To remove the K-member, support...
To remove the K-member, support it with a floorjack and then begin unbolting the four bolts located at the rear mounting points.
While we would normally weigh everything to show you the weight difference, the point was largely rendered moot, as our tubular K-member is a custom piece, and the numbers wouldn't be exactly what you might see with other brands of tubular K-members. As far as the rack goes, Flaming River says that there is about a 30-pound weight reduction when ditching the factory power steering for its manual rack.
Next month, we'll bring you more of Project Repeat Offender. Our deadline to get the project finished in time for the NMRA season opener in Bradenton, Florida, is fast approaching, and there's a lot of work to be done yet. Stay tuned.
Next, remove the two large...
Next, remove the two large fasteners that are hiding up in the top spring perch location, and then the K-member comes right down.
With the design of the spring...
With the design of the spring perches on the tubular K-member and A-arms, we couldn't just muscle the springs in with a couple of pry bars. We dropped in on our local parts store and rented this external spring compressor, which got the job done. This installation can be very dangerous given the tension in the coils when they are compressed, so call in an expert if you haven't done this before. Depending on your K-member, you may be able to use an internal spring compressor for added clearance. This largely depends on the size of the hole in the bottom of the perch.
While we would be reusing...
While we would be reusing the screw-in ball joints, the rusty spherical rod ends had to go. We replaced them with these 3/4-16 (5/8-inch bore) black-oxide pieces from Summit Racing Equipment (PN SUM-XMAX10). They offer a wider range of movement than the old pieces, and the black oxide will likely last longer than the chrome-plating.
We chased the threads using...
We chased the threads using a Snap-on thread tap before installing the Summit rod ends. This ensured that they would go all the way in without trouble, and that they would come back out easily should the alignment shop need to adjust them.
With the springs in place,...
With the springs in place, the spindles can now be installed.
Following the spindles, we...
Following the spindles, we bolt up our Strange Engineering adjustable front struts.
We can now bolt up our new...
We can now bolt up our new Aerospace Components front brakes. Not that a drag racer running pizza-cutters up front is concerned, but tubular lower front control arms offers added wheel clearance in addition to less weight. Said weight reduction will aid in weight transfer at launch, as it shifts the weight balance of the car rearward before you even turn the key.
The Flaming River manual rack...
The Flaming River manual rack and pinion setup bolted right up without issue-that is other than our custom tubular K-member requiring some very rare 7/16-20 fine-thread bolts that we had to special order.
You'll be relatively surprised...
You'll be relatively surprised at how well the car still turns with a manual rack, especially with skinny front wheels and tires.
One end of the new steering...
One end of the new steering joints fits over the splined end of the steering rack shaft, while the other end attaches to the supplied steel beam using a set screw.
We have a bit of adjustment...
We have a bit of adjustment with the steering shaft, and that is good, as we have some rather large headers to fit in the engine bay. We'll cover the steering shaft installation once we have the headers just a few issues from now.
Our 609hp small-block Ford...
Our 609hp small-block Ford has been introduced to our '85 coupe, and it looks like it will be a good fit. There's probably going to be a small cowl-induction-style hood in the car's near future, especially after we throw on the carb spacer and Quickfuel Technologies air and fuel mixer on top.