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In summary, I just filled the open spaces where the steering box mounts were. I made patterns out of thin cardboard and traced onto the steel plate stock. When you look at a K member stripped down like this, you can see where there is room for improvement. They were probably never designed to last 40 years though! The bigger sway bars, larger brakes, wider tires ALL put additional stresses on the K member and frame rails. I'm anxious to get this installed and tested!

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Did you also reinforce or reweld the ends where the Kmember mounts to the frame? Thanks Tim

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Wrong. Have you ever seen a k member without the lower control arm installed? There is a raised edge around the hole that the pivot shaft rides in. It sticks out about 1/8", EXACTLY the thickness of the washer. The pivot shaft and LCA will be in the same position that it was before.
Cars getting ruined? Learn the facts before you criticize another persons work.

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Not saying you did it wrong at all.

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That was a good idea to do patterns with cardboard. I'm going to use it in the future.

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It might seem that our cars were just tacked together, but they DID last this long, right?

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Anybody has my permission to cherry pick the following.

1. I suspect the above would be referring to millions of Mopar k members
2. Those k members combined have driven trillions of miles.
3. Known/reported failure of any mopar k member structural spot welds is rare or non existent
4. Any common steel welded part that flexes, eventually will fail
5. The more/greater a common steel welded part flexes, the sooner it will fail.
6. The mopar k member is a common steel welded part
7. Additional welding usually reduces flex in a multi piece steel partially welded component
7. There have been numerous reports of visible gear box mounting flex when turning the front wheels at a dead stop
8. I suspect that the turning of front wheels at a dead stop MAY(?) be the highest loads a steering gear box encounters.
9. I also suspect these steering gear box loads decrease as speed increases from zero, until front wheel gyroscope issues arise.
10. I would also suspect a NY mopar taxi would have the highest failure of any weak spot welds on a K member.
11. I would also suspect Mopar would recall any K members that would be likely to have spot welds fail.
12. I also would think that few experienced drivers at speed abruptly input steering corrections in non panic situations
13. I would think abrupt steering inputs in panic situations at high speed are not finesse based
14. Steering smoothness is a normal drivers goal when operating at high speed on dry asphalt
15. I suspect the faster steering inputs are added, the higher the forces the steering box mounting sees
16. I wonder if higher cornering g forces are easily misconstrued by a driver as requiring greater steering wheel forces.
17. I suspect the faster the car goes, it does not significantly increase the forces the steering box mountings see
18. Reducing mounting point flex for improved driver confidence, normally in HP driving situations, IMO, does not include concern of hitting curbs, potholes, road debris, dead penguins, etc
19. Non of the above is intended to address LCA mounting hole blow out, because that repair is not intended as a fix for improved steering response.
20. No hidden final conclusions are intended in any of the above.

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Thanks for the kind words Challenger1 !
Forgive my lack of understanding, but you wrote against grinding a weld. I wish that my skills were good enough to weld and then paint the stuff that I do. I'm trying to improve, but I still need to "tune up" what I weld. What is the reasoning behind the statement? A weaker joint? In most cases, I just knock down globs or high spots. Somebody wrote in a post somewhere else in this forum: "Pretty welds are not always strong, and strong welds are not always pretty." That gives me hope!

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Grinding is a no no mainly because:

1. It can hide a bad weld
2. It seldom if ever makes a weld stronger
3. It is proof welder is willing to break the rules
4. It is against standard practice
5. It hides a good weld

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Grinding is a no no mainly because:

1. It can hide a bad weld (Yeah, I can understand that)
2. It seldom if ever makes a weld stronger (Not an issue)
3. It is proof welder is willing to break the rules (WHAT rules?)
4. It is against standard practice (Rules are meant to be challenged)
5. It hides a good weld

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Ok, I welded up my K-member, the only thing I didn't weld much up on was the steering box mount. I have the Hemi style mounts and if I weld any more bracing on it, the engine mounts won't fit. Will the lower sector support provide enough stability that I shouldn't worry about it? Tim

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I guess you have never seen an UNsupported one rip out?

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3. Known/reported failure of any mopar k member structural spot welds is rare or non existent

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I'm not a corner guy, more of a drag racer. In my early 20s (early 90s) I beat my 73 Dart Sport 340 4 speed car WITHOUT mercy. On the track and on the street. Ripping through the gears nearly all the time. Nothing too fast, just a low, low 13 second car. Any way, one time, after leaving my GF's house, when I finally got to the main road and pulled out, I ripped through the gears as usual. Then I had to slow down for a traffic light. All of a sudden, the FRONT tires are squealing and brakes are not locked up. So I pull into a convenience store and get out to see what's going on. Both front tires are leaning out at the top or the bottom of the tires were tucked in. I called a friend for a tow. Turns out, BOTH lower control arm tubes cracked and ripped out of the K-frame. I got another K-frame from a local used Mopar parts vendor. The K-frame that he pulled to sell to me was already cracked on one of the LCA mounts. I had him pull another K-frame for me. We welded washers to it so it wouldn't happen again. This is all long before internet forums.

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Personally I wouldn't weld washers to the LCA points. The tubes welded into the K will do a fine job of handling and spreading the load. If there had been no tubes then that area would definitely need to be beefed up. Otherwise, nice job. If you switch to a mixed gas next time you need a bottle, you'll find a HUGE improvement in your weld appearance - there is virtually ZERO spatter with a mix. Additional cost ... shouldn't be a factor unless you're a production shop. The way I look at it, the time I save not having to clean up spatter is well worth any additional cost.

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The factory welds WERE properly welded at the time the cars were built.

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That was kinda uncalled for.....

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And the front. You can also see the idler arm bracket I modified to clear the Road Race pan.

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Saw this trick on a SS/AH car some years back. I incorporated it on a bracket car I built, as an additional way to reduce steering box motion and flex...

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Yes, it is welded to the frame, and gusseted so it won't bend.

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Cool thread. Really liking this section!

I welded up my brother k member today. A-body small block. Sandblasted, cleaned etc. I almost couldnt believe how many factory welds were missed or just really sloppy welds. 40 years of use and no breaks, but feel better about it now.

Also built some lower control arm plates like Challenger 1. Probably had $5 in materials and 15 minutes of time. Came out pretty good.

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looks good!

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Nice welding 68shifter!Wish you were closer I'd have you do mine.

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Hell strip that joker down ups it here and I'll weld it and paint for yah no problem. Other shipping back no charge. I like doing this stuff.

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Picked up a Late B big block parts car the other day, with this:

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In 1997 when I swapped my 68-72 biscuit style K-member to a 73-76 spool mount, there were cracks around the frame where the two rear K-member bolts go into. There is a square nut welded instid the frame. The cracks were right under the edges of those nuts.

Cracks were on two and even three! sides of the nuts. Then some cracks spread up the sides of the frame rail.

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Picked up a Late B big block parts car the other day, with this:

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Some great pictures in this thread!

Started mine this week, sandblasted it. Yeah, should've hot tanked it! Seams completely full of garbage!

Gussetted the steering box mount. Need to make washers for the LCA and strut rod still. Next week's project.

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Looks like a good start Gary.