My e30 has real bad end links up front.
Replacements are about $50 a pair for good OEM ones. About $20 for the cheaper ones. Shipping not included.
I'm toying with the idea of just using double threaded rod and heim joints.
Thoughts?
Here's the link in question
hiems will work but doubt they will last any longer. Even the kevlar lined ones don't last long on my dwarf i get a season or so before there play thats ~14 weekends
With how short they are, a male and female threaded heim would work. I'd like to know how it works, as my E36/5 uses the exact same part.
I always see replacements for the M3 strut setup, but not for the non-m.
Granted, different car, but I used heims on my protege and they lasted for a really really long time.
I've run cheap non-lined ones on the back of my Geo and never had a problem with them. The brackets they connected to on KYB struts kept breaking at the weld, however.
I have a bunch of extras and plan on using them on the front my E36 but I also want to connect them to the strut either by buying stuts with the brackets, or fabricating a bracket to use on my Konis.
They look pretty small (and too short) next to the stock E36 rear links. Grainger has the proper threaded rods if you want to use a pair of female end links.
Unless you are doing this for performance benefit, it isn't really worth it. They will cost as much as the cheap OE style ones, and they will be noisy and shorter-lived. I have found any rod-end type endlink to be an annual replacement item on both my Miata and the S2000. Since they're a necessity with a giant aftermarket front swaybar I consider it worth the hassle, but if I could just throw stock ones in there for similar money I would. I use stock type endlinks with the UUC front bar on my E36.
I have been freshening up the front suspension on the e30, and it still seems to lack a certain je ne sais quoi. The only thing that remains (other than a balljoint that needs to be replaced) is the bushings on the front sway are essentially gone.
I don't see how they would be more noisy, but I defer to all of your expertise on that one. I can only speculate.
Looks like 5/16 bore aurora rod ends are about $15 a pop. That'd be $60 to do the whole front not including other spacers etc. The bolt is 8mm diameter, but the metric rod ends seem to be almost double the money.
I put them on, and subsequently removed, a set of solid links from my Miata. For me, they transmitted too much noise for the street. They sounded like a washer rattling on a loose bolt. It drove me crazy.
There was no loose bolt.
When they wear, the play in the socket causes a clunk. I ran a set on all 4 corners of my protege for a good 60K without any noise. They were a very noticable improvement in handling.
I bought the cheapy OEM replacement ones for my 318ti and in ~10K one of 'em is dead.
I'd like to go with a heim setup in the rear also, but the stock setup makes it a bit difficult to do that.
If you look here- the fronts won't work on non m cars, but the rear links (bottom of page) look like they'd work on the front of a non m car. http://store.vacmotorsports.com/ground-control---front-sway-bar-link-set-many-models-p2395.aspx
Woody wrote: I put them on, and subsequently removed, a set of solid links from my Miata. For me, they transmitted too much noise for the street. They sounded like a washer rattling on a loose bolt. It drove me crazy. There was no loose bolt.
And they were heim joints? Or some other solid arrangement.
I've got all heim joints and poly bushings under my E30.
Bottom line: They're great for the track, but noisy on the street.
I love the adjustability, and it removes nearly all of the slop. It's great being able to set the preload, too.
This is what i'm running on the Escort.
No driving reports yet because well.... i haven't finished it yet.
Taiden wrote:Woody wrote: I put them on, and subsequently removed, a set of solid links from my Miata. For me, they transmitted too much noise for the street. They sounded like a washer rattling on a loose bolt. It drove me crazy. There was no loose bolt.And they were heim joints? Or some other solid arrangement.
Heim joints.
In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:
Let me know. I'm looking to change out the rear of the Zx2. I just added a front upper. Handles great at low speed, but at around 75-80 I get the floaties in the rear. 
N Sperlo wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: Let me know. I'm looking to change out the rear of the Zx2. I just added a front upper. Handles great at low speed, but at around 75-80 I get the floaties in the rear.
They won't work with stock control arms. 
In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:
I'm thinking thicker sway and heavy duty bolts should work just fine.
From the original photo, not clear, is the left one also rubber bushed? Which joint wears out? Could rebuild using the metal bits, with castable liquid urethane. (from McMaster-Carr, available in several durometer ratings) Dust/dirt gets into the classic heim joint, but can get them with integral seals, or 'seals-it' add on. Another possibility is to re-purpose steering rod ends from lightweight cars. Also possible to do a hydrid, ie a spherical joint at one end, and rubber/urethane at the other. This would yield some noise/vibration isolation.
Carter
Well, looking at mcmaster-carr and measuring the stock endlink...
These would work, however even screwed all the way down, they would be 3mm too long. (the center to center of the stock link is ~67mm) There is a little excess shank that could be cut off the male rod end to shorten it to the stock length.
The easiest way to use these would be to drill the lower mounting bracket to accept a 10mm bolt instead of the 8mm. The upper stud is 10mm. The ends are 8 bucks and change, for the less expensive ones.
http://www.mcmaster.com/#rod-ends/=ey44d3 female http://www.mcmaster.com/#rod-ends/=ey46iw male
Taiden wrote: I don't see how they would be more noisy, but I defer to all of your expertise on that one. I can only speculate.
