What causes a heim-jointed endlink to clink/clank?
 

I've got an original set of Pfadt swaybars to install with the older chinese-made heim-jointed enlinks. I'd rather not have a clinking/clanking car so I'm considering upgrading them via Pfadt or LG.

But I've been trying to learn/research what actually makes them clink. Some things say that cheaper ones have too much play in the bearing and it actually moves around in the race.

Or... looking at them if you move the threaded stud as far as it will go in any direction so that it hits the bearing race it will make a "clink". Is the noise from this happening? If that's the case then is it more critical to install the enlinks oriented so that the brearing is in the center of it's movement area when installed?

-Brian

The slop inbetween the ball and the socket causes that clink. The clack can be from the same reason, or it can be from the side of the endlink hitting something. I really don't know much about your setup, but I can tell you this. Cheap rod ends wear very quickly and start making sound early in life.

Randy

:iagree:

I thought Pfadt had updated these to higher quality links awhile back.

I bought the early originals from Pfadt (Pfatty Edition) and got updated links for them from Pfadt.

Do you know if this was when they went to the "turnbuckle" style? I remember whining about that way back when I first put the original Pfadt Pfattys on my car. We chased a noise for a long time -- Aaron was awesome and sent me some different inserts for the pillow blocks. Now I'm wondering if it was always endlink noise. I just replaced a stock endlink that went bad on my stock rear bar ... it was clunking...

I think it was. I got inserts that went into my sway bar and lower control arms.

metal-on-metal

how much slop could be in a heim joint that it makes noise and you could still call it a heim joint or rose joint as the Brits call it? :lol:

Well a rod end should have a tick over zero movement. When things start to wear that number increases. Then the wear increases a ton because the "ball" has room to acelerate in the socket, pounding it out. Then the wear increases a whole bunch when the wear passes the heat treat. Many times you will find cheaper parts without the proper base metal and some sort of heat treating. The right way of doing it is, the proper base metal and proper heat treating. Cost gets in the way of doing things right:willy:

Now add that to a side load where the ball is trying to fall out of the socket and you are on your own. Then the drag racer trick of a saftey washer can help save your life, planes, trains and automoblies all use rod ends of some sort.

Bloody O
Randy