K-member installation?

**pajeff02** · 12-26-2010, 04:58 PM

I have a new K-member from UMI sitting on the floor of my garage awaiting installation. Any tips or tricks I should know about before attempting this? The install will be performed on a two-post lift and I have both a transmission jack and under car jack stands to safely hold everything.

***SMWS6TA*** · 12-26-2010, 06:18 PM

Please do a detail posting when you are done. I plan on doing this later this year.

Only advice I can give on this matter is have enough beer to bride some help from friends.

**pajeff02** · 12-26-2010, 06:39 PM

There has not been a beer in our refrigerator in the 12 years I have been here. Looks like I may be in trouble.

**sjsingle1** · 12-27-2010, 02:17 AM

maybe a keg......lots of pics or a video would be nice......doing mine next yr too

**cammed goat** · 12-27-2010, 07:08 AM

Well...I assume the new K-member is lighter than stock. So, maybe an extra set of hands could help with raising the new piece into place to thread the subframe bolts. Other than that...you shouldn't have any problems Jeff.

**35th-ANV-SS** · 12-27-2010, 07:10 AM

I did a quick search for you over on tech and didn't see any write-ups on this. Hmmm.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-27-2010, 07:32 AM

The lift will make this easy.
Since the motor is designed to drop out the bottom, I would think it would be easiest to simply drop everything down, and while the engine/trans is on the floor, switch the K-member and lower the car back down onto it. Especially since you'll have to swap all your suspension over to it. Not to mention the aftermarket K-members I've seen and messed with required new brake lines to be bent and ran. They didn't have provisions to hold any of the lines in place either. Not sure what brands they were though.
Did you also buy the aftermarket A-arms and suspension pieces?? Or are you reinstalling your stock stuff??

Not sure what you are thinking, but trying to keep the engine trans in the car to swap the K-member sounds like disaster waiting to strike. I wouldn't trust a bunch of pole jacks to hold all that weight in there. It's much easier to work on when it's all laying in the floor anyway. That's just me though

**pajeff02** · 12-27-2010, 08:25 AM

I did consider dropping everything and performing some more clean up, but that just seems like more than I want to get into at this time. For now, I'll be utilizing the stock suspension pieces. Maybe down the road I will switch over to tubular stuff also. My trans jack is a beast -- I have picked cars up off the lift arms with it by accident. The undercar jacks are also quite substantial, so hanging the motor in the air isn't really a concern for me. Thanks, FBJ!

**bene** · 12-27-2010, 08:43 AM

I would imagine you could support the motor by a jack stand and a wooden block under the motor's crank pulley and then support the other end w/ another jack stand and wooden block at the tranny bell housing and the oil pan, the tranny cross member would support the weight of the tranny. Unbolt all the bolts that hold the K member onto the body and then unbolt the motor mounts/shock mount/A arm mount, tie rod ends, power steering line, steering shaft and lower the K member after that.

**Tyler_LS1** · 12-27-2010, 09:31 AM

We did mine with a 2 post lift, and dropped just the k-member and suspension. The tranny crossmember held the tranny in and we just held the motor up. I also did all new a arms at the same time

**408WS6** · 12-27-2010, 09:31 AM

One thing you might want to keep in mind with these aftermarket k-members: you can't tilt the engine down as far when you pull the transmission out because the mounts seem to be a tighter fit. That makes it a little more difficult to get to the housing bolts. I just found that out this past week. Still got it down, but it was not easy. Don't let that stop you though, the k-member is a worthwhile mod, and far superior to the flimsy stock unit...

**20ws6speed01** · 12-27-2010, 04:39 PM

OP..Let us know how it gos....

**pajeff02** · 12-27-2010, 05:35 PM

I'll post an install thread. Need to get the car up in the air and look everything over first.

***SMWS6TA*** · 12-29-2010, 07:39 AM

subscribed for updates

**blackcar** · 12-29-2010, 08:51 AM

Just for smws6ta I have to put this pic in here.

Yes the stock K-member is flimsy. I wasn't going that fast when I went over (well more like on top of) that stump.

I've never changed one out but I'm thinking like bene. Except the order of unbolting stuff. I would do it in the opposite order, for several reasons. I would take the powersteering lines loose before I unbolted the k-member from the body or the motor, so it didn't move and damage the power steering lines. Also, I would want to keep the k-member holding the motor while I did the other work. And I would want to take the motor loose from the K-member while it was still bolted in the car, to make sure the jack stands had the motor securly before the k-member was out.

When I was debating on fixing my car, I thought about putting the car on jack stands and using a cherry picker(motor hoist) to hold the motor. I don't have a lift.

**pajeff02** · 12-29-2010, 08:56 AM

^^ Ouch!

**02transamce** · 12-29-2010, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by blackcar

I wasn't going that fast when I went over (well more like on top of) that stump.

why were you driving over a stump?

**blackcar** · 12-29-2010, 11:57 AM

I was bored and it seemed like a good idea. Wait no . . .

My truck was broke. no,no . . .

That was the only way to get to the good fishing hole.

Did you expect me to drive over the log?

My friend dared me to.

I can't afford a 4-wheeler.

I had just said "Hey ya'll watch this" and I didn't have anything else to follow it with.

Wait now I remember. I went around a curve and the back end slid around. Ran off the road and landed on the stump.

**20ws6speed01** · 12-29-2010, 04:42 PM

I've replaced alot of K-members on Charges/300's people run over alot of shit...What will get u pissed off...Is that one little wire/connector/line u missed... HAVE FUN...don't put off getting ur Alignment done too..