T-1 End Links
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
I finally installed my QA1 custom links today. I also shimmed the swaybar brackets and greased the bushings. FINALLY my swaybar squeeking and clicking is gone! I've only had one drive in it, so I have no idea how long they'll stay quiet. If they get noisy again I'll install zerk grease fittings on the end links with dust boots and the swaybar brackets. I don't even really mind the noise, but I know the noise means there are parts wearing out, and I'm not okay with that.
Eugene
Eugene
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
The bolts and spacers on the sides came with the OEM T1 links. I reused those. The link in the rear is the OEM T1 link. The link in the front is the new QA1 assembled link. The washer in front is what I'm using as a shim, and it is between the swaybar bushing bracket and the subframe.
Eugene
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Martinez CA
Maybe that's part of my problem. I never put any shims between the subframe and the saddles. Does that align the bar correctly or something? I assume you are putting a washer on each bolt for the saddles? What size washer are you using? I am assembling my links and getting ready to tear back in to this thing. 
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
The saddle clamps are too tight for the T1 bars & bushings, the shims just take some of the pressure off. The point is to get the bars to swing freely in those clamps when the endlinks are disconnected. Those shims are either part #63309 or 68885 from Lowe's.
Eugene
Eugene
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Anyone else going to go in on this? I need another set ASAP. I'm going to give LAPD a call and see what they'll do on these links. I'll also be looking to replace the nut & bolt as well, so if someone knows which bolt shims to get, we can make complete end-links kits on our own. The rod ends were about $50, add another $10 for a space grade nut & bolt, and maybe another buck or two for the bolt shims, and less than a buck for the swaybar clamp shims, and it'd be about $250 for everything to get a T1 bar to work correctly.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Originally Posted by leaftye
The rod ends were about $50, add another $10 for a space grade nut & bolt, and maybe another buck or two for the bolt shims, and less than a buck for the swaybar clamp shims, and it'd be about $250 for everything to get a T1 bar to work correctly.
>$120 to make 4 sets of QA-1 endlinks:
QA-XMR8...........Male 1/2" rod-end
QA-XFR8.............Female 1/2" rod-end
QA-JNR-8S.........Jam Nut
Add another $50 to buy 180,000 psi space grade bolts (NOT Home Depot POS quality), bolts shims, and clamp shims. This should only need to be purchased once.
$170.00 total
Shawn said LAPD might have a bit of a delay sourcing the QA1 parts, so if y'all need this right now, send me a PM here or on AOL, and I'll send you the info for where I've been buying my parts. If you tell the guy there (Joel) you need T1 swaybar endlinks, he'll know what you need. Hopefully Shawn can do a little better, or make it easy for us by having ALL the parts (rod ends, shims, bolts). Shawn's a good guy, and a supporting vendor, so please buy from him whenever he's ready to take orders.
Eugene
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,614
Likes: 1
From: DFW TX
A more elegant solution on the spacers on the rod ends can be found here or the safety washers here These are nice tapered aluminum or steel, you need the 1/2" version for the end links. This helps provide a little more support to the bolt and link in single shear.
Lots of neat farbicating hardware on the Jerry Bickel site btw.
Lots of neat farbicating hardware on the Jerry Bickel site btw.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: Martinez CA
Ok. This as been an on going pain in the ***, but I think I finally got it nailed. So for all you other guys out there that run the T-1 bars that had problems too this might help. I ran the stock GM T-1 links and they sucked. I ran the Z06 links for a while, not stiff enough for the T-1 bars, clicked, clunked, all kinds of noise. So I did a little research and decided to put together a better link with some help from some threads on the forum that sent me in the right direction. I went to Grainger's (www.grainger.com) bought these 1/2 inch rod ends : Part #s: 6G183, 6G199, 6G215, 6G231. Picked up 4 jam nuts at the hardware store with washers and lock nuts, and some 1/2 inch rubber grommets and C clips and slid them over the nut on the rod end shaft for a little noise insurance. So for about 90 bucks all total, I basically built a bigger stronger Z06 style link. Soooooooooooo much better. No noise, feels tight finally feels right. Z06 shocks and springs, the T-1 bars and these new links with the Goodyear GSD-3's were the way to go. It runs on rails now, the grip is amazing. Hope this helps you guys, nice to be able to post a fix instead of a question for once. 
