Granatelli (MM copy) vs MM K-member Kit Install

Cliff notes (for those with limited reading comprehension skills, a common issue with owners of Honda Civics and Ford Mustangs)

Maximum Motorsports +Some comments from Jack Hidley about GMS +excellent fitment +customer service actually helpful +can provide information about suspension and springs and stuff like that +OMG delrin bushings +used solely as a vanity item by racing car type people +detailed instructions with images -costs more money -powdercoat not quite as glossy as GMS k-member

Granatelli +cheap (in cost) MM-style k-member, cosmetic copy != exact copy (below) +powdercoat is glossy +doesn't fall apart +only your steering rack, engine, alignment, and entire front suspension depend on it. the perfect combination to cut corners on quality and fitment -instructions were a joke, should have included a paper stating "we ripped off www.maximummotorsports.com, go there for instructions" -cheap (in construction / quality / customer service). -a cosmetic imitation, calling it a copy would be a compliment -sloppy workmanship, terrible fitment. -don't expect any sales or technical support -extremely minute chance of the a-arm brackets ripping off rofl

Thanks to Art's Performance Parts for the excellent customer service. Granatelli service sucks. If you buy a part from them, hope it never breaks. It was extremely difficult just to TRY to get the parts I PAID FOR the first time around. They will lie to you without hestitation.
Short story: Being cheap (of course), I had ordered a Granatelli K-member kit which included a K-member, A-arms, and front coilover conversion. I received the Granatelli K-member and coilover kit in about two weeks, and the A-arms were "backordered". After over 3 months of "backorder" and over 2 months with the car on jack stands, Art shipped me the Maximum Motorsports MMKMP-27 K-member kit and I just paid the difference in price and sent the Granatelli k-member back. The whole time Granatelli was posting online how they had sold over 90 sets in the last 3 months. I guess more lies to generate sales (bandwagon technique?).
Yay compare.

The interwebz says that GMS original (black color) K-members are made in India. There were no markings of where the parts were made on the box or on any of the parts. Supposedly Granatelli's "new" platinum series K-member is built "in house" (in the USA? lolz). But during the "backorder", Chris@GMS said both style control arms are coming in at the same time. Oh how odd? Platinum series comes in Griggs-style powdercoat color, both MM and Griggs in one package!

Some on car pics

-GMS costs less.
-The powdercoating on the GMS is more glossy than the MM.
-MM includes big ballin stickers pre-applied to the K-member
-Weight difference is very small. The GMS was slightly lighter, analog scale showed less than 1lb difference
-Some differences in metal thickness
The GMS inner control arm mounting points are ~40% thinner than the MM ones D= Maybe should've skimped somewhere else
There is an old thread on corral.net about the LCA mounting tabs failing on the track. JR Granatelli claimed it was a Griggs K-member that Granatelli was selling. The guy/victim said it was definitely not a Griggs piece.
-The welders for GMS need more practice. The welds may (or may not) be strong enough, but they're just sloppy. Seriously, it looks like it was welded by a beginner or someone that simply doesn't care. Good enough for welding my eBay muffler I got for $10 shipped, not so good for things THAT HOLD THE ENGINE AND FRONT SUSPENSION
The bonus material near the front control arm mount is especially nice
-The GMS driver's side steering rack tube is welded about halfway outside of the main tube, whereas the MM goes completely inside.
I had tried installing the steering rack onto the GMS but the fitment was so tight/bad I decided to wait until the A-arms arrived to try again, which never happened. In contrast, the rack installed onto the MM without issues, everything fit together nicely.
-MM allowed a bit more side-to-side adjustment compared to GMS. The front-to-back adjustment was very limited and about the same for both.
-GMS comes with an older style, straight rear brace. MM comes with a curved brace to fit a road-race oil pan.
Both had to be spaced lower a bit. The straight brace was too close to the oil pan and the curved brace was too close to the bellhousing. The MM allows a little bit more ground clearance since the bolt head is inside the brace.
-GMS coilover sleeves were meant for "universal" fit (non-Bilstein), so duct tape mode is required for Bilstein struts (thanks to 2k2gt@corral.net for the trick/info, but didn't/couldn't end up using it)
-GMS reuses the front lower control arm bolts. They include mega thick aluminum steering rack bushings which push the rack about 1" forward so the stock bolts can be reused. MM comes with low profile control arm bolts to clear the steering rack
-GMS "road race" 400lb springs are 12" long. MM Hypercoil 400lb springs only come in 8" or 10" lengths
-As far as I know, GMS doesn't offer a Delrin bushing option for the front LCAs

Measurements
Measured a couple other places, but didn't take pictures since they were the same

GMS K-member	MM K-Member

High resolution pictures
Weld quality and the "design" differences
More photos from 2k2gt's install thread. PDF mirror in case the pictures die






Strut and coilover sleeves

OD of Bilstein (MM2) strut	OD of Tokico D-Spec strut
ID of MM Bilstein coilover sleeve	ID of GMS coilover sleeve
GMS coilover installed (with duct tape mod)	MM coilover installed

Rear brace and coilover kits

GMS straight rear brace

MM curved rear brace

On car pics
Stock

GMS


MM




VTEC y0