93 replies to this topic

[ls2lxhatch]

It is good to finally see some pictures. It is very disappointing that we can not get a straight answer out of K-MAC. According to Kevin at K-MAC the design has not changed since 1977 however I was under the impression that this is the 1977 design which is clearly different to the design above. I think I will have engine clearance problems with the new design.



SSL31, I would be interested to know what offset rims and hubs you are using, to see if the tyre rub will be a problem for my setup.

Edited by ls2lxhatch, 13 May 2007 - 05:43 PM.

[A9X]

What is the smallest tyre you can fit safely on a 15 x 10 rim?

Smallest in width?

Ta

Welby

[dattoman]

285 isn't it ?

[A9X]

Hmmm, Plan G out the window.

[dattoman]

Hmmm, Plan G out the window.

OK..old secret...dont tell Datto...Hand grooved slicks...and hand file the "Not For Road Use"..off the sides of the tyres..(scruts will never know anyway)But I didnt tell we did this and Dunlop have no records of any employment of me or any of my relatives.
R

We have to use 8" rims for motorsport

I think Welby is rethinking the street wheels

[355LX]

It is good to finally see some pictures. It is very disappointing that we can not get a straight answer out of K-MAC. According to Kevin at K-MAC the design has not changed since 1977 however I was under the impression that this is the 1977 design which is clearly different to the design above. I think I will have engine clearance problems with the new design.



SSL31, I would be interested to know what offset rims and hubs you are using, to see if the tyre rub will be a problem for my setup.

its good to see some pics from my photobucket helping people out.

I think that this design above is a modified version of a k-mac bar done by the owner of that particular group c car. The guys name is Michael Ward, he owns Wardsport and once worked for K-mac many moons ago.

The design has certainly changed many times since the 70's. Mate of mine bought a front bar for his hatch, then less than 6 months later I requested the exact same bar, but recieved something different!!

Followup calls on this and my dissatisfaction of the overall quality (or lack of!) fell on deaf ears, and basically gave me the whole "these bars were in the top 6 finishers of bathurst in 79" or whatever, and told I was stuck with it......

Dave

[arrimar]

^standard k-mac speil given to any request for information.
they did however sell me the brackets seperately but sent 2/3rds of what i ordered then rectified the problem.

[Racehatch]

From the looks of it, back in the day most of the teams used the k-mac bar and just made their own brackets and links to thier spec, that were a bit more heavy duty etc... So perhaps comparison (of the race cars) is really pointless...

[ls2lxhatch]

The point of comparing the race car is that every time you ring KMAC for information regarding the swaybar you get this response.

Yes, we make them!!
Same as we supplied to Peter Brock and the first 6 over the finish line at Bathurst in 1977

If you then ask for pictures or measurements the answer is no. Now we find that the design has changed several times ( 355LX ) and no-one is sure what you will get if you order one.

[Racehatch]

I dont think you will find that many of the teams ran the setup exactly as supplied by K-mac... Most of the pictures I have seen supplied by the guys have shown alot of variation in the main support bracket that locates the bar to the body, quite often square tube, and the cups that hold the rubber bush are beefier (for strength?) but nothing like anything I have seen supplied by k-mac...

I understand there was some variation in this area with the package sold to the public, but nothing like what we have been looking at here... Perhaps its not correct for them to be saying "as supplied to Peter Brock to win bathurst", might be in overall design but not necc in specific components...

I'm sure some of the older heads here may be able to clarify..?

[ls2lxhatch]

The statement may be arguably correct but it is also misleading.

According to 355LX KMAC have changed the design recently, without notice and refused to take the product back. ( See post above )

All KMAC have to do is provide pictures of the product they intend to deliver to the customer, so we know what we are buying. Instead all KMAC do is recite this useless statement.

[Racehatch]

Just because the customer modifed what was supplied does not make Kmacs statement incorrect.

Depends on the exact wording of the statement from k-mac, I'm only going on what people have said k-mac have told them....

A modified k-mac kit is not the same as a kit used as supplied by them...

[Litre8]

I ran one of the KMAC direct replacement non-adjustable bars at one stage, was rear mount, same as the factory bars. I thought all their front mount bars were adjustable?

Imho if KMAC supplied the bar kit and the team modified it before using it then that doesn't alter the fact KMAC supplied the bar kit. KMAC don't claim the team(s) used them out of the box.