I have an EG that I track a few times a year, generally for about 2-3 hours per event, prepped accordingly with 200tw tires and bigger/beefier brakes. In 2020, before the car saw any track time and was just daily driven 6 months a year, I installed crappy Advance Auto "Driveworks" tie rod ends that faithfully lasted until my first track day at Nelson Ledges in 2022. After that day, they started creaking and popping as dry tie rod ends do.



I replaced them with Sankei 555 replacements, hoping that I just had crappy ones, and they're popping and creaking again a year and 4 track days later (2 more Nelson days, one Mid-Ohio day, and one Pitt Race day). They were mostly OK until my first session at Pitt this past weekend.



Why the heck are these things so fickle? How do I get more lifespan out of them? The Sankei parts are supposed to be as good as what you'd get from the factory, and did admittedly live a little longer, but they still have a short lifespan. Does heavy loading at the track squish the lubricant out of the joint too fast and kill them? Mine seem not to wear out and get loose, just dry out and get creaky/clunky/stiff Do greaseable ones with zerk fittings (AC Delco, Mevotech, Moog, etc.), if maintained regularly, last longer? Any particular brand better than any other? I see a couple of companies (PCI and Hardrace) make spherical bearing links...is it necessary to go that far to get better durability?



Does anyone else feel this pain on an EF/EG/EK? Do you live with replacing them regularly because they're cheap and easy to replace, or is there a better way?



--Matt

 

i'm still rocking OEMs... but i know some folks use gold tape on them and/or make a heat shield. heat seems to kill them, espeically the aftermarket ones that have looser tolerences.

 

Hmmm, interesting, heat! 🤔

I don't have brake heat shields, so that makes a ton of sense!

--Matt

 

Never had a problem with them and I too rock the OEMs If heat could be the culprit might be worth adding a set of brake cooling hoses to rid the area of heat?
Thats my next upgrade brake cooling.