so im browsing through mcmaster right now getting some taps and id like to build a set of spherical ball joints to replace the ones i have now. i have spherical ones from my ST rear sway, but they are old, and pretty well caked up with road grime and the motion is not nice at all.

only problem is i really dont know what to get. i mean aside from size (which ill check mine out to get an idea on what size i need) i dont know what will work in this application. this is a track car and id like the joints to be adjustable, strong (ie wont break), and little maintenance.

so should i be looking at self lubricating oil impregnated joints?
or teflon lined ones?
or maybe something else?
any idea what kind of load rating i should be looking at?

there are just sooooo many options to choose from. i know i want a male + female rod end with a lock nut, but beyond that im clueless.

has anyone done this? or is there a thread about it? i know its not really an overly complicated piece i just want something that will last and not fail.

thanks!

 

 

*squeek*



Here's an example.

 

Not sure what you dis there but that link is borked lol

 

Not 'borked' but blocked.

Fixed/changed.

 

nice example, but doesnt really answer any of the questions i had.

 

well i have something, 2 options. (this is for a pair BTW):

2x 60745K241 - High-Strength PTFE-Lined Ball Joint Rod End 3/8"-24 Rh Male Shank, 9550 Pound Load Capacity
2x 60745K441 - High-Strength PTFE-Lined Ball Joint Rod End 3/8"-24 Rh Female Shank, 9550 Pound Load Capacity

this is a 3/8" set (same as whats on there now) male and female ends. they provide 12* of ball swivel, do not require lubrication (PTFE/teflon lined) and have a load capacity of 9550lbs. the housing and they are $18.38/ea. total cost of $73.52

or

2x 59915K274 - PTFE-Lined Stainless Steel Ball Joint Rod End 3/8"-24 Rh Male Shank, 3040 Pound Load Capacity
2x 59915K484 - PTFE-Lined Stainless Steel Ball Joint Rod End 3/8"-24 Rh Female Shank, 3080 Pound Load Capacity

these provide 19* of ball swivel, do not require lubrication (PTFE/teflon lined) and have a load capacity of 3040lbs. they are stainless steel however and will greatly reduce corrosion. they are $15.76/ea. total cost of $63.04.

i really dont know how much load these links really take. can i get by with the 3000lb load rating on the stainless? or do i need the higher load rating (9500lbs) of the zinc coated steel ones? price is really only a $10 difference, so not much.

or they also have ones that are annodized aluminum housings that are a few bucks cheaper that carry ~4000lb load rating, PTFE liner, and have a chrome plated steel ball.

thoughts?

 

I have been using FK rod ends and bearings on my shocks, lcas, and ucas(I dont use sway bars). The ones I use are the jmxt/rsmxt that rated the same or higher than the first ones you posted. They are teflon lined have lasted longer than people tell me they would. I am not sure what load rating you need for sway bars but I would opt for strength over stainless.

If you do get ones from Mcmaster, post up what brand they.

 

thanks. anyone know how much load actually gets put on a sway bar endlink? i know itll vary by the bars geometry, im just looking for a general range. for example i have a 22mm rear sway on a CRX.

im not sure mcmaster has the brand. every time i order from them i just get it in a little yellow bag with the part number lol.

 

Figure you'd be able to lift up a rear wheel, so all the weight from that corner will be transferred through the sway bar to the other rear corner. Then there's the motion ratio due to end link mounting on the LCA of say 2 (it's probably more like 1.5). With a car weighing say 2500 lb, half of that will be rear weight, so 1250*2 would be around 2500 lb that the end link needs to hold. This might be oversimplified; let's see what others have to say.