K-MAC

WITH SOME OF THE BEST SUSPENSION TALENT IN THE INDUSTRY, WE HAVE BEEN DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING IN-HOUSE (NOT JUST SOURCING IMPORTS / RE-LABELING), ALLOWING TOTAL CONTROL OVER QUALITY AND RAPID / CONSTANT DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS.

IT’S NO WONDER ALL THE MAJOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN BREAKTHROUGHS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY K-MAC. IN ALL OUT-COMPETITION RACING RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES….SITUATIONS WHERE RACE SAFETY SCRUTINEERS – TESTING AND EVALUATING RULE (FOR STRENGTH AND RELIABILITY) THAT ONLY K-MAC ADJUSTER KITS ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED.

*SEE BELOW, THE “6” BASIC VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS AND THE K-MAC INNOVATIVE PATENTED DESIGN BREAKTHROUGHS THAT HAVE SET NEW STANDARDS FOR STRENGTH, RANGE / EASE OF ADJUSTMENT AND INSTALLATION.

Virtually all of todays autos – even the most exotic makes BMW ‘M’ series, Mercedes AMG / Black series, Porsche 991 Turbo (because of cost cutting and the ever increasing speed of OEM assembly lines) only have “Toe” in / “Toe” out (directional) adjustment. Trying to resolve costly, premature edge tire wear by excess adjustment only alters wear position and actually increases overall wear rate…. “Camber” adjustment is essential to be able to change TIRE CONTACT ANGLE/improve traction. Along with “Caster” to correctly resolve steering pull, increase steering response, better turn in and reduce dive/lift on brake and acceleration and improve steering response.

. BESIDE ADJUSTING TOE – the only other suggested procedure is to wear down the other edge by rotating tires!.

. WE SAW THE NEED THEREFORE to reinstate “FULL FRONT AND REAR ALIGNMENT” … TO MEAN WHAT IT SAYS (fixing it right the 1st time).

. NO MORE REPEATED, ongoing trips to dealers, alignment shops or constantly changing tire brands.

CAMBER – Essential to change “tire contact angle”. A proper solution to allow more even tire wear and traction.

CASTER – Correctly resolving steering pull, improving hi-speed directional control, steering response and reducing dive / lift under brake and acceleration.

“STRUT” ADJUSTERS – Fast/Precise from engine bay.

“BUSH” ADJUSTERS – Fast/Precise (single wrench) at same time replacing highest-wearing bushings.

. BOTH DESIGNS ALLOW ADJUSTMENT accurately (under load) direct on alignment rack WITH ONGOING ADJUSTMENT CAPABILITY

. ALL K-MAC KITS are supplied with instructions and bush extraction / insertion tubes where required.

“ONGOING” ADJUSTMENT CAPABILITY FOR VARYING INDIVIDUAL DRIVING CONDITIONS OWNERS CAN EXPERIENCE IN DAY TO DAY COMMUTING….

Altered height through load carrying or lowering, high cambered roads, fitting wide profile tires/wheels, high mileage/worn bushings or curb knock damage. Adjusting for performance driving / reducing understeer on Race days – allowing to go deeper into the corners with increased traction and braking response.

K-MAC kits are all bolt-on, no modifications required. Both the front replacement top strut mounts and bushing kits are precisely Camber and Caster adjustable. Bushings have twice the load bearing area of the OEM and at the same time replace the highest-wearing bushes. Also importantly they are 2-axis / mono ball design without the OEM oil and air voids resulting in improved braking and steering response.

Most “aftermarket” bushes only delete the air voids – which can prevent today’s vehicles’ multi link / angled suspension arm traveling through their required arcs, causing undue harshness, binding / locking up and lead to “even more” wheel hop / loss of traction.

FOR REAR SUSPENSION ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE AVAILABLE is adjustable Camber arms. We do not manufacture these, as they replace the top, not bottom arms. They are difficult to access, adjust and to resolve premature inner edge tire wear need to move the top of tire outwards, reducing the all-important clearance to outer fender. While the K-MAC design is easily accessible (precise single wrench adjustment) and adjusted accurately (under load) direct on the alignment rack. Also with K-MAC “extra Toe” adjustment is included to compensate for this new Camber facility.

LISTED BELOW ARE THE 6 BASIC TYPES OF VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS, WITH K-MAC HAVING INNOVATIVE PATENTED ADJUSTER KIT DESIGNS FOR ALL 6.

