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Any comments or info on heim joints?
I see a lot of talk about adjustable struts being poly bushing that breaks down or doesn't last.
I've seen a number of conversations talking about heim joints.
I know nothing about them and want to check them out before purchasing adjustable struts.
I'm on my second set of poly ends. So I would say that they last more than 10 years. The last change out, it was not that they were bad and had slop in them. I was doing u-joints and outer spindles and I just thought that while I have everything apart I might as well have everything new.
The old VB&P smart strut setup was so tough I don't believe that the poly ends had very much give at max TQ, but heim joints have no slop. Mine never went out of adjustment. Some people have talked about that.
Stock struts are really junk in comparison. I was working on a vette rear end last year and someone along the line set the wheel camber by bending the stock struts.
I've got poly ends on mine, only about 8 years on them, mostly a street crawler so.... but anyway, zero signs of breakdown on the bushings as of this summer when I was under there changing the spring and shocks.
That said, I've been thinking of changing to heim ends for no real reason at all other than I get bored and they'd be kind of cool looking.
Down side of heim ends would be possible a slightly harsher ride (noticeable???) possibility for contamination (sand, etc. which would make me want to put sleeves over them which would certainly take something away from the cool look......) and when a heim joint does fail, it fails big and quick. Not that you hear much about them failing, usually a rock-crawler thing rather than street car
I have the adjustable strut rods with the poly end bushings. Installed in the mid 90's. about 5 years ago I had one bushing fail. (There's 2 on each end). replaced with energy suspension bushings. really don't remember the brand of my adjustable strut rods. bought them from one of the major Corvette vendors at the time. All I can tell you is the original bushings were black. lasted about 20years.
I took off my VP&B adjustable poly strut rods when The 6t8 got the Dragvette 6-link setup with heim joints. I gave the polys to a friend and he is still running them, they have to be twenty years old by now. The heims do look kool. T
Gkull summed up my sentiments, and more importantly, my personal experience, on my C3 over 35 years with Stock Struts (junk), stock struts with poly bushings installed in the mid 80's (replaced in the mid 2000's, and still perfectly intact poly bushings...quality goes a long way) and most recently for about the last 15 years, competition adjustable heim jointed struts.
There is no comparison to a stock OEM struts (poly or rubber) or even VBP adjustable Smartstruts,etc. The heim jointed adjustable struts are far superior since they do not lose their adjustment over time, are much stronger than OEM type struts, eliminate unwanted rear camber movement from the rear suspension, and DO NOT RIDE HARSHER than the stock OEM non adjustable or adjustable rubber bushing struts (The harsh ride wife's tale gets old).
Just go with competition adjustable heim jointed struts if you want the best of all worlds!
I have had heim joints for 5 years. They tighten up the rear end without causing any harshness in the ride. Very easy to adjust and the nuts don't come loose like they do with the poly bushings..
Gkull summed up my sentiments, and more importantly, my personal experience, on my C3 over 35 years with Stock Struts (junk), stock struts with poly bushings installed in the mid 80's (replaced in the mid 2000's, and still perfectly intact poly bushings...quality goes a long way) and most recently for about the last 15 years, competition adjustable heim jointed struts.
There is no comparison to a stock OEM struts (poly or rubber) or even VBP adjustable Smartstruts,etc. The heim jointed adjustable struts are far superior since they do not lose their adjustment over time, are much stronger than OEM type struts, eliminate unwanted rear camber movement from the rear suspension, and DO NOT RIDE HARSHER than the stock OEM non adjustable or adjustable rubber bushing struts (The harsh ride wife's tale gets old).
Just go with competition adjustable heim jointed struts if you want the best of all worlds!
Did you buy the adj strut with the heim joints,, or the joints separately and attach to struts?
From: Arizona - If you don’t know CFI, STOP proliferating the myths around it...
I have had heim joint strut rods for a few years now and made them myself with machined parts and aluminum rods that I wanted. The reason for the change to heim was that the stock joints would NOT hold an adjustment under hard launches with DRs at the track and got tired of having the rear end looking like a VW. Now, the struts are VERY easy to adjust and they hold the adjustment very well and I haven't had to make any other adjustments to them since install and zero play even under the hardest launches. Made a total difference on how the car handles and stays planted. I would highly suggest moving to an adjustable heim, your choice on the material used. I think I got the actual length of the rods from member Birdbird, but I may be mistaken.
I ordered the Smart Strut kit with the racing Heim joints from Van Steel along with some rear control arm Bushings , E brake rebuild kit with wheel bearings , tow hook and fiber spring , still waiting on the order to come in
Heim joints
