DIY Heim Joint Sway Bar End Links???

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » March 4th, 2006, 6:45 pm

Has anyone done this before? It'd be nice to have some sizes to look at instead of having to figure out on my own. Heim size, bolt size, etc.

schuttie2002 · Post by **schuttie2002** » March 4th, 2006, 7:03 pm

Im also pretty interested in this, and further, since I dont know if i'd be able to put them together, would someone be willing to make um and sell um?

Endlinks thru mazda are the biggest rip off out there

Bochek · Post by **Bochek** » March 4th, 2006, 8:08 pm

im planing on makeing some of these for my car in the future. after i get er lowered. Il let you know how it turns out.

Bochek

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » March 5th, 2006, 11:52 am

I've done it has well as several other. What you have to watch is the quality if the joints you use. Using general purpose rod-end don't last long I would say on average of about 10000-18000km before the eye stretchs and started to rattle or the ball pops out. Using automotive grade rod-end are more expensive and with the optional dust boots the total cost is more that the OEM part. The stock size is 10mm but I have found on the cars that I have done that even the best quality ones still bend and stretch. I have upgraded to 7/16 then to 12mm. This has resolved the the bending issue but created a new problem were the the mounting tab on the frame of the car broke off due to metal fatgue. To correct this issue I have made and welded beefed up frame mounts. Then again I am using a 24mm solid rear bar which doesn't help

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » March 5th, 2006, 2:33 pm

I don't think the rears could cost more than OEM. I see them for $80 a piece everywhere.

And what qualifies as 'automotive grade'? I assume I don't want them with the regular grades of steel, but I'd think the ones with stainless or aluminum housings with stanless or brass race, self lubricating, with a seal should be pretty good for 50K miles. I've got to assume some of those joints are made for even more severe duty than automotive. No?

Post by **Custommx3** » March 6th, 2006, 9:00 am

Rockauto.com has endlinks pretty cheap.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » March 6th, 2006, 7:14 pm

Custommx3 wrote:Rockauto.com has endlinks pretty cheap.

It's still $70 for the rears there..... EACH.

jschrauwen · Post by **jschrauwen** » March 7th, 2006, 2:32 pm

Yoda wrote: What you have to watch is the quality if the joints you use.

I imagine aircraft quality heim joints should meet stress tolerances. Vaughn, you couldn't scare up the dimensions required for front and rear? I still have a bunch kicking around from my B707 engine scrounging days.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » March 10th, 2006, 9:44 am

Does anyone know if the links for Miata are similar size? I'd like to see a writeup like this:

http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.ph ... =heim+link

mymx.3 · Post by **mymx.3** » March 10th, 2006, 11:23 am

I paid $85 cdn for both here

DEB

schuttie2002 · Post by **schuttie2002** » March 12th, 2006, 1:53 pm

Also with these end links, mazda charges like $6 for the nuts that go on the endlinks. I tried finding replacements for these at a few local hardware places and couldnt find anything. Where do you guys get those nuts, and do you have a part number. Off the top of my head they're 14mm I believe.

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » March 12th, 2006, 2:37 pm

schuttie2002 wrote:Off the top of my head they're 14mm I believe.

The head diameter of the nuts is not what's important. It's the shaft diameter and thread pitch.

schuttie2002 · Post by **schuttie2002** » March 12th, 2006, 4:11 pm

well I cant think of that from just memory, but either way if you guys can place those nuts Im talking about Im just wondering another place to find them besides being taken by mazda