McPherson Strut Suspensions BOLT-ON KITS THAT SIMPLY REPLACE THE UPPER STRUT MOUNTS, QUICKEST AND BIGGEST ADJUSTMENT (CHANGE TO STREET OR RACE SETTINGS IN 30 SECONDS – JUST THE TIME TAKEN TO LOOSEN THE 3 STRUT TOWER MOUNT NUTS). They are available in 3 Stages: Stage 1 – (Street) – Steel with elastomer bushed centers and “captive” ball race thrust bearings. Stage 2 – (Street/Race) – K-MAC unlike other brands are not steel or soft billet alloy, but the very highest aircraft 7075 grade aluminum with extra H/duty “radial thrust bearings” for “steering loads”! These also prevent annoying spring drag/bindingDesigned to fit with both OEM diam, coil springs or all brands of Coil overs 60 to 70 mm I.D. Stage 3 – (Full Race) – Similar to stage 2 but no Elastomer / Flex for tauter / quicker steering response times! – More effective shock control. Specifically for full race applications where ride harshness and durability are not the criteria.

THE UNIQUE K-MAC PATENTED DESIGN ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM FOR ABOVE KITS PROVIDES the “quickest/biggest” range (plus increased strength / support) supersedes the current industry standard which has been around for years – a non-flexible ‘slot’ design with spherical bearings.

This slot design, besides having less adjustment because of the need for access to the hold down bolts, is also time-consuming to adjust and on many vehicles requires removal of the strut.

Newer Strut Type Suspension WHERE THE UPPER MOUNT HAS NO MOUNTING STUDS. Brought about by the OEM industry simplifying manufacturing techniques. K-MAC’s design challenge here was to design, develop a system whereby substantial adjustment could be made to change both Camber and Caster settings simply and accurately yet (because of the limited accessibility) without the need for any structural modifications.

Design for popular – 2 Bolt Flange Struts (Chapman) Suspensions – K-MAC MAXI CAMB (TM) CAMBER KITS CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET FOR THESE TYPE STRUTS ARE CALLED “CRANK BOLTS” – WHICH IS AN OFFSET BOLT DESIGN. BASICALLY ONE OF THE 2 CRITICAL BOLTS THAT HOLD THE STUB AXLE / WHEELS ON IS DOWNSIZED! For example a 14mm bolt is replaced by a 12mm crank shape bolt – this 2mm reduction is then used to gain adjustment. This undersized / weakened crank bolt design was rejected by K-MAC as these 2 bolts are a critical suspension component, (holding the stub axle / wheels on) and the new car industry isn’t noted for oversizing componentry!.

Instead the K-MAC patented design…

• Eliminates / Supersedes the need for downsize crank bolts.
• Provides 2 times the adjustment range.
• Unlike crank bolts – features a fail safe / non slip lock system always maintaining and ending the frustration of Camber setting / changing!

Just 3 K-MAC MAXI CAMB Part No’s cover over 300 makes and models of this popular Front and Rear Suspension “2 Bolt Flange” Strut System.

A Design was required for Strut Type Suspension where there is no coil spring/strut tower clearance. Honda / Acura, Civic, CRV, Element, Integra and Odyssey (‘Strut’ front suspensions). Like earlier models, they have no Camber or Caster adjustment ex-factory. Also in these latter models there is no adequate clearance outer diameter of coil spring to inside of strut tower for Camber and Caster travel / adjustment. K-MAC again invented, patented and manufacture unique ‘Top of Strut’ kits, to provide separate Camber and Caster adjustment with original OEM coil diameter. There are also kits available for adjustable coil overs.

A Design for Ball Joint Suspensions K-MAC REVOLUTIONIZED THE ADJUSTMENT OF THIS TYPE OF (DOUBLE WISHBONE) SUSPENSION BY INVENTING AND PATENTING A UNIQUE SLOT SYSTEM, WHEREBY AN ACTUAL BALL JOINT COULD BE ADJUSTED IN OR OUT TO VARY CAMBER SETTINGS (BY UP TO 3 OR 4 DEGREES). This K-MAC design has now become the worldwide industry standard for wishbone suspension alignment adjustment. Like all K-MAC kits, they are bolt-on and no special tools are required.

