QA1 Tubular K-member

[JR_Charger]

Thinking about ordering one of these in a few days. Any reason not to? Is the QA1 K-member compatible with a factory sway bar? My car didn't come with sway bars and I have no idea how the front sway bar mounts on a 72 Charger.

 

[66Satellite47]

Call QA1 and ask them. The QA1 K members I have look quality. But I never used one.

 

[Wietse]

IIRC the QA1 sway bar and lower control arms must be included as the stock ones will not work with the QA1 K-member.
It looks solid and appears to give a lot more space below the engine for service.

 

[Derwud]

Also, the QA-1 Subframe mounts the Sway bar way to low.. I made 1 inch blocks to mount the sway bar above the subframe. Running the Subframe and Lower Arms with Hotchkis TVS.

 

[BeepBeepRR]

While you guys are on this subject.I will be installing a set of Qa1 lower control arms in a stock K-frame. Will the stock sway bar work? Its a 1969 Road Runner.

 

[peabodyracin]

I've posted here before that I'd been fortunate to have had a fairly long relationship with QA1, going back to when they were bringing stuff back from China and starting US production in Lakeville, Mn. The company I was running before my retirement does the powder coating for QA1. Jim Jordan, the guy running the QA1 show back then was the kind of business man you thoroughly enjoyed working with. Health issues took Mr Jordan early and his daughter took over the company at that time. I'm not sure what the current management structure is.

When their b body tubular k member, control arms, strut rods, etc were under development they borrowed one of my project cars (69 Satellite) for measuring, fitting, mock up, etc. Some months later they asked to borrow a complete, running car and had my 69 Coronet in their shop for weeks. They trial fitted every possible combination of OEM and QA1 components to make sure everything would work together as a customer may select. When they finished, I got to keep the complete installed front end under the car as compensation for the use of my car. I was impressed with the way the car drove and handled after getting the car back and it really cleaned up the looks of the front undercarriage.

The guys doing this work were smart, enthusiastic and detail oriented. I was very impressed with their approach to the project. I had the opportunity to be on their production floor numerous times and was always impressed with their work. I even got to see the early carbon fiber drive shafts being made plus some of the A body offerings they were working on. I'd also been in the area their phone support folks work and got to hear them on phone calls. For me this wasn't work; it was just plain fun to go over there and deal with this customer.

 

[66Satellite47]

peabody, you are lucky fellow to be closely involved with a good manufacturer. Don't recall when QA1 got going, but wish I had taken advantage of the local connection back in the day.

 

[Gus chiggins]

Thinking about ordering one of these in a few days. Any reason not to? Is the QA1 K-member compatible with a factory sway bar? My car didn't come with sway bars and I have no idea how the front sway bar mounts on a 72 Charger.

Seems like a good product. I installed upper/ lower control arms with stock k member.

 

[Mike67]

Control arms will work, sway bar wont. Very nice product

 

[JR_Charger]

IIRC the QA1 sway bar and lower control arms must be included as the stock ones will not work with the QA1 K-member.
It looks solid and appears to give a lot more space below the engine for service.

QA1 doesn't offer a sway bar for the tubular k-frame. Only for the coil over conversion.

Also, the QA-1 Subframe mounts the Sway bar way to low.. I made 1 inch blocks to mount the sway bar above the subframe. Running the Subframe and Lower Arms with Hotchkis TVS.
View attachment 1273899

I've got to admit that low sway bar mount concerns me a little. I'm intending to use a 1" drop spindle. I might be able to find someone who can fabricate brackets to move the sway bar mounts. Maybe.

Control arms will work, sway bar wont. Very nice product

View attachment 1274100 View attachment 1274101

That doesn't look like either of the k-frames QA1's website shows when I have 72 Charger selected. Do you have a picture of the frame by itself?

Are you running a front sway bar?

 

[Mike67]

That doesn't look like either of the k-frames QA1's website shows when I have 72 Charger selected. Do you have a picture of the frame by itself?

Are you running a front sway bar?

Not yet, and am not sure about finding one that will work without coilovers.

 

[JR_Charger]

Not yet, and am not sure about finding one that will work without coilovers.

View attachment 1274536 View attachment 1274537 View attachment 1274538

I suppose you're looking for a QA1 sway bar? It sounds like Derwud is using a Hotchkis sway bar.

Thanks for the pics! Is the blocky end of the K_frame the front? Do the lower control arms have brackets for a sway bar? It look like they do.

 

[Mike67]

Yes,sir, the torsion bar and lower control.arms attach to the blocky end. Nothing on the front except the strut rod mounts.
Yes the LCA have tabs for the the sway bar. Ya the Hotchkis piece is nice but pricey!
I've been fighting this this thing just to get it on the road without worrying about its handling!!!

 

[JR_Charger]

Yes,sir, the torsion bar and lower control.arms attach to the blocky end. Nothing on the front except the strut rod mounts.
Yes the LCA have tabs for the the sway bar. Ya the Hotchkis piece is nice but pricey!
I've been fighting this this thing just to get it on the road without worrying about its handling!!!

