Rod End and Heim Joint Buyers Guide

Speedway's vast selection of rod ends offer a large range of shank and hole size configurations, as well as a wide variety of strength and weight options depending upon what is required for your application. Whether it's for general purpose, heavy duty, race or off-road applications you can compare the features of these five main designs.

Standard rod ends are suggested for light duty applications which see minimal movement and when low cost is a primary requirement. They can be used on suspension applications but they will wear quicker than other types of rod ends and replacement will be needed more frequently.

Precision rod ends are an excellent choice for suspension components on street driven cars at mild to medium power levels. The Kevlar race and PTFE liner make for a self lubricating and long lasting joint. These are quieter and smoother operating than Standard or Pro-1 rod ends. The down side to the Precision line of rod ends is a slightly reduced misalignment angle compared to Standard or Pro-1.

Pro-1 rod ends are an excellent choice for steering and suspension on medium to high horsepower racing applications. High load ratings provided by the chromoly steel body and two piece design with excellent misalignment specs lend itself well to all sorts of off-road and racing applications, especially circle track suspensions.

Chromoly rod ends are an excellent choice for racing suspensions and other high load applications. The 4130 chromoly steel body along with an injection molded Kevlar race and PTFE liner reduce friction and provide self lubrication. The large body design increases strength at the expense of reduced misalignment. These work well in many off-road and high horsepower racing suspensions, especially drag racing rear suspensions.

Aluminum rod ends are ideal for racing applications where reduced weight is critical and a slight reduction in load rating is acceptable. The injection molded Kevlar race with PTFE liner provides self lubrication and reduces friction. Aluminum rod ends are widely used on circle track cars where rules allow them, typically Sprint Cars and Late Models.