Steeda K Member Group Buy 2.0

01yellercobra

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How much is your car lowered? And how much did the wheels push out after the k install?
I have mm everything up front and want the k but dont want the wheels to push out
I'm a little lower than H&R race springs. The control arms are .200" longer than the stockers. Most don't notice it really. I just prefer the tucked look.
 

94slowbra1

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Yeah I'm about perfect right now, mm control arms and coil overs. I'm pretty low so if I come out any further I'm going to rub.
It would be a time consuming and expensive test fit
 

PWORLDSTANG

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Bump. The OP sold his car but I'd still like to see this through.

Yes, it is expensive, but I do believe this to be the designed best K-Member next to the MM unit. The continued interest in these this long after production ceased speaks to that.

We need 8 more confirmations to make this happen. Who else is willing to commit?
 

scottydsntknow

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I was gonna buy it 100% when it was under $1k shipped. I bought the MM K and coilover kit and Tokico D specs for the $1200 or so it would cost to ship it within the lower 48... If you must keep the regular coil spring setup this is your best option but tbth... just keep the stocker at the price they want now and throw some stock A arms with Del-A-Lum bushings in it and call it.
 

Liquidsnake

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To be honest I was very strongly considering this until the BMR premium K member was released a month or so ago. I’ve wanted a steeda K for probably 10 years, but that BMR piece is half the price. If the steeda K IS slightly better for whatever reason, it’s definitely not $500 better.
 

94slowbra1

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I agree with ^^^. The premium bmr piece looks legit. I've wanted a MM k-member for a while just haven't pulled the trigger. Plus with bmr you keep the factory oil filter. I'll be purchasing the bmr unit with their a-amrs soon
 

Blkkbgt

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To be honest I was very strongly considering this until the BMR premium K member was released a month or so ago. I’ve wanted a steeda K for probably 10 years, but that BMR piece is half the price. If the steeda K IS slightly better for whatever reason, it’s definitely not $500 better.

I agree with ^^^. The premium bmr piece looks legit. I've wanted a MM k-member for a while just haven't pulled the trigger. Plus with bmr you keep the factory oil filter. I'll be purchasing the bmr unit with their a-amrs soon

I'd be amazed if anyone can get a group buy going with the new bmr piece out. Honestly had I not gone with an MM piece months ago I'd have went with the bmr k and a arms with taller ball joints.
 

01yellercobra

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I keep eyeing the BMR piece as I'd love to get rid of the oil filter relocation. But I'd need to get control arms as my originals sr long gone. I'd like to think I could offload my MM K member pretty easily. The only thing is I want the tires to stay centered in the wheel well. I asked if the BMR set up moves the tires forward and never recieved a reply. I guess I wasn't worthy since I'm not on Facebook.
 

94slowbra1

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Have you tried calling. I emailed some questions and didn't get an answer. Called a few days later and had a nice conversation with them
 

Wings65288

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I bought the bmr for $200 shipped, it is NICE. 26 pounds or so lighter than stock too (52 vrs 26). No oil filter relocation needed either. Very strong too, I can place a block of wood on a jack and jack it up too and it holds it fine.
 

MG0h3

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Anyone know if it’ll clear headers?


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SteedaGT

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Anyone know if it’ll clear headers?


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Depends on the brand. I know they said one brand has an issue, but I can’t remember which. My eBay longtubes clear though.

I keep eyeing the BMR piece as I'd love to get rid of the oil filter relocation. But I'd need to get control arms as my originals sr long gone. I'd like to think I could offload my MM K member pretty easily. The only thing is I want the tires to stay centered in the wheel well. I asked if the BMR set up moves the tires forward and never recieved a reply. I guess I wasn't worthy since I'm not on Facebook.
Front tires do not move from the original location.
 

01yellercobra

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Have you tried calling. I emailed some questions and didn't get an answer. Called a few days later and had a nice conversation with them
Usually the time I think about calling is when I'm heading home from work and they're closed.
Depends on the brand. I know they said one brand has an issue, but I can’t remember which. My eBay longtubes clear though.


Front tires do not move from the original location.
Thanks. I might still consider it as I think I can sell everything and cover the cost of the BMR pieces.
 

