Recently, I installed the BMR K Member on my 2014 GT. Since there are so few threads about the actual install, I decided to add one here. Even though I had access to a few lifts, it was better suited to perform this install on the ground, as most buyers will not have access to a lift. Rest assured, it's not a problem.
I began by putting the car on jack stands, with wheel chocks behind both back tires. Car is in park (auto), parking brake is on, then I removed both front wheels. You can see the best place to support the car on stands. I even used broken down cardboard boxes so I didn't have to lay directly on concrete. I do have a creeper, however....it takes away about 6" of working room while under the car, it's easier without it.
First, remove the A arm support bar using a 15mm wrench/socket. Those who own the auto, just be patient. You will get jammed up trying to remove it. By moving the transmission cooler lines around, you can wiggle the bar out.
Soon as the A arm support bar was removed, I used a floor jack and foam to support the transmission and engine underneath the transmission bell housing. I only raised the jack high enough to hold it firmly, so it would not move when the K member was dropped. I didn't want the engine to move, drop, or raise. This made it easy to keep the engine centered in the car while the K member was removed.
Next, remove the 15mm nut from both steering knuckles. For the life of me, I could not get them to pound out with a hammer. You may have to use a ball joint removing tool. Heck, they may even be threaded, but I didn't have the correct tool to remove them. Makes the job a little harder, but you can get it done leaving them in.
After that, unplug the electrical connections to the steering rack.
Remove the bolt on the steering shaft closest to the steering rack, it's 13mm. I marked the position before removal, however, I didn't realize at the time there was only one way it could be inserted.
There are three bolts holding the steering rack to the K member. Ford used a locking coating on the threads, prepare to curse!!! IIRC, they are 19mm or 22mm, can't remember.
Move on to the engine mounts under the hood. Using a 15mm deep well socket, 3/8" elbow, and a very long 3/8" extension, remove the nut from both engine mounts. They are down by the headers.
After the steering rack was removed and engine mount top nuts removed, I removed all four front K member nuts and the four rear K member bolts. All eight are 18mm. The rear bolts may be a pain to remove. Ford must have used a thread locking coating. One of them was a serious pain, having to use a breaker bar, as the impact wouldn't get it. I also removed all bolts connecting the OEM front A arms to the OEM K member.
Not going to lie to you, sometimes you get things into a bind and you want to cuss. Just back away from it for a minute, catch your breath, and proceed forward. The steps above are not in perfect order, you may find your way to be more efficient.
This is what you end up with.
Side by side, it's easy to see where the weight loss comes from.
Every bolt, nut, and the OEM A arm support bar was reinstalled on the factory K member, then weighed. WOW! It's heavy. The advertized 18 lb. weight reduction from this mod is an understatement. Prepare to lose more than that. I'd say more than 20 lbs., as I have calculated 25.
Now, time to get back to work. We have a new part to install.
You may find it a requirement to install the front A arms into the new K member before you mount the steering rack. The rack boots will block access to install the front A arm bolts. The front A arms are a very tight fit trying to get them into the BMR K member. I decided to use Amsoil grease on the sides of the front A arm bushing to help slide them into place and using a hammer to tap them in. Do not tighten the front A arm bolt while the car is on jack stands. You want to do that while the front suspension is under load, more on this with tips later.
See how I left them loose for the moment
Install the steering rack onto the new BMR K member. Make sure you install the bolts for the steering rack so the bolt head will be towards the ground. Install the two front and single rear bolt. 19mm for the front and 22mm rear.
Note: Front steering rack bolts are pointing up, not down.
Make sure the top engine bushing is put into place before raising the member into position.
This is where a helping friend comes into play. Both of you have to bench press the new K into place. There is a catch, you have to make sure you connect the steering shaft to the steering box while the new K member is being positioned. You can't connect it when the new K member is already in place, the shaft is too long.
While your friend holds it in place, you have to start the four front 18mm K member nuts and the four rear K member bolts. *DO NOT TIGHTEN ANYTHING YET*
These are the front 18mm nuts I am referring to. Just tighten them enough so they do not allow the K member to drop.
WOAH! Look how much easier it is to replace exhaust parts now.
While the K member is hanging, have a look from under the hood. Are the engine mount holes inline with the bushings? If they are not, I'd move the member, not the engine. The engine should be in factory position, and that's where you want it to remain. Move the K member until the mounts line up with the holes in the bushings.
It's also not a bad idea to take more measurements to insure the suspension components are truly square with the body of the car. Check multiple areas, not simply relying on one set of measurements. You have adjustment to move the K member from side to side while still matching up with the engine mounts.
This picture shows you how much side to side adjustment you have.
Now the new K member is centered, drop in the bushing bolts, put on the bottom bushings and washers, then put on the nut hand tight. You will tighten these later to 15 ft. lbs.
Now you know the rack is in the right position....you can tighten all four front nuts and four rear bolts to 110 ft. lbs. You can install the rear A arm mounts with supplied spacers, and BMR A arm support bar (assuming you bought one, it's not included with the K member), tightening everything to 110-140 ft. lbs.
