[Mk2] [Generic] Rod end high misalignment spacers

[tiff_lee]

As per title has anyone ever used these? Just bought some off ebay but it seems the angle on the spacer is incorrect and it actually binds on the rod end reducing misalignment supposed to increasing it as intended.

[kennym]

Hi what are you using them for? those spheric joints don't look the best, (that's not meant to sound bitchy) I found there was not a lot of difference in price between poor & very good quality joints

I made my own spacers on my caster control arms which I recently posted in the modifications section, I've just stripped my lathe for some repair work or id have knocked you some up.

Kenny

[SonicSW20]

There's no point doing one bit of this only. If you're going to do it, you need to use a full kit. Only one I'm aware of that's any good at the moment is the Wilhelm one - http://wilhelmraceworks.com/suspension-geometry-kit

[kennym]

There's no point doing one bit of this only. If you're going to do it, you need to use a full kit. Only one I'm aware of that's any good at the moment is the Wilhelm one - http://wilhelmraceworks.com/suspension-geometry-kit

Who's this to?

[SonicSW20]

It's directed at anyone reading this thread. That kit is the only one that's been developed using actual data as far as I am aware.

[C35Rob]

It's directed at anyone reading this thread. That kit is the only one that's been developed using actual data as far as I am aware.

I think lee is making a set of rose jointed ARB drop links (as I have also..)

the wilhelm kit is very comprehensive, and worth the money for what you get but I remember Ashley had to re-make his front track rod end drop spacers because he either stripped or snapped one (I forget details..)

I've also got Roll centre adjusters (from sonicboom in japan, sadly no longer available as the business has been wound up) and SuperNow! dropped rose jointed track rod ends, so while the wilhelm kit is the most comprehensive, it's certainly not the only option

(admittedly, I do wish I'd bought it, instead of getting bits and pieces individually)


anyway, Lee, are they the spacers that slip inside the joint to sleeve it down for a smaller bolt? if so I'd be tempted to remove a bit of material from the taper where it catches to gain the extra travel, although it may be worth bolting them up to the car and swinging the steering from lock to lock to see if you even need the full articulation of the joint, you may not..

[tiff_lee]

It was just for some drop links. The rod ends are from mcgill motorsport but the quality of them aside that should have no impact on the spacer.

Rob, the spacer should slip under the liner with the ball and only make contact at the centre so you get more articulation using a smaller bolt. As expected the ebay seller has told me no one else has had this issue contrary to the fact my picture clearly shows the taper catching on the liner and if you was to extrapolate the curvature of the ball its clear the taper is all wrong.

[kennym]

The reason ask who it's directed at is because I have the wilhelm kit, as Rob says it's not the only kit out there based on data & to be fair it's not to hard to plot your own data if you have a mind to.

Rob your welcome to come down & copy bits of my kit if you want your not that far from me.

[SonicSW20]

Right, the point is that it is counter productive to do these things one at a time. Just fitting one part of it will often make things worse.

Who eles does a full kit like the Wilhelm one? The only other one I've ever seen was on eBay, and it quite rightly got ripped apart on the MR2OC Facebook because it was a very poor copy of the Wilhelm kit and wouldn't have actually worked as advertised.

[kennym]

Sorry bud calm down, we don't need "ripping apart" as you put it the whole idea of forums is to chat, help & advise.

There's no drawback or downside to fitting spheric joints to bespoke drop links.

I don't agree that you have to do everything in a kit, development over time is always a good way to learn & doing one thing at a time is often a better way of gauging the specific effects of each change, does one thing often affect another? yes of course it does but its still better to understand the reasons and effects of each modification.

I may have taken you wrongly but you seem initially rather assertive & then defensive, I have no wish to get into pointless online arguments, I respect you view I just don't agree.

[SonicSW20]

You're making mountains out of mole hills.

I was referring specifically to an 'complete' eBay kit that attempted to emulate the wilhelm kit (badly), not to you or anyone in this thread.

If you know what you're doing then by all means make your own kit, absolutely nothing wrong with that. My point was there's no point just fitting one part, you need to correct the geometry of the whole suspension system otherwise you will often make it worse.

From the title of the thread I thought OP was doing something with the tie rod ends.

[Race Idiot]

I've also got Roll centre adjusters (from sonicboom in japan, sadly no longer available as the business has been wound up) and SuperNow! dropped rose jointed track rod ends, so while the wilhelm kit is the most comprehensive, it's certainly not the only option

Did you fit the sonicboom ones? I ended up selling the ones I bought because I had clearance issues due to them pushing the struts further outwards. Ended up putting my phoenix power ones back on.

Also a question for the guys running the whilhelm kit, do you guys use your car on the road and also in the winter? I had a bunch of rosejointed stuff on my old car which deteriorated very quickly after being exposed to our crappy roads.

[C35Rob]

Yeah I've got the front and rear ones on my car now, no clearance issues at all on the front, rear arches have had to be rolled and it's very close back there, but then I have got 9" wheels with 255 wide tyres too. If I'd had the chance to buy them again I would have gone for straight RCA's on the rear, and the camber adjust ones on the front.

[Race Idiot]

I had issues on the front, but then again my front wheels are something like +28 offset.

[kennym]

You're making mountains out of mole hills.

I was referring specifically to an 'complete' eBay kit that attempted to emulate the wilhelm kit (badly), not to you or anyone in this thread.

If you know what you're doing then by all means make your own kit, absolutely nothing wrong with that. My point was there's no point just fitting one part, you need to correct the geometry of the whole suspension system otherwise you will often make it worse.

From the title of the thread I thought OP was doing something with the tie rod ends.

Ok bud no problem.... There's no like button