K-Mac Strut top adjusters: |
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Q1. Why are K-Mac Strut top Camber and Caster adjusters better? |
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A. Its what you would expect from a company with over 40 years of design and "in-house" manufacturing experience. Allowing us to proudly resolve and patent each of the problems experienced to now with adjustability for all the 6 basic vehicle suspension systems.
We did it... Concept, Invent, Design, Patent and Manufacture: |
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- Strut (top mount) - All positional (Quickest, Biggest adjustment)
- Strut (top mount) - Adjustment (where restricted Coil spring movement)
- Strut (top mount) - No mount bolts (adjustment without modification)
- Strut (2 bolt flange) - Adjustment (without under size crank bolts)
- Wishbone (ball joint) - Adjustment slot system (upper arms)
- Control arm (bushings) - Adjustment (plain wrench - no special tools)
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Q2. What are the advantages of K-Mac all positional adjusters over the standard slot adjusters? |
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A. Biggest adjustment range. Quickest/easiest to adjust. Simply loosening the 2 or 3 top strut mount nuts allows instant change to adjustments (both Camber and Caster) and unlike slot adjusters not requiring separate hold down bolts means more travel for pole setting lap times. As this separate bolt access is not required. |
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A. Yes designed to be used with or without coil-over's. The use of smaller diameter coil-over's can allow even greater adjustment range. |
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A. Yes, with most modern cars, the only adjustment available is the toe. It is a sad indictment of the motor trade that a simple adjustment of that toe setting can be classed as a 'wheel alignment'. Modern wheel aligning machines can easily measure camber and caster, K-Mac front camber and caster kits - whether they be strut-top adjusters or bushes - mean these machines can be used to their greatest advantage! |
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A. Yes! A good wheel aligner operator can log for you various repeatable settings for you to make immediate changes at trackside and test different settings for optimum turn-in and cornering speeds. Graduations in the strut-top enable you to readily find these settings and make changes very quickly. |
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A. The centre plate is clamped in place using the existing two, three or four bolt strut design your vehicle has. The clamping hold on the centre plate is tremendous, even with normal tightening of the bolts. In the case of a 3-bolt fitment, just 23ft/lbs of tension only on each ofthe retaining nuts would require 1200lbs of side force to be exerted against the centre plate to make it move. Such force would seriously damage the car before there was any movement! |
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A. We design so not at all, a small number of cars might be raised by up to a mee 4mm. But as most fitments are made in conjunction with lowering springs, that can be allowed for in determining spring dimensions. Remembering gas pressured shocks raise height and also take into consideration sagged original OEM bushings. |
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A. No! Stage 1 and Stage 2 kits use bearings encased in urethane to locate the top of the strut shaft. There is usually some reduction in compliance compared to original fitments; however there is no potential for noisy operation. Stage 2 and 3 kits have a extra heavy duty (PTFE lined) spherical bearing in the centre which allows self alignment (no side load) on the struts and springs. Both stage 2 and 3 have replacement centers for virtual lifetime usage.Stage 3 has no urethane/flex so as to allow instantous steering response.So noise can be a sign of wear, replacement required. |
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A. All K-Mac kits are designed for ease of fotment. Bolt-on with no special tools required. Spring compressors and regular hand tools normally used in doing this work are a part of most workshops and enthusiast tool kits. Care must be taken when compressing springs, of course. |
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A. No! A critical part of the design process at K-Mac is to develop kits that work without the bodywork being altered. This is especially important in the case of classic cars, which might be seriously devalued if strut towers are hacked about. Also there is no need to remove the K-Mac adjusters to change settings. Note: The K-Mac patented design also allows the use of a screwdriver ratchet adjust system to change settings accurately (under load) - no need to jack vehicle. |
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Questions for Bushes: |
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A. K-Mac has a head start on other brands manufacturing bushes since 1964. This experience speaks for itself (all out heavy V8 ute competition racing - Ford versus G.M.) where from race testing/results drivers for Safety, performance and reliability it is mandatory to use K-Mac front end adjustable bushes - no other brands are allowed. |
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A. All K-Mac kits are bolt-on, No modifications required. Come with instructions and bush extraction/insertion tools if required, so no other special tools needed. |
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A. Until this K-Mac invention bushes normally where pressed in to give a set degree of adjustment. Then having to labour intensively remove and repress in to change to another setting. The K-Mac unique break through invention means bushes are now not positional. The outer shell is not eccentric, only the inner section is, for this reason the unique K-Mac design the bush can be installed in ANY position. |
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A. It is often said - "the simplest designs is the best design" and this K-Mac patented design (besides its strength and reliability) is a revolution in its simplicity!
The 'D' shape bolt supplied interlocks with the center hardened steel bush (which is moulded to the elastomer bush - but not the outer sleeve). Simply rotating the head of the bolt allows precise adjustment.Then the nut is tightened to secure. |
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A. Compared to most other urethane bushings, K-Mac unique design bushes have a greater load bearing area, so the potential for wear is reduced. In addition, those with steel inner bushes are case hardened, nickel-chrome plated and have spiral grease grooves to enhance longevity. |
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A. There is a twisting action in the rubber (or neoprene) bushes which tends to tear the material after time. In many instances the need to provide movement in two planes forces designers to specify bushes with voids in them, these are especially prone to allow wheel tramping under brake and acceleration which further leads to their premature failure. |
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A. K-Mac bushes are specially designed to adjust lower control arms inwards rather than adjusting upper arms outwards to reduce negative camber caused by lowering a car. Clearances are therefore not compromised. Same applies if wanting to increase negative Camber and track width on Race days. |
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