By this time, you can remove the jack from under the bell housing of the transmission allowing the engine to rest on the new K member poly bushings. Tighten the engine mount bolts to 15 ft. lbs. Be patient, it seems like it takes forever to achieve the proper torque, and you fear you may be over tightening, compressing the bushings.
When everything is properly torqued, you should look like this. *Please note at this time, front A arm bolts are still loose*
Now you can reinstall the wheels, and here is what I did. Placing the jack under the wheel/tire. I wedged the floor hack in so it could not come out. Then, I lifted the tire, compressing the spring, until the car barely lifted from the jack stand. This allowed me to torque down the front A arm bolts under load. Repeat for both sides.
DONE!
I recommend getting your car realigned on the rack after installing the K member. The suspension was taken apart, and may not be "perfect" when put back together again. This is not a negative about the new part, it's a fact of life from any part related to the suspension. Also, it's a good idea to check your pinion angle again. The engine might be dead on, or slightly off. Any change in engine height will affect pinion angle. I have not yet checked mine, but will in next few days.
I may have forgotten details, but those can be answered in the thread.
It's nice having the help of friends. Without them, I would have be stuck.
Now, the only thing standing between you and a longtube header or turbo manifold install are the motor mounts. There is a lot more wrench swinging room in here.
Huge thanks to Kelly @ BMR. Support from vendors like yourself makes our hobby much more enjoyable.
So many people ask, "So....what is the car like to drive? Is it noisy? Does the vibration drive you crazy, not wanting to drive the car daily?"
The answer to all of these questions are, all is fine, and NO! First things first, if you insist on a Cadillac quiet Mustang, this mod is not for you. You will feel more vibrations through the floor board and in the seat, but not all the time. When I am cruising down the highway, I really can't tell the difference. The only time you notice any vibration is while you are in drive (auto) fully stopped with your foot on the brake (i.e. at a red light). The suspension is still quiet and no strange pops, clunks, or noises of any kind come from the front suspension. Other than added "VH" there is no "N".
I drive this car daily, and even my Fiance didn't care about the change. The car is still fun for her, no complaints. She laughed at me when I told her people call BMR to complain about the added "VH" from this mod. It's to be expected from a hard poly bushing.
What I DO love about the change....The car feels RAW and ready to race. It's more nimble thanks to the weight loss. You can feel the difference in power directly transferred to the wheels, instead of being lost in the driveline while "torquing over". So, if you care about being fast and light, this mod is for you. All of the Cadillac Mustang lovers need not apply. This is fast car stuff, and not for you!
I began by putting the car on jack stands, with wheel chocks behind both back tires. Car is in park (auto), parking brake is on, then I removed both front wheels. You can see the best place to support the car on stands. I even used broken down cardboard boxes so I didn't have to lay directly on concrete. I do have a creeper, however....it takes away about 6" of working room while under the car, it's easier without it.
First, remove the A arm support bar using a 15mm wrench/socket. Those who own the auto, just be patient. You will get jammed up trying to remove it. By moving the transmission cooler lines around, you can wiggle the bar out.
Soon as the A arm support bar was removed, I used a floor jack and foam to support the transmission and engine underneath the transmission bell housing. I only raised the jack high enough to hold it firmly, so it would not move when the K member was dropped. I didn't want the engine to move, drop, or raise. This made it easy to keep the engine centered in the car while the K member was removed.
Next, remove the 15mm nut from both steering knuckles. For the life of me, I could not get them to pound out with a hammer. You may have to use a ball joint removing tool. Heck, they may even be threaded, but I didn't have the correct tool to remove them. Makes the job a little harder, but you can get it done leaving them in.
After that, unplug the electrical connections to the steering rack.
Remove the bolt on the steering shaft closest to the steering rack, it's 13mm. I marked the position before removal, however, I didn't realize at the time there was only one way it could be inserted.
There are three bolts holding the steering rack to the K member. Ford used a locking coating on the threads, prepare to curse!!! IIRC, they are 19mm or 22mm, can't remember.
Move on to the engine mounts under the hood. Using a 15mm deep well socket, 3/8" elbow, and a very long 3/8" extension, remove the nut from both engine mounts. They are down by the headers.
After the steering rack was removed and engine mount top nuts removed, I removed all four front K member nuts and the four rear K member bolts. All eight are 18mm. The rear bolts may be a pain to remove. Ford must have used a thread locking coating. One of them was a serious pain, having to use a breaker bar, as the impact wouldn't get it. I also removed all bolts connecting the OEM front A arms to the OEM K member.
Not going to lie to you, sometimes you get things into a bind and you want to cuss. Just back away from it for a minute, catch your breath, and proceed forward. The steps above are not in perfect order, you may find your way to be more efficient.
This is what you end up with.
Side by side, it's easy to see where the weight loss comes from.
