Gibraltar Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 So I took the plunge. Here are all the BMR parts for my suspension. My GT500 is a daily driver, so I won't be lowering it any further than the SVTPP it came with. I really like that the front splitter clears parking lot bump stops. Here's the list of parts: K member A-arms, non-adjustable with poly/delrin bushings Lower Control Arms, Billet Aluminum Panhard Rod, Adjustable, Polyurethane Bushings Upper Panhard Rod Support Upper Control Arm, Adjustable, polyurethane bushings Upper Control Arm Mount Thank you to Kelly at BMR for his expertise and patience Wild Pony Motorsports in Santa Clarita, California did the installation. First impressions: 1) steering is immediate and precise, it's an amazing difference. 2) rear end seems planted and does not "steer" the car like stock. 3) more road noise than I expected. Yes, I knew to expect some. It's quite a bit louder. I'll report more as I put some miles on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA Shelby Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 I have similar BMR setup and the NVH has been significant. My ride is rougher than before. I had a real issue with squeaking from the a-arms. I had the the taller ball joints removed and replaced by a different ball joint that BMR supplied and the squeaking went away. I had the dealer grease the others multiple times before I switched out. The UCA still makes noise if I go over a significant bump but it seems to have settled in some. I can live with it. I also added relocation brackets. The car is much more predictable now. Wheel hop has been eliminated. There have been trade offs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibraltar Posted May 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 IA, Thanks for the input. My experience has been similar. I've noticed a significant increase in NVH. I've been chasing rattles and vibrations for a week. I've also got some squeeks that I'm hoping more grease will help with. Since my car isn't lowered, I'm using the standard "stock" height ball joints. My LCA's are pretty level with the ground as the car sits, so I didn't use the LCA relocation brackets. Wheel hop is gone and the handling is incredible. Turn-in is amazing, no delay, no play, no "taking a set" and then turning. It just turns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32V-SVT Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 IA, and Gibraltar, what year Shelby's do you have? I had an issue with the K-Member clearing the EPAS rack & Pinion on my 11... Either of you experience the same problem??? I managed to work through the problem, but it was a significant issue at the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibraltar Posted May 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 32V, I've got a 2011 GT500 with SVT-PP. During my long pre-purchase conversation with Kelly @ BMR he assured me that their part was manufactured to very tight tolerances and would fit properly with no issues or modifications. However when it came time to install it the guys at Wild Pony could not get the "Steering Column U Joint Assembly" to clear the driver side motor mount. They spoke directly with Kelly who told them it would be safe to grind the motor mount enough to clear, but that he had never heard of this issue before and could not understand why it didn't fit. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable with the proposed modification. Both companies assured me it would work and be safe. So I allowed them to proceed and it seems fine. I've got about 500 miles on it since and have not noticed any issues related to the modification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMAv Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 So I took the plunge. Here are all the BMR parts for my suspension. My GT500 is a daily driver, so I won't be lowering it any further than the SVTPP it came with. I really like that the front splitter clears parking lot bump stops. Here's the list of parts: K member A-arms, non-adjustable with poly/delrin bushings Lower Control Arms, Billet Aluminum Panhard Rod, Adjustable, Polyurethane Bushings Upper Panhard Rod Support Upper Control Arm, Adjustable, polyurethane bushings Upper Control Arm Mount Thank you to Kelly at BMR for his expertise and patience Wild Pony Motorsports in Santa Clarita, California did the installation. First impressions: 1) steering is immediate and precise, it's an amazing difference. 2) rear end seems planted and does not "steer" the car like stock. 3) more road noise than I expected. Yes, I knew to expect some. It's quite a bit louder. I'll report more as I put some miles on it. Glad to see I'm not the only one who has those little weights in their blinds falling out all over the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IA Shelby Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 IA, and Gibraltar, what year Shelby's do you have? I had an issue with the K-Member clearing the EPAS rack & Pinion on my 11... Either of you experience the same problem??? I managed to work through the problem, but it was a significant issue at the time... I have a 2011. I held off on the buying the K-member because they could not confirm it was fit tested on the GT500. I am glad I did. The NVH is an issue. I was going to go with the roush anti-wheel hop kit but was told not to do it because it was non-adjustable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32V-SVT Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 32V, I've got a 2011 GT500 with SVT-PP. During my long pre-purchase conversation with Kelly @ BMR he assured me that their part was manufactured to very tight tolerances and would fit properly with no issues or modifications. However when it came time to install it the guys at Wild Pony could not get the "Steering Column U Joint Assembly" to clear the driver side motor mount. They spoke directly with Kelly who told them it would be safe to grind the motor mount enough to clear, but that he had never heard of this issue before and could not understand why it didn't fit. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable with the proposed modification. Both companies assured me it would work and be safe. So I allowed them to proceed and it seems fine. I've got about 500 miles on it since and have not noticed any issues related to the modification. Gibraltar, I don't know who exactly my guy talked to before we even ordered mine, but they spewed out the exact same BS about their K-Member fitting the 2011... It absolutely will not without some modification where the passenger side mounts to the EPAS rack unit. You have to notch out the cross tubing about 3/4 of an inch worth for clearance so the protruding case on the Rack will flush up with the mounting bolts. You don't find that out until you've swapped out the Control Arms, Motor Mounts, and then try to get the rack back in... We had pictures of this up on the Web... I'm surprised you had a problem with the motor mounts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b17drvr Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Keep an eye on the A-arms. Both of mine cracked. They were about 5 years old and 26000 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibraltar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 32V, I didn't see any issue mounting the rack to the K-member. The mounting holes all lined up fine. My issue was on the driver side. The universal joint at the bottom of the steering column couldn't turn without hitting the side of the bracket that holds the motor mount on that side. The part already had a notch in that area, but it wasn't enough. I never got a straight answer to how much material they ended up removing. I've circled the area we modified in the attached pic's. b17, I've heard of others with cracked A-arms. BMR tells me they've revised the design and solved the issue. I guess only time will tell... On another note: I'm still chasing rattles. The latest one I found is the stereo amplifier, which is mounted to a bracket inside the passenger side rear fender. The entire bracket would shake and make a horrible rattling noise. I stuffed some packing foam between the back side of the bracket and the fender and it seems to be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32V-SVT Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Gibraltar, did you order the K-member that lowers the engine a half inch? That's the one we spec'd out... Wow, looking at those pictures I'm thinking I have a differently sized rack than yours... It almost looks like they flipped the motors to be way out in front... Mine was stuffed right up against where the three main bars square off. I need to get under my car and take a look at that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibraltar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 32V, My understanding is that the '11-'12 K-member is completely different than the previous version. I ordered the KM018, which is the only version listed on their site for the '11+ cars. They don't mention anything about lowering the motor, so I doubt it does. The lower motor mount option is available for '05-'10 models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibraltar Posted May 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 32V, By the way, where in Los Angeles are you located? I split my time between the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.