waddisme

Search didn't find a good end link or endlink thread, and swaybar threads end up into end link discussions. Hopefully this will be an easy find for end link searches.

I just bought a set of used Pfadt Heavy sway bars but it comes with no links. Just curious which end links would work best. Stock GMs - $100; MTI - $200; LG - $300; Progrid - $320(look nice http://www.powergridinc.com/). Car is a dd so noise is somewhat of an issue, but it is tracked at least once a month. Car has Pfadt adjs shocks, stock ride height and I am still on street tires. I have finally collected 4 18" stock Z06 wheels so can go track tires whenever. Thoughts and experiences?

froggy47

Check my thread

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...-question.html

I ended up with the T1 links (you would need to cut some spacers to locate the link out from the bar and the arm unless you buy the T1 link "kit").

I lubed them & then wrapped each side of the "ball" with rescue tape which has a quieting effect & keeps them clean & keeps the grease in (sort of like having a rubber boot on the joint - like a tie rod end).

They are about $10 each from midwest. You can also get teflon races from midwest. Those progrid look nice but make sure you can order the correct offsets for your car & your bar.

davidfarmer

for the money, I'd just get the VB&P kit http://www.vbandp.com/C5-Corvettes/S...4-1997-05.html

Not quiet, not quite the right size (1/2" instead of 12mm), but it's what SCCA expects T1 guys to use, and they are reasonable and come with the spacer and bolts.

waddisme

Hopefully Solofast will chime in about the midwest control parts. Curious if he used that. The vpandb looks like the way to go. A good upgrade from stock but 1/2 to 1/3 price of others.

David - will any of this affect my alignment?

RonnieM

I bought a set of Hotchkis. So far they have been quiet with the limited driving I do. Here is a pic of them
http://www.southerncarparts.com/corv...nks-p-617.html

waddisme

Those are on the higher end of the spectrum.

sperkins

I'm so glad you posted this. I've been trying to figure out for months what end links I had on my car and now I know. I can tell you this. These are the worst designed end links I've ever seen in my life. They are quiet, but since they use studs instead of bolts, you have to remove the entire freaking front sway bar to install or even adjust them. I finally removed them last week and they went straight in the trash can. They weren't even worth keeping as spares.

Solofast

I haven't gotten around to changing mine out, I was dinking with my son's new (to him) GTI (what can you say about kids, they want what they want, but it is a VR6 and a pretty fun ride for a front driver)...

I was thinking that a studded link would be berries and had the potential to be all things (quiet and robust), but from what sperkins said, I guess that's not the way to go. I liked the idea of a ball jointed link cause that's going to be quiet, but you want to be able to adjust them and it sounds like his experience with the studded ones was a PITA.

And +1 about the prices for some of these links

I gotta think that after paying $150 for two end links you should ask the guy selling them to you if he is going to kiss you too....

That's cause I'm used to being kissed just before I get screwed...

I just have to do some more research and find what looks good for a good price. I'd like to find something that is quiet since my car spends more time on the street than on the track.

The only reason I mentioned Midwest was that I bought some of their end links and rods and they were good quality for a good price. We used them for locating a turbine engine on a test stand, but that's not nearly as bad a duty as a sway bar end link..

95jersey

Just here to say the LG quiet endlinks are worth EVERY PENNY. They give you T1 stability/adjustability and are completely quiet (like stock).

How do I know...I used stock, T1, Addeco and LG quiet links...the LG was by far the way to go!!

davidfarmer

The EARLY T1 bars came with studded end links........I agree those things are awful. Just like OEM in that they are virtually impossible to get on and off, and it is impossible to adjust them properly since you can really verify they are "neutral" with the stud in the way.

Unless you have a LOT of preload in the bars, you should see no change in alignment by doing anything to the bars or endlinks.

froggy47

When I put my T1 links back in and wrapped them with the silicone tape they went from clicky to quiet. Next time I have a wheel off I'll post a pic.

They appear to be identical to the Midwest, but Midwest does not give you the spacers.

