Sway bar endlinks recommendations.

ArtyMiats · Postby **ArtyMiats** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:51 pm

So right now I'm waiting for my sway bars to arrive and am looking at which endlinks i'll be running in conjunction with them. I've got 3 sets in mind. Wondering everyones opinions on each. Here they are:

[*]Whiteline Sway bar endlinks
http://www.mx5mania.com.au/product659.htm
Probably the cheapest of the lot that i'm looking at, easy to get from mx5 factory and whiteline has a good name

[*]Improved racing adjustable endlinks
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Improved-Rac ... 6a2&_uhb=1
Little more expensive, but features more adjustability. Not too sure of the brand as i've never heard of them before but look like a solid unit.

[*]Racing beat endlinks
http://www.racingbeat.com/Miata-MX5-200 ... d=xQ42xfR7
The most expensive set out of the lot, but i'm not certain price = quality in this circumstance.

Which one should I go for? Will i be able to really feel a difference? Is adjustable even worth the cost? I need help!

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:46 pm

Ball joints (racing beat) are will last longer. Exposed rod ends are going to get contaminated far faster.

Don't like the look of the eBay ones with the insert. The thin hex of the inset will be more difficult to use. The quality looks a bit lower to me with a more cobbled together feel.

Are your sway bars adjustable? If so adjustable end links are probably worth it as the various adjustment holes will require the end links to either be longer / shorter or to have varying preload on the bar.

How do you use the car. Are you likely to adjust them yourself or take it to a shop?

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project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:14 pm

whiteline or racing beat ones. either is your choice. the white ones may wear quicker. i have them and haven't had issues. and you will need to buy some bolts to fit. racing beat has a well protect ball joint same as oem. good brand name etc.

ArtyMiats · Postby **ArtyMiats** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:23 am

sailaholic wrote:Ball joints (racing beat) are will last longer. Exposed rod ends are going to get contaminated far faster.

Don't like the look of the eBay ones with the insert. The thin hex of the inset will be more difficult to use. The quality looks a bit lower to me with a more cobbled together feel.

Are your sway bars adjustable? If so adjustable end links are probably worth it as the various adjustment holes will require the end links to either be longer / shorter or to have varying preload on the bar.

How do you use the car. Are you likely to adjust them yourself or take it to a shop?

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the car is my fun daily, and i'm likely going to be adjusting them myself. My sway bars are adjustable also, so it seems that adjustable endlinks will need to be the go.

Magpie · Postby **Magpie** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:30 am

I have 949 endlinks and have had no issues. They come with packing spacers so you can get the endlinks as close as possible to vertical. Another small bonus is that they can be adjusted with just 2 of the same size spanner.

Taking preload out of the sway bars is an easy task. Put the car on ramps remove one of the endlinks (or both). Install the endlinks back and adjust one (or both) so there is no weight placed on the swaybar.

Adding preload without a set of scales is almost impossible. As you will have no idea how much weight you are adding/subtracting from a corner. Get it too wrong and the handling will be compromised (left/right hand corners feel different and over/under steer characteristics will also change).

As an example when I did my car before endlinks connected the LR balance was 49.9% after they were connected it went to 51.3%. The sway bars added 7.5 kg preload (+7.5 LF/RR & -7.5 RF/LR)

Lokiel · Postby **Lokiel** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:11 am

MINX found the 949racing endlinks degenerated too fast (got noisy after very little driving).
I don't think I'd buy them again.

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ArtyMiats · Postby **ArtyMiats** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:35 pm

thanks guys, all very informative information so far. I was actually looking at 949's offering last night, but shame to hear that they degenerate quickly :/ whiteline don't offer an adjustable set do they?

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:37 pm

yes they do.

timk · Postby **timk** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:42 pm

I fitted the 949 ones and they cured a rear end clunk, I'll try to remember to report back if the noise returns!

Here's one I prepared earlier:

The standard endlink is about 103mm hole to hole, I set these to 95mm and things seemed to be fairly flat with the car sitting on the ground.

plohl · Postby **plohl** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:49 pm

Lokiel wrote:MINX found the 949racing endlinks degenerated too fast (got noisy after very little driving).
I don't think I'd buy them again.

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Any cheap rod end will fog out quickly. To get half decent ones you're looking at >$50 each. If you have all the hardware left, you can buy new rod ends... though i think it works out cheaper just to get a new set.

project.r.racing · Postby **project.r.racing** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 7:06 pm

timk wrote:I fitted the 949 ones and they cured a rear end clunk, I'll try to remember to report back if the noise returns!

Here's one I prepared earlier:

The standard endlink is about 103mm hole to hole, I set these to 95mm and things seemed to be fairly flat with the car sitting on the ground.

I got those on the front of my Astina.