Every bolt, nut, and the OEM A arm support bar was reinstalled on the factory K member, then weighed. WOW! It's heavy. The advertized 18 lb. weight reduction from this mod is an understatement. Prepare to lose more than that. I'd say more than 20 lbs., as I have calculated 25.
Now, time to get back to work. We have a new part to install.
You may find it a requirement to install the front A arms into the new K member before you mount the steering rack. The rack boots will block access to install the front A arm bolts. The front A arms are a very tight fit trying to get them into the BMR K member. I decided to use Amsoil grease on the sides of the front A arm bushing to help slide them into place and using a hammer to tap them in. Do not tighten the front A arm bolt while the car is on jack stands. You want to do that while the front suspension is under load, more on this with tips later.
See how I left them loose for the moment
Install the steering rack onto the new BMR K member. Make sure you install the bolts for the steering rack so the bolt head will be towards the ground. Install the two front and single rear bolt. 19mm for the front and 22mm rear.
Note: Front steering rack bolts are pointing up, not down.
Make sure the top engine bushing is put into place before raising the member into position.
This is where a helping friend comes into play. Both of you have to bench press the new K into place. There is a catch, you have to make sure you connect the steering shaft to the steering box while the new K member is being positioned. You can't connect it when the new K member is already in place, the shaft is too long.
While your friend holds it in place, you have to start the four front 18mm K member nuts and the four rear K member bolts. *DO NOT TIGHTEN ANYTHING YET*
These are the front 18mm nuts I am referring to. Just tighten them enough so they do not allow the K member to drop.
WOAH! Look how much easier it is to replace exhaust parts now.
While the K member is hanging, have a look from under the hood. Are the engine mount holes inline with the bushings? If they are not, I'd move the member, not the engine. The engine should be in factory position, and that's where you want it to remain. Move the K member until the mounts line up with the holes in the bushings.
It's also not a bad idea to take more measurements to insure the suspension components are truly square with the body of the car. Check multiple areas, not simply relying on one set of measurements. You have adjustment to move the K member from side to side while still matching up with the engine mounts.
This picture shows you how much side to side adjustment you have.
Now the new K member is centered, drop in the bushing bolts, put on the bottom bushings and washers, then put on the nut hand tight. You will tighten these later to 15 ft. lbs.
Now you know the rack is in the right position....you can tighten all four front nuts and four rear bolts to 110 ft. lbs. You can install the rear A arm mounts with supplied spacers, and BMR A arm support bar (assuming you bought one, it's not included with the K member), tightening everything to 110-140 ft. lbs.
By this time, you can remove the jack from under the bell housing of the transmission allowing the engine to rest on the new K member poly bushings. Tighten the engine mount bolts to 15 ft. lbs. Be patient, it seems like it takes forever to achieve the proper torque, and you fear you may be over tightening, compressing the bushings.
When everything is properly torqued, you should look like this. *Please note at this time, front A arm bolts are still loose*
Now you can reinstall the wheels, and here is what I did. Placing the jack under the wheel/tire. I wedged the floor hack in so it could not come out. Then, I lifted the tire, compressing the spring, until the car barely lifted from the jack stand. This allowed me to torque down the front A arm bolts under load. Repeat for both sides.
DONE!
I recommend getting your car realigned on the rack after installing the K member. The suspension was taken apart, and may not be "perfect" when put back together again. This is not a negative about the new part, it's a fact of life from any part related to the suspension. Also, it's a good idea to check your pinion angle again. The engine might be dead on, or slightly off. Any change in engine height will affect pinion angle. I have not yet checked mine, but will in next few days.
I may have forgotten details, but those can be answered in the thread.
It's nice having the help of friends. Without them, I would have be stuck.
Now, the only thing standing between you and a longtube header or turbo manifold install are the motor mounts. There is a lot more wrench swinging room in here.
Huge thanks to Kelly @ BMR. Support from vendors like yourself makes our hobby much more enjoyable.
So many people ask, "So....what is the car like to drive? Is it noisy? Does the vibration drive you crazy, not wanting to drive the car daily?"
The answer to all of these questions are, all is fine, and NO! First things first, if you insist on a Cadillac quiet Mustang, this mod is not for you. You will feel more vibrations through the floor board and in the seat, but not all the time. When I am cruising down the highway, I really can't tell the difference. The only time you notice any vibration is while you are in drive (auto) fully stopped with your foot on the brake (i.e. at a red light). The suspension is still quiet and no strange pops, clunks, or noises of any kind come from the front suspension. Other than added "VH" there is no "N".
I drive this car daily, and even my Fiance didn't care about the change. The car is still fun for her, no complaints. She laughed at me when I told her people call BMR to complain about the added "VH" from this mod. It's to be expected from a hard poly bushing.
What I DO love about the change....The car feels RAW and ready to race. It's more nimble thanks to the weight loss. You can feel the difference in power directly transferred to the wheels, instead of being lost in the driveline while "torquing over". So, if you care about being fast and light, this mod is for you. All of the Cadillac Mustang lovers need not apply. This is fast car stuff, and not for you!