HuntFishCobra

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If I ever take the plunge on a K it's the BMR premium for sure. Street car here.
 

SteedaGT

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I think a group buy discount could happen if someone sets it up. Dion @ BMR is who I speak to when I call there and he’s the one that pushed mine through production so I had the first one.
 

PWORLDSTANG

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You guys all have very valid points and I don't disagree with anything that has said. It is very hard to justify spending double on a product, when there is similar product readily available and priced appropriately.

However, the design concerns I see with the BMR Premium are very hard to look past. The Steeda K-Member has none of these concerns. I will gather my thoughts on this and post pics later tonight to share with you all.
 

PWORLDSTANG

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I've got it all typed up. I just have to get the pictures uploaded and post.

I will say, my concerns aren't necessarily deal breakers for all (myself included) since the BMR Premium is still a boxed, gusseted, triangulated k-member. However they will give some people something to think about, and are ultimately what led me back here trying to get the Steeda unit back in production.
 
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PWORLDSTANG

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First, they decided to use gussets to connect the front tube that the steering rack mounts to, and the boxed portion of the k-member (shown below). Even though the front tube on the BMR unit runs in at an angle to support the boxed section, I question whether such a small gusset is adequate. On the phone, Dion@BMR claimed the gussets added a substantial amount of rigidity. However the MM and Steeda units both use a tubular connection in that location, and Steeda even went as far as using an integrated gusset and tubular connection. From research, I do know that tubular chassis support is more resistant to torsional loads, which is what you’d want in this location, and is why you find it on the MM and Steeda unit. But BMR decided to use a small gusset in a location that will be subjected to extreme cornering loads.

The pic below is an old one of the OP’s car I found while searching something unrelated, but it shows what cornering loads the chassis, and therefore k-member can be subjected to.

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IMG_8930

Not only is the gusset small, it is also short. It is welded mid-way between the front and rear a-arm mounts, whereas the Steeda and MM unit provide support through the rear a-arm mounts. You can buy BMR’s ‘a-arm support brace’ for an additional $69 to help with this, but it’s already incorporated into the Steeda and MM design.

Second, they chose to cut the rear of the boxed chassis section to allow for header clearance. Header clearance is great! But what’s not great is that piece of thin, flimsy metal they welded in place. Where the embossed logo is, you can see literally see a bend in the metal from it simply being too thin, and this is with no load on the car. I don’t suspect this would be an issue if a thicker piece of metal were used. What’s worse is there is an a-arm tab welded to this piece of thin metal on the backside of this cut portion. I don’t know what type of loads run through this section of the k-member, but neither the Steeda nor MM unit uses such thin gauge metal anywhere in their designs.

49885549147_18cd581943_o.jpg
IMG_9053

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IMG_8892

Also, the upper and lower a-arm mounting holes are extremely close together. The thinness between those two mounting holes just make me scratch my head. This is also apparent at the edge of rear subframe mounting tab where only a marginal amount of metal is there at the end of the tab, along with a tear in the supporting gusset. Surprisingly (or not), issues with thinness is not evident in neither the Steeda or MM unit, as visible in the pics below.

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Lastly, the overall weld quality appears to somewhat mediocre to me. The powder coating they use helps mask it, but the Steeda unit had vastly superior welds. Some of this is because the Steeda unit it TIG welded which produces small precise welds. However, the MM unit is not TIG welded (I emailed them and confirmed). Theirs is MIG welded and looks as good, if not better than Steeda’s TIG in my opinion. This is likely a non-issue so long as the welds penetrated, but it certainly speaks to the overall quality, design, and other concerns I’ve noted above.
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IMG_9453

I recommend anyone looking at the pics to either save them and view them on your phone, or zoom in on your phone and look at the detail. These are all minor details that aren't individually significant, but become significant as a whole in my opinion. These are tangible design and quality concerns that are apparent just from studying published pictures on BMR's site, and comparing them with other pictures posted in past Steeda K-Member threads. I think BMR's idea of a boxed, gussets, and triangulated design is great, but as of now I personally want another shot at the Steeda unit.
 

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