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Literally JUST got done installing Watts Link

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Old 04-18-2009, 12:53 AM
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So do i, so do i - 650$ + ship to Sweden + 25% Swedish tax.........
Old 04-18-2009, 02:38 AM
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Originally Posted by billyb
do you really believe everything you read ?????? and the turbonator gives you 50 extra h.p. do some research first.!!!!!!!!!
No I believe it because I have talked to Sam many times about this, shocks, springs, sway bars and so on.

Hey, if a turbonator actually gave me 50hp I would buy one.

Yes I edited my post. I had a bad day today and was being a jerk but decided there was really no reason to.
Old 04-18-2009, 02:46 AM
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
Believing what you read is a two way street. Yes, there is bad information out there, there is also good. But if were to stop and think about, and care to understand a Watts linkage you'd see that it has merits.
I think you answered this better than I was going to.
Old 05-24-2009, 03:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
a Black Watts link would not exist if I didn't give Jim my word they'd sell, he only wanted to supply red. I made black happen, fwiw (just an example of how I try and supply the customer the product the want or need).
Thank god...I will be buying one eventually, and I really wasn't looking forward to sandblasting the red off and painting it black myself...I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE when something underneath my car is visible...as far as I'm concerned, everything under there, if it's got any kind of coating on it, should be black.

What concerns me, is longevity of the heim/rod end joints in a daily driver. I put 150 miles a day on my car, and I drive it in all weather conditions...how often will I be looking at replacing the heim/rod ends? Would I have any decent options that you could see that'd let me run something more durable (like whatever OEM's are using on their watts systems)...I would not mind doing a bit of modifying/fabricating if necessary to run some other joints (maybe currie johnny joints?). Also, are the aluminum bars helicoiled where they're threaded so thread damage/galling won't be an issue when the pivots are replaced?
Old 05-24-2009, 08:23 PM
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I forgot to point out...I am going to put my car on air ride soon, and I REALLY like that the axle will stay centered regardless of ride height with them. I plan on having 1 ride height...but I also have wide rear tires, and I want to be able to drop the car on the ground when I park it...with any sort of a panhard bar, I'll either have a tire rub a quarter panel as it comes down, or an axle off center at ride height...if I was sticking with coil springs, for my 150 mile a day car, I'd stick to a panhard...I'm sure the benefits of the watts for cornering are tremendous, but when I'm driving on the street, at this point in my life, I mostly just try to stay out of trouble.
Old 05-26-2009, 03:50 PM
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The rod-ends are super high-end Aurora's, not cheap crap. Not one complaint yet from F-body or Mustang guys with Fays2 about noise. Regular bushings or JJ's won't work, the ends bolt to the propellor and axle clamps and everything fits based on those parts. Also using poly will cause a bind in the movement of the link which is not what we want.

This is a situation where you need to decide on what you want. If you want a part as serious as a Watts link you have to understand that Jim Fay will not compromise it with deflectable bushings that can also bind.

And as for the Johnny joints... They are just spherical bearings that you can rebuild, no different in function than a rod-end but a good bit more costly and heavier too.
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Old 05-26-2009, 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
The rod-ends are super high-end Aurora's, not cheap crap. Not one complaint yet from F-body or Mustang guys with Fays2 about noise. Regular bushings or JJ's won't work, the ends bolt to the propellor and axle clamps and everything fits based on those parts. Also using poly will cause a bind in the movement of the link which is not what we want.

This is a situation where you need to decide on what you want. If you want a part as serious as a Watts link you have to understand that Jim Fay will not compromise it with deflectable bushings that can also bind.

And as for the Johnny joints... They are just spherical bearings that you can rebuild, no different in function than a rod-end but a good bit more costly and heavier too.
I have had the watts link on my car for 1000s of miles with 0 issues and 0 play on the rod ends.
Old 06-07-2009, 09:51 PM
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So essentially, forget upgrading the PHB, just get this for a few extra bills?
Old 06-07-2009, 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ThoR294
So essentially, forget upgrading the PHB, just get this for a few extra bills?
My vote would be yes. Believe it or not, compared to the mass of many other fabricated items for the 4th Gen, this part actually is worth almost every dollar it's currently priced at.
Old 06-07-2009, 10:02 PM
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How much fabricating needs to be done to the car to get it to go on, or is it pretty much just nuts and bolts?

