I'm putting together a set of swaybar end links for my front swaybar, mainly because I'm afraid the stock ones will eventually fail due to autox tires and a stiffer bar. Here is a picture of Jason's old links. Any suggestions? I'm looking at FK teflon lined, stainless steel 3/8" female + male rod ends with a 19 degree max angle. I will probably have to hacksaw them down to length.

 

Standard rod ends only have about 7 degrees of max angle. If your sway bar ends are clocked as the stock ones and mugen and comptech are, then you will have to go with high misalignment rod ends which are expensive, or use a long spacer as Jason did, which puts the bolt in bending stress instead of shear only. Actually it looks like he has high misalignment and a spacer.

I had my sway bar end flats made clocked in alignment with rod end. I don't know why Honda made this seemingly obvious mistake. I used 7/16. Male and Female threaded together works fine on length.

I would avoid stainless. It's not as strong for a given size and stainless threads are prone to galling. Rod ends are plated, and the ball is hardened, so corrosion is not a problem. You should oil occasionally though.

I agree with teflon lined. I initially did all metal, and got constant little tick noise at low speed, as the links loaded and unloaded, due to ball clearance within housing. Teflon lined cured it.

Anyway for sources: Look up "Bearings" in the yellow pages. Bearing distributors carry rod ends, and have full spec sheets.

Speedway Motors is a reasonably priced online distributor http://www.speedwaymotors.com/ They have rubber dust boots for rod ends as well.

Pegasus is race oriented but expensive. http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/ They do have nice tapered safety retainer washers, which also make great spacers. They also have aircraft grade threaded hardwear.


[QUOTE]Originally posted by RandyP
[B]I'm putting together a set of swaybar end links for my front swaybar, mainly because I'm afraid the stock ones will eventually fail due to autox tires and a stiffer bar.

 

Randy, I believed you can get them machined from whatever you want locally for maybe 50-80 bucks. I might do the same thing on my car, so let me know if you want me to make you a set.

Bassem

 

I may take you up on that if I have any problems with off the shelf bar ends.

 

Will Delrin spacers work, or will I have to use steel? Also, will 3/8" be strong enough or should I step up to 7/16"? Lastly, will normal rod ends w/ spacers have enough angle for the Comptech non-adjustable, which has the same mounting as OEM?

p.s. I know I dug up a really old thread

 

ttt

 

Delrin is a perfect material for tha application, but without seeing a picture/diagram I can't say. Aurora and a couple other companies have high misalignment rod ends, but I would think that would be a kludge unless there is no other option.

 

Thanks. Does anyone think 3/8" won't be strong enough? I'm getting the teflon lined ones from speedway motors

 

I have no idea what the real load is on those things and how that particular rod will handle it. Some people use a outside washer for safety.

 

In the FWIW category, I still have the original OEM links on my Comptech bar which has been on full stiff the whole time...