I'm curious if anyone running the new, updated Gendron endlinks has trouble with binding. The heim joints are supposed to have improved angularity compared to the old ones, but rzrsedg reports that they are digging into the aluminum "top hat" reducer spacers because of the angle that the endlink has to sit at since the bar arms are inboard of the control arm mounts. Using bar arms that are machined down to clear aftermarket shocks, the problem gets worse to the point where they just don't work. I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I know some people are using the McMaster-Carr rod ends instead. I'm sure rzrsedg will comment further as soon as he gets back from San Berardino.

Also, I found this company which makes high-misalignment reducer spacers which would in theory help this problem (by giving the rod end more free space to swing into). As a bonus they are cro-moly steel, but unfortunately they don't have a size that will work with the 5/16" I.D. hole.

http://www.kartek.com/products/all/heims/heims.htm
(last item on page)

Anyone know of other sources for these things?

Thanks,
Peter

 

Peter:

I'm looking at buying a Gendron bar in the near future, so I'm concerned if there's a problem. Are you saying that the problem only arises when the arms are shaved? I'm assuming that the arms wouldn't need to be shaved for Koni yellows?

Steve

 

It seems like people have been able to use it with Koni Yellows without modifying the arms, but the arms hit rzrsedg's Bilsteins and don't clear penskes. Now, I talked to him and he swears that when he pulled the endlinks to install the new machined arms, the little top hat spacers were already crushed (from using with the *unmodified arms*). When he installed the machined arms, it made the angle from control arm mount to swaybar arm (think "negative camber" when viewed from the front) so big that the endlinks couldn't be installed.

The strange thing is, I haven't heard of others who use the new style gendron endlinks with unmodified arms having this problem. That's why I posted the question, but no luck yet. Ian?

Everyone I know who uses the machined arms uses the McMaster-Carr endlinks. They inherently have more clearance because of the integral stud in the rod end, but have to be used with shaved arms because the stud is not long enough to go all the way thru the arms and have thread left to engage the nut. Sean (rzrsedg) just received the McMaster links and says they have way more angularity.

The McMaster links require some work though, as mentioned you have to shave the arms down, and also you need to drill the holes in the arms out to 3/8" because that's the diameter of the stud.

In case you missed the discussion about the McMaster links, it is here:

http://forums.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=121553

Bill is a great guy and will try to make things right, but I would recommend you think about what kinds of shocks you may want to use and do as much of the hard work first to save time down the road. Bill can machine the arms down for you when you buy the bar, so you don't have to send them back. You could probably ask him to drill out the holes to 3/8" for you too before powdercoating to save you some more work. That might cost a bit extra, but you could see if he'd knock off some to just provide the bar without the endlinks so you can get your own. I know he charges ~$135 for the endlink kit alone. However, Sean has been in touch with Bill and he now knows that his endlinks won't work with machined arms, so he might be working on a fix.

Peter

 

I have 2 gendron bar problems:

1) Binding - even with the un-machined arms the stock rod ends bind up. They are binding on the alum hats (spacers / hole adapters). The alum is getting smushed on the hat.

2) Bar Sliding - about 2mm slop side to side.


Solution:
1) McMaster-Carr rod ends
2) Speedway Eng. bar locator rings


Gendron is a great guy - but he's too far from me to help quickly.

Is anyone else using the ends that Bill provided? Anyone? Hello? Bueler? Bueler?


-Sean

 

Y'all are scaring me! I just ordered one from Bill- really seems like a neat guy. I'll be using Konis(when they and the GC/Eibachs arrive next week). Please tell me I'm not going to have to have any machining done!

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FF2Skip
Y'all are scaring me!

 

Sean:

I sent an e-mail to Speedway Engineering to see how much they charge for the bar locator rings, but the message came back undeliverable. I didn't see any prices on their website. Do you recall how much they cost? Also, did you use 2 or 4? If 2, did you place them outboard or inboard of the brackets?

Steve

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ssucsy
I sent an e-mail to Speedway Engineering to see how much they charge for the bar locator rings, but the message came back undeliverable.

 

Re: Gendron bar lateral play...

Home Depot has these really pretty large gold (or silver) -plated washers (in the door lock section) that are about 1mm thick. Use as necessary, the bar doesn't bind, nor does it move from side to side

 

33.79 delivered with tax for 4. You only need 2.

So Peter - you owe me $16.895

-Sean