K-MAC’s challenge here was to design an Eccentric Bushing Adjuster A SIMPLE METHOD WAS REQUIRED FOR THE NUMEROUS PIVOTED BUSH CONNECTION POINTS FOUND THROUGHOUT VEHICLE SUSPENSION SYSTEMS, SO THAT FRONT CAMBER AND CASTER OR REAR CAMBER AND TOE COULD BE ADJUSTED EASILY, UNLIKE THE CURRENT INACCURATE AND LABOR INTENSIVE ADJUSTER DESIGNS OVER THE LAST 40 YEARS, WHERE IT IS NECESSARY FOR TIME CONSUMING REMOVAL OF THE BUSHINGS EACH TIME FOR A SETTING CHANGE THEN REPOSITIONING AT A NEW OFFSET POSITION. THIS NEW K-MAC INVENTION NOT ONLY ELIMINATING THIS TIME CONSUMING NEED FOR DISASSEMBLY AND GUESS WORK RE NEW SETTINGS – INSTEAD NOW PRECISE ADJUSTMENT ACCURATELY ON CAR (UNDER LOAD – DIRECT ON ALIGNMENT RACK).

K-MAC THEREFORE HERE AGAIN SET NEW INDUSTRY STANDARDS with this design breakthrough inventing and patenting a system whereby the original size hexagon bolt head could be easily and simply rotated on vehicle to precisely adjust each bush to the required alignment setting, then locked in this position.

TO COMPLIMENT AND COMPLETE THIS “NEW BUSH ADJUSTMENT METHOD” WE DETERMINED IT WAS TIME THAT A 100% FAIL SAFE “LOCKING SYSTEM” WAS ALSO CREATED. SECURITY OF LOCKING ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING PARTS IN VEHICLE SUSPENSIONS.

For too long majority of industry locking methods in use today world wide rely on lock nuts with reverse teeth (or similar design spring washers). But they are totally dependant on friction/full tightness everytime or inevitably failure occurs.

Proudly using our long term suspension expertise we were able to research and develop a lock system not relying on friction. Once in place the ultimate result – the security of knowing a K-MAC lock nut cannot inadvertantly loosen – no matter what tension is applied.

NOTE: All above K-MAC “eccentric adjuster bush kits” are supplied with extraction / insertion tools where required to further simplify installation and are available for Audi, BMW, Mercedes etc. Virtually every make from Audi to Volvo.

INNOVATION – NOT IMITATION

EXPERIENCE OF BEING THE LONGEST ESTABLISHED AND HAVING “IN-HOUSE” MANUFACTURE (NOT JUST SOURCING IMPORTS/RELABELLING) ALL COMBINES TO ALLOW BOTH TOTAL CONTROL OVER QUALITY AND RAPID/CONSTANT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT…. it shows with adjuster kits for the latest “Tesla” vehicles along with providing full front and rear adjustment capability to suit:

.BMW and Mercedes – front Camber and Caster. Rear Camber (and extra Toe) to suit all models (1968 to current) – Camber essential to allow to change “Tire Contact Angles” resolving costly, premature edge tire wear, improving traction. Caster to re-establish settings after Camber change, correctly resolving steering pull, improving brake and steering response.

.Popular Mustang and Camaro – Background is that Ford starting in 2005 redesigned the Mustang front strut towers resulting in “aftermarket” Camber and Caster kits once installed required the time consuming removal each time a ‘setting’ needed to be changed. Or the structural modification to each strut tower to gain access. K-MAC changed all that – inventing/patenting and displaying at SEMA trade show 2006 a unique system whereby a adjustable Camber and Caster strut mount could be adjusted from engine bay without modifications needed or strut removal. The actual design also providing the biggest (and quickest) adjustment range. 2005-14 stage 2 (Street/Race) P/N 182716-2L, Full Race P/N 182716-3L, 2015-18 Stage 2 P/N 182916-2L, Stage 3 P/N 182916-3L.

.Same with the 2010 onwards Camaro – also a total “front strut tower” redesign eliminating 40 years of prior “mount bolts” for retaining the top strut mounts. Necessitating drilling of strut towers to mount “aftermarket” Camber and Caster kits then difficult access to change settings.

AGAIN K-MAC SHOWED THE WAY FORWARD – inventing and displaying at SEMA 2011 the technique where a precisely adjustable strut top (with easy access to adjust both Camber and Caster) could be fitted – “bolt-on, with no drilling necessary”. Available in Stage 2 (Street/Race) P/N 202716-2L, Stage 3 (Full Race) P/N 202716-3L While 2016-18 Stage 2 P/N 202816-2L, Stage 3 P/N 202816-3L.