THSCC Forums

I heard from a reliable source that any kind of heim joint requires monthly inspections and lubrication. Personally I don't want to keep adding required maintenance to my car. But is this even true?

I heard from another reliable source its only true with the older style heim joints. The newer ones lined with teflon are better. Either way I know getting rubber boots from Baker Precision are a life saver worth the extra few bucks.

I only have one set of heim joints on my car and thats the T/C rods. So far after two years they are ok. But they aren't a high-movement part. Not like a control arm is.

The new part I am considering are front control arms. I have a McPherson strut design (240sx) and up trying to install new ES bushings one of the arms was bent. So I have the following options:
1) Buy an OEM control arm and try to press the bushing in again. Chance bending another one.
2) Buy an OEM style arm from PDM-racing.com that is new and has a whiteline bushing already pressed in. But they are $277 EACH!

3) Buy a cheaper tubular unit like this: $350

4) Pony up and get these: $612. (Hell beats $550 for oem style...or does it?)


So should I stay away from heim joints or not? Or is it worth it at LEAST on the front end having a big beefy control arm? I wouldn't mind, for cheaps sake, just having a poly bushing pressed in the OEM arm and boxing it in for added strength. But I've already destroyed one so far.

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1995 240SX

FWIW, most aftermarket sway-bar end links have spherical (aka Heim, after the first patent'r, I suppose) joints at their ends, with delrin or similar bearing material. I've run the same set for 4-5 years with no lubrication other than an occasional dab of grease for piece of mind. No noticable wear yet after 2,000+ track miles and lots of autocrosses.

Of course, that's on a Miata, so your results may vary

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Brad

Do you drive your car on the street?

If so, those heim joints are gonna make for a rough ride.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

For a track car heim joints aren't going to require much additional maintenance. For a street car, you're going want to monitor them a little more often and make sure they're clean and greased.

They're also going to beat the car/driver to death if driven on the street, for very little benefit.

Come pick up my spare control arms, spend $60 for new balljoints and take everything to a machine shop. They should be able to get everything changed for less than $100. Once you get them back, put a fresh coat of paint on them and they'll look just like those PDM units for 1/3 of the price.

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In need of car.

On sway bar end links they're not bad on a street car. I don't drive the Vette everyday now I have the GrapeMobile. I was told not to lubricate them with grease. It just catches dirt/grit them moves the grit inside the joint and scores the metal. I lubed them anyway to help stop the clanking. The biggest thing on the sway bar end links is that they need to be adjusted for no preload. So you're going to hear them on bumpy roads. That's the downside of heim joints. The upside is no play like factory style and adjustable.

On the track well worth it, for a daily driver, not so much.

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http://www.greywinds.com

The car is gradually becoming more of a track/weekend car with occasional drives to work, etc. I have another car with working a/c that I drive every day.

Thanks for the input guys.

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1995 240SX