View attachment 1274811

Looking back at your earlier pics, it's obvious which end of the K-frame was the front. Derp.

It seems like you're pretty far along with your build. What's it missing?

I agree that building a classic car is expensive, but just think you could have been this poor disappointed Ferrari owner-



"Theoretically speaking," the Ferrari should be the better car, but in real life all it does is brake and handle better on roads smooth enough not to break its delicate rims. And that's only when it works. If it doesn't work, Ethan sure isn't fixing it himself.

 

[Mike67]

Nothing is really missing, just trying to work out the tune with the efi and a couole of other bugs Im not happy with.

 

[70ChargerRT]

Also, the QA-1 Subframe mounts the Sway bar way to low.. I made 1 inch blocks to mount the sway bar above the subframe. Running the Subframe and Lower Arms with Hotchkis TVS.
View attachment 1273899

Do you have any more pics of the way you mounted this, especially to the LCA. I’ve got a set of LCA,s I was going to weld sway arms tabs to make them work on my 70

 

[70ChargerRT]

I've posted here before that I'd been fortunate to have had a fairly long relationship with QA1, going back to when they were bringing stuff back from China and starting US production in Lakeville, Mn. The company I was running before my retirement does the powder coating for QA1. Jim Jordan, the guy running the QA1 show back then was the kind of business man you thoroughly enjoyed working with. Health issues took Mr Jordan early and his daughter took over the company at that time. I'm not sure what the current management structure is.

When their b body tubular k member, control arms, strut rods, etc were under development they borrowed one of my project cars (69 Satellite) for measuring, fitting, mock up, etc. Some months later they asked to borrow a complete, running car and had my 69 Coronet in their shop for weeks. They trial fitted every possible combination of OEM and QA1 components to make sure everything would work together as a customer may select. When they finished, I got to keep the complete installed front end under the car as compensation for the use of my car. I was impressed with the way the car drove and handled after getting the car back and it really cleaned up the looks of the front undercarriage.

The guys doing this work were smart, enthusiastic and detail oriented. I was very impressed with their approach to the project. I had the opportunity to be on their production floor numerous times and was always impressed with their work. I even got to see the early carbon fiber drive shafts being made plus some of the A body offerings they were working on. I'd also been in the area their phone support folks work and got to hear them on phone calls. For me this wasn't work; it was just plain fun to go over there and deal with this customer.

Will you ask them why in the world would they mount the sway bar under the k-frame and not through it like a member here did and they mounted it through the k-frame on their coil over k-frame so what gives?

 

[#41]

Thinking about ordering one of these in a few days. Any reason not to? Is the QA1 K-member compatible with a factory sway bar? My car didn't come with sway bars and I have no idea how the front sway bar mounts on a 72 Charger.

Well, .......I'll ask why not just buy some torsion bars and fit a stock type sway bar? The stock sway bar simply attaches to the K and the lower control arms. The fabrication necessary to add a sway bar to a car that never had one is not significant - you can buy the brackets needed for the control arms and have a local shop weld them on if you do not have a welder.

..... an option.

 

[70ChargerRT]

Well, .......I'll ask why not just buy some torsion bars and fit a stock type sway bar? The stock sway bar simply attaches to the K and the lower control arms. The fabrication necessary to add a sway bar to a car that never had one is not significant - you can buy the brackets needed for the control arms and have a local shop weld them on if you do not have a welder.

..... My 70 RT is already of course a factory sway arm K-frame.

Well, .......I'll ask why not just buy some torsion bars and fit a stock type sway bar? The stock sway bar simply attaches to the K and the lower control arms. The fabrication necessary to add a sway bar to a car that never had one is not significant - you can buy the brackets needed for the control arms and have a local shop weld them on if you do not have a welder.

..... an option.

My 70RT is a factory sway arm car. I was looking into maybe adding a tubular K-frame replacement, not coil over. I’ve already got the upper and lower Qa1 control arms. I do realize that Qa1 tries to get ya with if you run our LCA,s you need our k-frame but that’s an easy fix for my 70 by just welding some LCA tabs on their arms. I absolutely hate how Qa1 made the sway bar to mount below the K-frame. It’s is way too low.

 

[Derwud]

My 70RT is a factory sway arm car. I was looking into maybe adding a tubular K-frame replacement, not coil over. I’ve already got the upper and lower Qa1 control arms. I do realize that Qa1 tries to get ya with if you run our LCA,s you need our k-frame but that’s an easy fix for my 70 by just welding some LCA tabs on their arms. I absolutely hate how Qa1 made the sway bar to mount below the K-frame. It’s is way too low.

Here some more pictures.. Now I did not buy or try a QA-1 sway bar, since they don't make a rear sway bar, or didn't at the time.. but the mounting is poor design, but fixable..