with, but i sure as hell dont want to waste $500 on a shitty stock k member. So...... 1.I can look on my own for a used kmember and hopefully only spend about $200 2.I can spend probably $1,200 buying the stuff from UPR and have some nice stuff but not really what i want like (8.8 rear, new tranny, finish the m112 setup) 3.Can i buy just the tubular kmember and leave everything else stock? I'm assuming the a arms need to be tubular as well, and then i mid as well just be getting the entire kit. This is not my area of expertise.

you can get JUST the kmember. id get the qa1 tubular kmember from steeda.com. its like $265. you dont need the lightweight a-arms, but if you decide you want them, then you will have to do coilovers. just getting the same a-arms and a tubular kmember will work just fine. make sure you get it aligned though. hope that helped.

[99v6stang]

So you can use the stock a arms with a tubular k member? I was looking into this about a year ago and thought that a tubular k member required the use of tubular a arms. What are other people running for aftermarket kmembers? Is the qa1 pretty decent? id hate to bend another one

[99v6stang]

I was looking at the steeda website just now, and it does say that stock a arms can be used, but it doesnt specify if they are for the v6 or v8, and ive yet to figure out if the v8 and v6 are the same except for the motor mounts and it seems as if everytime some one talks about it they are guessing and no one knows for certain.

[tigerfan2771]

Originally Posted by 99v6stang I was looking at the steeda website just now, and it does say that stock a arms can be used, but it doesnt specify if they are for the v6 or v8, and ive yet to figure out if the v8 and v6 are the same except for the motor mounts and it seems as if everytime some one talks about it they are guessing and no one knows for certain.

well i know for a fact that a qa1 tubular kmember from an 03 cobra will work on the 99-04 v6. im not sure about the mounts though. i am positive about the kmember though.

[99v6stang]

well i wonder how it compares to the upr kmember, the UPR one is a hundred buck more but says...UPR Recommends the purchase of a bumpsteer kit with this product. Caster Camber plates are required for this product to fit correctly. So i wonder if the qa1 will require cc plates and a bumpsteer kit as well. I will have to give them a call.

[JMack]

No...

Neither tubular k-member should require CC plates and/or a bumpsteer kit if you are in fact replacing just the k-member. The only reason that I can think of that would require CC and BS would be in the tubular k-member was dropping the location of the motor and changing the suspension geometry in doing such.

If you call UPR or Steeda, they should know enough about their own product to verify whether or not you would need CC and BS. It's worth the time to NOT spend your money.

[99v6stang]

well after talking to qa1 tech THE V6 AND V8 KMEMBERS ARE NOT THE SAME it is finally settled, he said he knows of plenty of people modifying the v8 kmembers to fit the v6 but as it is, its not the same. For the qa1, use of cc plates, tubulars a arms, and a bumpsteer kit is NOT required, maybe that will help some one out.

With UPR they say that the 1979-1995 kmember is exactly the same as the 99-04 v6 and requires no modification, but they say it does require the use of coil over springs meaning you need aftermarket a arms meaning you need cc plates, meaning you need a bumpsteer kit. So overall thats about $1100.

Im pretty much at a loss of what to do cuz....
-- i dont want to spend $500 for stock shit
-- i dont want to spend $1100 cuz thats a hell of alot of money i would rather spend elsewhere
-- i dont want to buy the qa1 and get stuck having to do a whole bunch of custom modification and so on.

Im thinking maybe i can get the 1979-1995 kmember from QA1 because UPR said they are the same, but when i called QA1 they only said that people modify the 96-04 to get it to work, they never mentioned the older one working at all. Its times like this that i hate owning a v6,,, i need some other people's input on what to do

[AzSonicSnake]

here ya go, pa racing makes one that uses the stock control arms and stock springs. no cc plates or coilovers needed.... i would hit them up and see if they can do something to work with your v-6..

PA Racing - Your One Source for Custom Front End Suspensions

[99v6stang]

they also look to be only for the v8's

[99v6stang]

Im thinking about going with the qa1 kmember for the 79-95 cuz if UPR's version is the same as the v6 mustang kmember i would assume the qa1 would be as well. And its only about $250 so i wont need to waste too much of my money

[JMack]

Try asking QA1 what the mods are to make it work on the V-6...