Also easy to adjust to less than a mm, bolt just slips in with 1 finger.

An "adjustable" link that requires r&r the bar is pretty dumb, yes?

waddisme

I think if I spend that kind of $$s, I will try the powergrids. I read their install pdf and they make it seem like even I could install and adjust. Still not sure which way I will go, but leaning towards vpandb.

andrewdonald1

My VPandB end links are coming in on Friday.
The used t1 end links are in the garage now (they are a little rusty).
I'll let you know how they look comparing them - my gut feeling is I'll go with the VPandB end links since I have a them.

z060ntrack

What you want, is an end link that has the turn buckle in the middle. That way you can have both ends free and adjust (no pre load) with the center turnbuckle. All the end links mentioned here (LG, Hotchkis etc.)
are only adjustable on one end and a real PITA. How do I know that? I had 2001 T1's, and the end link had the turnbuckle. My street Pfadts came with just the single adjust like the ones mentioned above. Pfadts Racing bars come with the turnbuckle adjust.

David; when did GM stop making the center turnbuckle adjust end links for T1?

waddisme

That is how the powergrid links are - adj in the middle. Loosen 2 jam nuts, adj and tighten. I haven't seen a pic on Pfadt site of their end links. I would hope you could get them separately. Will try to call today.

waddisme

Finally got a look at my Pfadt Racing Heavy Rate swaybars today. Those things are huge. I must have misunderstood seller, because they came with the end links pictured above, but no bushings. Ordered a new set from Pfadt today. Their poly bushings don't fit, so you get what you get. But their end links are like the rest, the bolt has to be removed to adjust. Waiting for bushings and install and try out at RD Atl next Sat.

Solofast

I finally got around to changing out my end links and getting rid of the clunking. Hopefully this will be a good long term fix, if it doesn’t last I’ll let you know.

I got a set of male and female QA1 rod end, the XFR8 (female) and theXMR8 (male). I paid just under $14 each for them from a place I found on the net, I can post it if anybody wants to know. Added a jam nut and screwed them together. A turnbuckle would be easier, but I haven’t adjusted these things in years, so that wasn’t an issue with me.

These rod ends are Teflon lined and are supposed to keep crap from getting into the ball race. If you believe that one I’ve got a tower in Paris I want to sell you.

To keep crap out and lube the rod ends I bought the rod end boots from Midwest for a ½ inch rod end. Those cost $1.69 each when you buy 10 of them. I had to rework the spacers to insure that the seals worked and didn’t restrict the misalignment of the rod ends. If you just put the seals on the rod ends they will hit the rod end housing and that’s a bad thing. If you use too long a spacer between the seal boot and the ball, then the seal won’t hit the housing and seal at high misalignment angles. I cut the spacers in half with a die grinder and ended up with a spacer length of about .060 inches. You still need the long spacer on the bar to keep the rod end from hitting the bar lower edge, and about a .375 inch spacer on the lower control arm.

I put grease into the boots and put it all together with short spacers between the ball and the covers.

I did see some boots that fit over the entire rod end. They weren’t cheap, and looked like a PITA to get on, but if I had it to do all over again I’d probably go that way since it wouldn’t have involved cutting the spacers to get the covers into a proper space range, and they would have probably sealed the rod end better.

The rod ends are quiet now, just a matter of seeing how long it will last now..

printmanjackson

can you post a link to where you found these links?

Han Solo

I've use various rod ends from Grainger on all the home made stuff on my Mustang.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg...N=0&sst=subset

They get noisy after time but they are cheap to replace.

el es tu

I have the Zip endlinks which are copies of the T1 - except with cap screws and only one spacer per instead of the spacers that go on each side of the t1 links

at this point Im going to either have to change them out or get longer cap screws with extra spacers, because the head of the screw contacts the joint too early

If I could do it again Id spend the extra few bucks to get the powergrid endlinks (available through phoenix or directly through powergrid - same price)

if you dont like the powergrid design, the lg links or the pfadt links are great t1 style replacements