Here is the finished product from Addco that replaces the ball-in-socket OEM rear endlinks.

 

Hey, just a quick reminder that if you off-road a bunch, the you may want to look at Lars Dennert or Nuke's discos so you can easily disconnect the swaybar, because it makes a huge difference off-road.

Chris

 

Has anyone installed the new rear endlinks yet? If so, what length bolt did you end up using? I measured the correct length bolt to be 1/2x20x2-1/2" ... that's a fine thread bolt. However, I was thinking of using a 3" long bolt instead? I am also using a 1/2x20 Nyloc nut and a 1/2" flat washer between the bolt head and the grommet. All fastener hardware is stainless.

 

y wouldn't u go w/ the hardware that came w/ the kit?

 

Forgive me but that is something my dear wife would say. If I had received the fastening hardware I would not be asking the questions; however, when they made these rear endlinks, at least in my case for the two sets I ordered, they did not include the nuts and bolts for the bar attachment. The upper shaft has a nyloc nut on it but the lower attachment is where the bolt goes. Did you get a set of the endlinks and did they have the fasteners?

 

I got a set and they did come with the bolts, lock washers and nylock nuts. I received mine the day after you posted the receipt of yours. Unfortunately I am still waiting for my sway bar kits that are on backorder.

 

What is the bolt length supplied with your endlinks? :pat:

 

Okay guys, forget about my question. I called Addco and the answer is to use a 3" bolt for added safety. A split washer is not necessary with a Nyloc nut adding a flat washer where I specified is not a bad idea. IMO, for those who are overly cautious, adding the split washer is fine.

BTW, Addco is sold out of the rear endlinks with none planned for production.

 

sorry for the lame response earlier. i did receive both nuts and bolts w/ my order. i was thinking that maybe u had wanted to use something more durable or stronger.

 

NO! It is I who am sorry. My wife read yours and my response and said your question was perfectly reasonable.

I use stainless when ever possible because I live in the NE and then am never faced with having to torch or cut a fastener when I want to remove it.

 

Peter, I am also in the NE as you know, and always worry about removing rusted fasteners. I was under the impression that most stainless fastsners are not as strong as their carbon steel counterparts. There is an online store called Totally Stainless that offers grade 8 and higher stainless stuff that is well suited for suspension useage. Do you get your bolts, etc., from there or do you have another source. Or is the stregnth issue a myth? Most of the time I just use zinc coated steel anyhow as the stainless parts are $$. Also do you need use anti-seize on the stainless threads? Thanks.

 

Hi James, I have bought a lot of stainless from TS but did not get these bolts from them. You bring up a good point that once again serves to reinforce my belief that you are smarter than I am. Your question prompted me to find out just what the difference is and you are right. Regular stainless is like a grade 5 which is less than regular steel, so I will not be using the bolts I bought and I thank you very much. I will call TS and get the right stuff. As for your other question, if in fact you will now put stock in anything I say, I use anti-sieze on everything but I do not think it is necessary with stainless.

 

304 stainless hardware grade bolts are rated differently than regular steel bolts. Whereas regular steel bolts are rated as, lets say, Grade 2, 5 and 8, stainless is rated according to lbs/ sq.in. A grade 8 in stainless might be rated at about 150,000 #psi, whereas a grade 5 might be rated somewhere around 100,000 to 120,000 #psi. It is all about the chemistry and can vary from batch to batch. Therefore, there is no direct equivalent and stainless is not as strong as the comparable bolt in regular steel.

I am not teaching, just sharing what James prompted me to learn. Also, as we know, Grade 8 is identified by 6 radial marks on a hex head and Grade 5 by 3 radial marks on a hex head. Thanks again jalaber.

 

Cool but Sorry to hear you had to write off the first batch of stainless fasteners. Better to err on the side of safety .

 

ManyMods, i was poking around at TS's website and did not find an order page. is it safe to assume that i would need to email my order in? Also, what size nuts/bolts will u be ordering from TS? What size nuts/bolts are u using for ur suspension setup (front and rear)? i thought i read it somewhere, but i can no longer seem to find it. i'd like to order from TS, but i don't know what i should order.

 

I know there are those who want to be TOTALLY sure ... if there is such a thing.

However, I just got this feedback from Addco which leads me to the conclusion that I will be going with the stainless hardware I have right now. YMMV

I think your stainless hardware should be fine. A lot of the hardware bolts we sell are grade 5. I would simply check the bolts after they have been "exercised" a little bit to see if they were deforming. Many times when too strong of a bolt is used the bolt will snap without warning, a softer bolt will deform a lot before it breaks.

I was thinking all along that if my suspension encountered such severe shock that it might break a 1/2" thick bolt, a lot of other hardware would suffer too.

Any comments?

 

Peter, some time has passed since you got the Addco end links on. I'm doing the sway bars and front & rear end links upgrade today. Do you have any additional advice or info since the rear end links were installed. Have you had any other issues or necessary modifications, is there a noticeable improvement and most of all are you happy with the outcome?
Thanks in advance. Damon

 

Hi Damon,
Funny you should ask, because I just inspected the entire setup when the truck was on the lift during the trans temp manifold installation. Everything is tight and positioned where it should be. Nothing is twisted or bent. I still feel strongly that I did the right thing getting those rear endlinks made and the HD ES front anti-sway bar bushing brackets are the ones to use for the front bar. I think the only thing that I don't like, although it is very hard to feel, is the way the H&R springs stiffen during cornering. They compress to a certain point and then stiffen up. I think the transition should happen sooner. I also don't like it that the rear sits slightly higher than the front. I intend to get better road tires the next time I replace them because I can feel the rear end start to break away (skidder) during cornering and, although the chassis does not lean, I do not trust my ability to control the drift. Is there anything else you want to know about my experience with the parts? BTW, you did read in one of the previous posts about elongating the mounting bolt holes in the front bushing bracket mounting pads, right? You are planning on using the Addco endlinks and mounting brackets, right?

 

I do have the Addco endlinks and I'm using the ES greasable sway bar bushings that you recommend (for trucks). I ran into a problem removing the front endlinks. I got about 3 turns on the nut with the rotating bolt (bottom bolt on the front end links) that needs to be held with a hex wrench and it seems to have siezed. Maybe its a bit of a tight space to get a good position on them with two hands. I had been hitting it with WD40 for about 6 weeks knowing this project was on the horizon. I'm a bit frustrated and wondering about trying to dremel through the bolt. Is this the reason most seem to have been "prefering" the ball & socket design of the OE endlink? Any advise. Also the Addco L-bracket for the front endlinks does not have any hardware to mount to the frame, what hardware did you use? Thanks.

 

It seems that I was not alone on the endlink removal issue. The allen holes do strip easily, but as described in this thread https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...link+nut+allen a vice grip behind the mount was a good way to avoid drilling out or hacksawing the bolt. Just wanted to post a reasolution for future readers.