spherical rod ends?
05-21-2006, 07:34 PM
#1
spherical rod ends? are they worth having on a car that will be autocrossed? im looking to buy LCAs and a panhard rod and im thinking should i do poly/rod end or dish out the coin and do rod end on both sides? what would be that advantages and disadvantages?
05-21-2006, 07:40 PM
#2
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IMO it depends on if ur car is just a weekend racer or if it's a strip/street car. having rod ends on both sides will create more noise but they give better responce. I have rod ends/poly on all my aftermarket suspension and I love it...WAY better than factory.
05-21-2006, 08:07 PM
#4
Poly will transmit less noise, if you use rod-ended components 10K miles a year is substantial. You may have to replace rod-ends after a year. Rod ends are for a hard core user. Perfect for an autoX setup.
If you want something that you can bolt on and forget about, then don't choose suspension components with rod-ends. While a rod end/poly setup may transmit less noise, the rod-end itself will wear quicker and need replacing some faster then others depending on the conditions the component sees. Rod ends are like consumables...they wear out, you replace them, just like you do tires...rather quickly. I feel they are the best option, but they are not for everyone.
We do have a special still listed on our website for rod-ended suspension components listed in our deals section www.sjmmanufacturing.com/deals.html
Replacing rod ends...with the cost of gas that is spent, a rod end is such a small cost in comparison.
If you want something that you can bolt on and forget about, then don't choose suspension components with rod-ends. While a rod end/poly setup may transmit less noise, the rod-end itself will wear quicker and need replacing some faster then others depending on the conditions the component sees. Rod ends are like consumables...they wear out, you replace them, just like you do tires...rather quickly. I feel they are the best option, but they are not for everyone.
We do have a special still listed on our website for rod-ended suspension components listed in our deals section www.sjmmanufacturing.com/deals.html
Replacing rod ends...with the cost of gas that is spent, a rod end is such a small cost in comparison.
Last edited by SJM Manufacturing Inc; 05-21-2006 at 08:19 PM.
05-21-2006, 11:58 PM
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Originally Posted by qwikz28
are they worth having on a car that will be autocrossed? im looking to buy LCAs and a panhard rod and im thinking should i do poly/rod end or dish out the coin and do rod end on both sides? what would be that advantages and disadvantages?
Now AFA daily driver use combined with AX duty, it's best to just have a dual rod ended PHB and maybe go for either poly/rod-end on the LCA's or maybe something like what I have installed, such as a modified Howe rubber bushing on one end with a rod-end on the other. Using any of the latter will be generally okay since one rod-end on one end of the LCA's should generally (I say this lightly because I haven't quite calculated this completely) remove 90% of the undesirable bind with articulation of the LCA's.
In any case of using rod ends, just make sure to use ones with the least amount of misalignment necessary and that have their races hardened with some sort of "self-lubricating" friction insulation (usually impregnated with some sort of PTFE/Kevlar combination).
Also, bear in mind that the OE LCA's fitted with 1LE bushings in good working condition is very good as well (provided that the tolerance lottery hasn't got the best of them).
05-22-2006, 06:15 PM
#6
Originally Posted by Foxxtron
Not to quote for looking like I'm scrutinizing anything, but if you shall AX in some sort of car club sanction (SCCA, NASA, etc.) you might want to consult the rulebooks on your ability to use them, though I'm sure several of the members around here who AX will surely chime in quickly once they see this. Just a reminder though.
Now AFA daily driver use combined with AX duty, it's best to just have a dual rod ended PHB and maybe go for either poly/rod-end on the LCA's or maybe something like what I have installed, such as a modified Howe rubber bushing on one end with a rod-end on the other. Using any of the latter will be generally okay since one rod-end on one end of the LCA's should generally (I say this lightly because I haven't quite calculated this completely) remove 90% of the undesirable bind with articulation of the LCA's.
In any case of using rod ends, just make sure to use ones with the least amount of misalignment necessary and that have their races hardened with some sort of "self-lubricating" friction insulation (usually impregnated with some sort of PTFE/Kevlar combination).
Also, bear in mind that the OE LCA's fitted with 1LE bushings in good working condition is very good as well (provided that the tolerance lottery hasn't got the best of them).
Now AFA daily driver use combined with AX duty, it's best to just have a dual rod ended PHB and maybe go for either poly/rod-end on the LCA's or maybe something like what I have installed, such as a modified Howe rubber bushing on one end with a rod-end on the other. Using any of the latter will be generally okay since one rod-end on one end of the LCA's should generally (I say this lightly because I haven't quite calculated this completely) remove 90% of the undesirable bind with articulation of the LCA's.
In any case of using rod ends, just make sure to use ones with the least amount of misalignment necessary and that have their races hardened with some sort of "self-lubricating" friction insulation (usually impregnated with some sort of PTFE/Kevlar combination).
Also, bear in mind that the OE LCA's fitted with 1LE bushings in good working condition is very good as well (provided that the tolerance lottery hasn't got the best of them).
that being said i'm still curious as to what makes spherical rod ends adventagious to say poly ends? all they do is move up and down i thought?
