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There is only one way to get correct camber when lowered.
So after screwing around with these for crap K-mac bushings on my 2018 e63s wagon, what a waste of time and $$$$$ I found the solution.
For the same price of these crap K-mac mickey mouse always slipping out of spec bushings I found a source for camber adjustable upper control arms.
F1- Fabrication, https://f1-fab.com sent me a pair in two days and now I have proper stock alignment on my lowered wagon. No more wearing out the inside edges on a set of P4s tires in 5,000 mi.
If you lower your e63s you must get the alignment correct and there is "no other way to do it"..
F1-Fabraication has the cure and I am so glad I found them. There is only one right way to do the job right...
I didn't have a good experience with K-PAX. Still regret the time wasted on that movie. Even the K-mac name of the above referenced product would have been enough to keep me away as it somehow reminds me too much of that dog of a movie.
I didn't have a good experience with K-PAX. Still regret the time wasted on that movie. Even the K-mac name of the above referenced product would have been enough to keep me away as it somehow reminds me too much of that dog of a movie.
No kidding, I should have known better after reading their responses and looking at their web page...
Now it's right, going from -2.8 to -1.6 will do the job at the lowered ride height and should give me a little more negative when in the sport + setting.
There is only one way to get correct Camber when lowered
Yes and along with "new products / ideas" ...... it is mandatory to create controversy! Ferdinand Porsche and recently Elon Musk echoed this. So can see some background history is needed....
With Mercedes models only having front and rear toe, directional adjustment K-MAC was first to design and patent both front and rear Camber and Caster adjuster kits to suit all.
For the front and rear we could have gone with simply "adjustable" arms - no controversy (doing nothing flawlessly).
But problem here is difficult to access, adjust and to reduce premature inner edge tire wear "top of tires" need to be adjusted outwards reducing all important clearance to outer fenders.
So we saw the need to design a system whereby the "lower arms" could be adjusted inwards (or outwards to increase both track width and negative Camber on race days).
Last 40 years or so the standard procedure has been the labor / time consuming, trial and error method of having a offset bush then to change a setting the need to remove and reposition each time.
Challenge here was therefore to come up with a design where three criterias were met - no difficult access. Speed / ease of adjustment and where adjustment could be made accurately (under load direct on alignment rack).
Often said simplest design is the best design. What we came up with was just that. Patented invention allowing easily accessible "precise single wrench" adjustment.
The front bushings being both Camber and Caster adjustable and also at same time replacing the 4 highest wearing suspension bushings.
Majority of today's aftermarket replacement bushes promote improved brake and steering response - by eliminating OEM rubber along with the oil and air voids - and replacing with urethane!
Problem here is that today's autos having multi link arms / mount angles what often occurs is binding, locking up of arms as they are prevented from traveling through there required suspension arcs.
Harsh steel spherical bearings are often used to resolve this, but in day to day commuting can soon pound out We saw the need therefore to design, develop and include in K-MAC front bushings a mono ball / 2 axis bush having more then 4 times the load bearing area of spherical bearings and being able to absorb impact loads.
This was then further developed in all out heavy V8 competition racing - hitting race curbs at end of main straight, launching, becoming fully airborn then slamming down broadside, lap after lap.
Situations where Race Safety scrutineers ruling for Safety, reliability K-MAC and only K-MAC adjuster kits are allowed to be used.
At K-MAC not outsourcing we have the advantage of "in - house" manufacture which allows constant updates, development.
For example situations where a bush lock nut not fully tight (and being a suspension component this is absolutely essential) with majority of locking systems from the basic spring washer to the upscale "Nord Lok washers" depend on reverse teeth. If not fully tight in a suspension application inevitable looseness / movement / setting change will occur!
To resolve this problem once and for all we come up with a lock tab system where once tightened (no matter what the tension) nut cannot unintentionally loosen!
K-mac bushings suck and are a complete waste of money because when they slip and they do, the only fix for the slipping K-mac bushing is a pair of new Mercedes lower arms for another $700.00 + labor to install and realign back to stock...
K-mac please get the hell off my thread since you have cost me over $2,000.00. Your products suck..
Ronin indeed is your thread - but being fair minded surely was entitled to reply. Especially seeing as mentioned the effort we put into R & D. Then the ultimate proving of products in all out 10 / 10ths competition racing to quickly identify any unforeseen problems.
We do emphasis in instructions (see below) "essential nuts are fully torqued" - to prevent looseness resulting in identifiable noise Otherwise long term - brake / acceleration resulting the wearing down of the hardened steel teeth preventing clamping. Being a customer had you contacted us we would have identified the problem and supplied new bushing at no cost.
Below 2 pics clearly shows advantage of Race Track proving our products. In this instance actual design of adjustable arm "mount connections" Also note the 2 axis movement incorporated into these K-MAC end mounts, further ensuring against fatigue breakage.
