We arrived at DMC Racing bright and early, only to find the lift in the shop was being occupied by an extremely high-dollar musclecar. DMC is predominately a chassis shop, so it only has one lift. We said "forget it" and did the install on the ground, just like a typical enthusiast doing the job in his or her driveway. The car rested on a pair of jackstands, amidst all of the race cars sitting on build plates. The only special tool the DMC gang used was an engine hanger, used to secure the engine as the K-member was dropped out from underneath. Total installation time was around six hours, with taking time for photos and putting every part on the scales to record our weight savings.
The Granatelli tubular parts went on effortlessly, though perhaps the hardest part was getting the stock hardware off the factory A-arms. The Granatelli kit requires you to reuse your factory hardware, but considering the inactivity of our vehicle, it took some WD-40 and Justice Brothers rusty bolt spray to get things loosened up. Once off, the nuts and bolts cleaned up nicely and went right in. The Granatelli K-member also has a support bar that runs across the backside of the unit. It's there for extra support for the road-racing types. Unfortunately, it interfered with our long-tube headers. Those who have owned a Fox-body Stang with an AOD know what a complete hassle full-length headers can be. Luckily, the support is bolted on and easily removed. It also reduced weight by another two pounds. We feel confident in removing the crossbrace because the overall design and construction of the Granatelli K-member is great. The unit is boxed in several critical locations, and the tubing employed is heavy-duty.
Here is the A-arm dangling....
Here is the A-arm dangling. Notice the nice pile of rust and dirt underneath it. That is what we had to compete against when trying to break free the nuts and bolts. Thankfully, most of it was just surface rust and nothing broke.
The Granatelli and Late Model...
The Granatelli and Late Model Restoration parts were laid out in front of the car.
Here the factory K-member...
Here the factory K-member and A-arms are on the scale, and the Granatelli unit is sitting next to it.
We weighed every single part...
We weighed every single part that came off and went on the car. Total savings from the front end mods was an impressive 41 pounds. Factor in the skinnies and that number jumps to a total savings of 67 pounds.
The Granatelli K-member bolts...
The Granatelli K-member bolts in the same holes as the stock unit. In fact, the factory hardware is used to bolt on the aftermarket unit.
Header clearance was improved...
Header clearance was improved greatly; the header tube to K-member clearance opened big time. The only problem we had was that the tubes hit the extra crossbrace support on the K-member. The K-member is built tough, as evident by the boxing at critical locations and the quality of the tubing.
We felt comfortable removing...
We felt comfortable removing the crossbrace and have no worries about the K-member flexing. After the story was completed, JR Granatelli informed us that the bar fits with long tubes-we just had to use the spacers that were included in the kit, which we obviously missed.
The factory nuts and bolts...
The factory nuts and bolts are removed from the stock A-arms and reused.
The bushings press into the...
The bushings press into the A-arms.
Strange struts (bottom) replaced...
Strange struts (bottom) replaced the worn out KYB units (top). The Strange struts are adjustable and reasonably priced, and are quite effective. We know many true 10.5-inch racers who have run these struts on their 7-second Mustangs in NMRA competition. You can adjust the rebound from stiff to loose, depending on the application and what is required. A simple knob at the bottom of the strut takes care of the adjustments.
Ball joints are included....
Ball joints are included.
Remove the dust cover before...
Remove the dust cover before you slide on the Granatelli coilover springs.