-True Bolt in design. No welding, cutting, and uses factory mounting points
nevermind. Found it! haha. I just hope its user friendly and its easy to adjust so the car handles nice.
Old 06-07-2009, 10:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Foxxtron
My vote would be yes. Believe it or not, compared to the mass of many other fabricated items for the 4th Gen, this part actually is worth almost every dollar it's currently priced at.
Well, maybe I should've been a bit more clear. Many of the "aftermarket" chassis/suspension items for sale around this site are "fabricated." A lot of those items aren't necessarily bad, but from my experience with many of them is that they tend to lighten the wallet and not really improve what's "wrong" with the car.

No doubt that this Watts link is not cheap, but for what a Watts link can do, and what this design offers, I consider it an excellent value.

Old 06-08-2009, 03:51 AM
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I have had my watts link on my car for only a couple of weeks.It is deffinately worth every dollar I paid for it.It's not an inexpensive item, but for what it does to your car it is a great value.The car is way more planted and predictable.The rear even seems more stable in a drag race.I talked to Jim Fay on the phone one time and he said that the best two things you could install are koni shocks and a watts link in that order.I would agree.I would also agree with the post from foxxtron.

If you want a cheap hobbie, Hot rods is not one of them.You get what you pay for .Food for thought.I think that Sam Strano and Jim fay are both good guys that won't
try to sell you junk and parts that you don't need.I am really happy with my purchase.
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Old 06-08-2009, 05:33 AM
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So what aftermarket rears would this bolt on too.
Old 06-08-2009, 09:56 AM
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It will work on a stock rear axle, or any 3" axle tube unit 9", 12-bolt, S60, but will not work with a Fabricated 9" type as there is not room to attach the axle clamps.
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Old 06-08-2009, 11:39 AM
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
It will work on a S60.
YES! That's my plan!
Old 06-09-2009, 02:40 AM
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Now I'm looking forward to installing one soon on my Camaro!
Old 06-22-2009, 11:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Sam Strano
It will work on a stock rear axle, or any 3" axle tube unit 9", 12-bolt, S60, but will not work with a Fabricated 9" type as there is not room to attach the axle clamps.
i think it would work if you weld a piece to the fabed 9", and connect the rods to the welded on piece. instead of the collars that bolt on to the tubes.

sam do you think that would work? i would love to buy a watts link since i still love to take corners.
Old 06-23-2009, 12:25 PM
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A fabbed 9" has less open axle tube because of the way the differential housing is built. The swaybar still needs to be bolted on, and the axle clamps take up room, room I'm not sure you have on that type housing.

Maybe it might work, but there are few cars with that rear axle that would also want a Watts link. If you think you can make it work, then you are welcome to try but in this day and age it's frankly better to just say "no" than to say "maybe" because nobody ever seems to remember that maybe isn't "definitely". We're talking about not one, but two very non-stock parts. While the Watts was designed with a stock axle and aftermarkets in mind--it wasn't with a Fabbed 9" in mind. And I'm sure a Fabbed 9" was designed for a PHB, and not a Watts link at all.
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Old 06-23-2009, 01:47 PM
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You can also add rear ends with the strengthening gusset on them to the list this kit will not "bolt" on to. I have a Moser 9" with the rear gusset and I had to make custom mounts that bolt to my swaybar mounts (swaybar mounts are welded to housing) for the lateral bars to bolt to. I will eventually have some pics of what I did
Old 06-23-2009, 09:38 PM
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Originally Posted by GrnDragon
You can also add rear ends with the strengthening gusset on them to the list this kit will not "bolt" on to. I have a Moser 9" with the rear gusset and I had to make custom mounts that bolt to my swaybar mounts (swaybar mounts are welded to housing) for the lateral bars to bolt to. I will eventually have some pics of what I did

Crafty little bugger... I need to move next door to you.


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