Last edited by K-Mac; 09-17-2018 at 09:43 PM.
Reason: One more photo
Ronin indeed is your thread - but being fair minded surely was entitled to reply. Especially seeing as mentioned the effort we put into R & D. Then the ultimate proving of products in all out 10 / 10ths competition racing to quickly identify any unforeseen problems.
We do emphasis in instructions (see below) "essential nuts are fully torqued" - to prevent looseness resulting in identifiable noise Otherwise long term - brake / acceleration resulting the wearing down of the hardened steel teeth preventing clamping. Being a customer had you contacted us we would have identified the problem and supplied new bushing at no cost.
Below 2 pics clearly shows advantage of Race Track proving our products. In this instance actual design of adjustable arm "mount connections" Also note the 2 axis movement incorporated into these K-MAC end mounts, further ensuring against fatigue breakage.
This is a tough one. I understand your desire to defend your product but I'm inclined to believe Ronan... I think the reasons are fairly obvious for that and no specific reflection on you or your company.
Can I ask, though--did you refund his money or offer to cover the damages?
Was obviously necessary to point out the reason behind the slippage. The quick reference check lists supplied (with all front and rear instructions). The emphasis on full tightness and then the final securing by our positive lock system... only if had some feedback at the time. Even so we are always in there trying and if Ronin privately emails his account details, yes will refund his purchase price!
Seriously, you post a picture of a failed component from F1-Fabrication as if means something to me or anyone that has been modifying and building cars for over 40 yrs.
You product sucks and if 95 ft.lb. of torque isn't gonna hold it in place it's a pice of crap.
Ya know it's not the money for the junk you sell but the waste of my time that really pisses me off.
Having to have my car realigned three times at $250 each plus the price of two new OEM lower control arms at $700 and installed tells me your K-mac junk is just crap..
Seriously a +/- .3* adjustment is a joke, sorry dude your stuff is crap..
These are my lower control arms and you can clearly see the K-crap bushings have moved even when torqued down to 95 ft lb.
They were originally set for less negative camber equal on both sides, their rotation to more negative camber screws everything up and it does it unevenly.. Again R$D is done by the customer in the real world..
K-Crap camber bushings at the time the lower arms were removed after a short drive through the canyons...
'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
Originally Posted by PeterUbers
Sometimes, you just got to call a company out ... glad the OP found a good product
I wouldn’t call these arms a good product just yet. Going by past experience with several different aftermarket suspension brands and parts for AMGs, there’s not one I’d trust or recommend. Hopefully unlike most, these pass the test of time.
I wouldn’t call these arms a good product just yet. Going by past experience with several different aftermarket suspension brands and parts for AMGs, there’s not one I’d trust or recommend. Hopefully unlike most, these pass the test of time.
So a U bend steel pipe with a adjustable heim joint is something that needs to be tested over time before it is AMG worthy ?
Enjoy replacing your front tires every 5,000 mi., I'll be enjoying a better handling AMG wagon and getting longer longer tire life..
'03 E55, Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Ducati 748R
Originally Posted by ronin amg
So a U bend steel pipe with a adjustable heim joint is something that needs to be tested over time before it is AMG worthy ?
Enjoy replacing your front tires every 5,000 mi., I'll be enjoying a better handling AMG wagon and getting longer longer tire life..
No need to get defensive but get back to me after you’ve counted the number of broken aftermarket AMG suspension parts reported over the last several years, including toe links which are an even simpler design than the “U bend steel pipes” that you think don’t need to be tested much.
So a U bend steel pipe with a adjustable heim joint is something that needs to be tested over time before it is AMG worthy ?
Enjoy replacing your front tires every 5,000 mi., I'll be enjoying a better handling AMG wagon and getting longer longer tire life..
don’t be toxic to him. He expressed his opinion, which is right in a way . There is not such a thing that can be better than factory part, I won’t believe that F1 has a better technicians than amg does. Of course it has to be tested over the time, as I may notice you are the only one here who complained about kmac on w213 and praised f1. You can’t sinply say that kmac has worse product just because it didn’t suit your car .
he won’t be replacing his tires, just because he is clever enough not to lower his car and install some aftermarket camber kit.
A priori that kit can’t give you advantage of better handling, if handling could be improved , it would be done from the factory. It may only longer the tire life as you said.
Good luck and don’t driver over potholes on decent speed
Again there is the only real fix for camber adjustment whether you are at standard ride height or lowered...
There is no front camber adjustment possible in the stock suspension design.
F1- Fabrication upper control arm with camber adjustment..
Stock upper with zero adjustment possible..
Kinda spooky looking at that thinning taper and a non replaceable ball joint...I guess you guys should be carefull around those potholes..I could have a bit too much toe in..
09-13-2018, 02:58 PM