They're noisy. Inevitably so. Take a ride in my S2000 sometime, you'll see. Stock links will have rubber bushing or at the very least a captured grease film to keep metal from contacting metal in the joints. Heim joints don't have these things, and no matter how tight the tolerances are on the ones you buy, they will loosen up a little and clack around once you start using the car (they might stay quiet for a few weeks, if you're really lucky).
I was playing with the idea of just using a ball joint for the top and a rod end for the bottom. Midwest Controls ended up being ~$50 for all the parts and shipping for stainless metric aurora pieces.
But given the sound issue that people bring up I may just go for the cheap ones and replace them as they wear out.
If you put covers on them they last a little longer. I was also thinking that if it didn't make a noticeable difference I wouldn't be out much money.
Well, I bought the parts from McMaster-Carr and tossed them on today. I didn't notice any more NVH. I did notice quicker response from steering input. Would be better if I had gotten the correct poly swaybar bushings for the front, but the place decided to send me 24 not 26mm bushings.
Another annoyance, the hiems went up in price 3 bucks each.
92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:N Sperlo wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: Let me know. I'm looking to change out the rear of the Zx2. I just added a front upper. Handles great at low speed, but at around 75-80 I get the floaties in the rear.They won't work with stock control arms.
I had basically the same set up on the rear of my ZX2SR with my 22mm Progress bar. The bolt trough the stock control arm use some very hard urethane ? bushings.
iceracer wrote:92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:I had basically the same set up on the rear of my ZX2SR with my 22mm Progress bar. The bolt trough the stock control arm use some very hard urethane ? bushings.N Sperlo wrote: In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac: Let me know. I'm looking to change out the rear of the Zx2. I just added a front upper. Handles great at low speed, but at around 75-80 I get the floaties in the rear.They won't work with stock control arms.
ZX2 rear might be different, iono?
I don't have the stock control arms anymore, these were set up for that. 
Or i might be losing my mind. I'm drawing a blank as to how these worked again just looking at this picture. It's been a long week.
There's pics of the control arms i'm using in my build thread. 
familytruckster wrote: Well, I bought the parts from McMaster-Carr and tossed them on today. I didn't notice any more NVH. I did notice quicker response from steering input. Would be better if I had gotten the correct poly swaybar bushings for the front, but the place decided to send me 24 not 26mm bushings. Another annoyance, the hiems went up in price 3 bucks each.
I could ask you a million questions, but would you go over what you did in detail? (Cost, parts, condition of old components, details differences in driving, etc)
Was 52 bucks for the 2 male and 2 female rod ends, 25 M10x55mm bolts, 100 10mm washers and 25 M10 locknuts all from mcmaster.com
1 91280A642 Metric 8.8 Zinc-Plated Steel Hex Head Cap Screw, M10 Size, 50MM Length, 1.5MM Pitch, Fully Threaded, Packs of 25 1 Pack 9.65 Per Pack 9.65
2 93795A240 Zinc-Plated Class 8 Steel Conical-Top Hex Locknut, M10 Screw Size, 1.5MM Pitch, 17MM Width, 10MM Height, Packs of 25 1 Pack 1 0 5.42 Per Pack 5.
3 91166A280 DIN 125 Zinc-Plated Class 4 Steel Flat Washer, M10 Screw Size, 20MM OD, 1.8MM-2.2MM Thick, Packs of 100 1 Pack 1 0 3.98 Per Pack 3.98
4 59935K84 Metric Ball Joint Rod End, M10 X 1.5 Right-Hand Male Shank, 10MM Ball ID, 29MM L Thread 2 Each2 0 8.12 Each 16.24
5 59935K74 Metric Ball Joint Rod End, M10 X 1.5 Right-Hand Female Shank, 10MM Ball ID, 21MM L Thread 2 Each 2 0 8.08 Each 16.16
Merchandise 51.45 Shipping 4.96 Total $56.41
The "old" parts were less than a year old cheapo replacement endlinks. The ball ends were still tight, but the covers were both torn and the rubber bushing on the bottom was ripped apart on both sides.
Not noticing any NVH that bothers me. I do have an M44 with M3 motor mounts, and a stromung exhaust (granted the stromung is welded onto the stock resonator) I drive 150 miles a day, so I like a comfy car.
The car seems like it reacts a bit quicker to steering input because of the quicker swaybar response. I'm still on original swaybar bushings. Should be interesting when I get the poly ones on.
Rest of the suspension is H&R sports with 3/8" spacers on the rear, Tokico Blues, 318ti sport swaybars, poly rear swaybar bushings. poly front and rear control arm bushings, MZ3 diff bushing, new OEM rear subframe bushings. Stock 15" wheels with 205/60 Michelin Pilot Exalto's
I haven't gone and checked for interference after yesterdays commute. I also want to adjust the preload on it. I might get to it tomorrow.
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