I wouldn't think that it would be too much. And stock, I believe that the K-members for the 4.6L and the 3.8L are the same, just different motor mounts (contrary to what I posted before). I have worked on a buddy's 01 GT (heavily modded) and the stock K-member looks the same as the one on my 00 V-6...

Could someone try to get undercarriage pics of a GT from 99-04 and post to compare? That would be helpful!!!

[99v6stang]

Im surprised how no one knows if any of the k members are interchangable or not

[JMack]

Not many people bend K-members that I've known of...

[99v6stang]

yes that is true. I am still a little worried about ordering the wrong kmember.

UPR says...
-A 1979-1995 kmember works with a 99-04 v6 with no modification but they mention nothing about the 96-04 kmember
-Their kmembers require the use of aftermarket spings, a arms, cc plates, and a bumpsteer kit


QA1 says...
-They have heard of people modifying their v8 kmembers to fit a v6 but are not sure what all is involved
-Their kmember requires nothing aftermarket

Taylor0987 ( a well respected, long time moderator at 3.8mustang.com - The most popular v6 mustang resource on the web) says...
-yeah, a 94-04 kmember will work on your 99.

if you get a 94-95 one, then you will have to get new motor mounts too-- they must be ones for a 94-95 v6.

if you get a 96-04 one, then you can reuse your current motor mounts.


So as you can see i am having a little difficulty deciding. I want the QA1 kmember because it doesnt require any other aftermarket parts for me to waste money on, but im not sure if they will be a direct bolt in part, or if im supposed to get the 1979-1995 or the 1996-2004. Some help would be appreciated

[Avaric3]

Originally Posted by 99v6stang well after talking to qa1 tech THE V6 AND V8 KMEMBERS ARE NOT THE SAME it is finally settled, he said he knows of plenty of people modifying the v8 kmembers to fit the v6 but as it is, its not the same.

they are exactly the same, just different motor mounts on the k-member

Originally Posted by 99v6stang but im not sure if they will be a direct bolt in part, or if im supposed to get the 1979-1995 or the 1996-2004. Some help would be appreciated

its the 96-04 one youll use i believe

[99v6stang]

Yea i was thinking going with the 96-04, but dont understand why UPR told me to use the 79-95. I wish someone had just already installed a QA1 kmember and had proof it worked, i guess ill go with the 96-04 QA1 and ill get to be the lucky guy who finds out for sure if it works. Should i be replacing the motor mounts as well?

[99v6stang]

okey after reading GT/V6 K-Member Question - V6Power Messageboard i am confident that the v8 kmembers are the exact same as the v6 ones. But that thread made it seem as if QA1 was not a very good choice. So now i have to pick which one to buy....

QA1

-cheapest -----------------------------------That forums says they crappy
-doesnt need anything else aftermarket

UPR

-High quality---------------------------------Needs lots of other parts
---------------------------------------------More expensive

PA RACING

-High quality---------------------------------Nothing bad
-Second cheapest
-Doesnt need anything else

Maximum Motorsports

-High Quality--------------------------------BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE
---------------------------------------------Doesnt say if anything else is needed

So far it is looking as if PA is the winner... But i still want some opinions, and if i do go with PA, should i consider any of these options?

Available Options:
Color: Black Silver Red Custom
Material: Mild SteelChromoly (+$150.00)
Motor Mounts: NoStandard, 5.0L (+$50.00)Standard, 4.6L (+$50.00)Chevy Mount (+$50.00)
Rack Option: Standard Rack3/4" Drop Rack (+$50.00)1-1/2" Drop Rack (+$50.00)Pinto Rack (+$50.00)Custom Drop (+$50.00)
Road Race Option: NoYes (+$150.00)
Spring Perches: NoYes (+$50.00)
Year: 1979-19931994-19951996-2004

[Ninjawafers!]

whats the price of the PA one by itself?

[99v6stang]

QA1--$259
PA---$289
UPR--$349
MM--$669

So with QA1 supposedly being not as good, and Maximum Motorsports being WAY too expensive it is UPR or PA. I am wondering if the UPR kmember really needs the a arms, springs, cc plates, and bumpsteer or not seeing as no other tubular k member does. Also PA had the chrome-moley option for $150 where it comes stock with UPR, but im not sure if thats anything id ever need or not. Should i go with aftermarket motormounts?