SPL TC rods gone bad

Originally Posted by hellion240sx

Spl. can't go wrong. Too bad I couldn't afford all their pieces when I was getting my s13 parts :/

I dont understand it. Why is SPL considered expensive? Expensive compared to what, e-bay parts? SPL is reasonably priced for what it is. Try to make any of the parts on their site and see how much it costs you. Take stock arms, buy nismo and have them pressed in and tell me how much it costs.

Originally Posted by Chrischeezer

How risky would it be to Drill and install your own grease fitting in a heim joint?
probably inexpensive and will definitely prolong the life of your joints.

Without doing much thought and engineering, it appears that this is something manufacturers SHOULD look into doing. Unfortunately, it eats away at the modern mentality of shit not being serviceable and instead, replaceable. Very unfortunate.

Originally Posted by zombiewolf513

SPL can't be held responsible for your friends inability to correctly install and adjust parts.

Any manufacturer could and should be held responsible for the parts they offer. Thats not the point though. The point here is, doing the due diligence here and determining the reason for how and why an product failed.

[zombiewolf513]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

I dont understand it. Why is SPL considered expensive? Expensive compared to what, e-bay parts? SPL is reasonably priced for what it is. Try to make any of the parts on their site and see how much it costs you. Take stock arms, buy nismo and have them pressed in and tell me how much it costs.

Because SPL parts are expensive. Expensive compared to many of the common brands offering the same kinds of parts. Granted the prices are reasonable given that SPL goes to hell and back to offer the best parts possible.

Originally Posted by ixfxi

Without doing much thought and engineering, it appears that this is something manufacturers SHOULD look into doing. Unfortunately, it eats away at the modern mentality of shit not being serviceable and instead, replaceable. Very unfortunate.

They should look into this. But in the meantime, $20 to replace joints is incredibly affordable.

Any manufacturer could and should be held responsible for the parts they offer. Thats not the point though. The point here is, doing the due diligence here and determining the reason for how and why an product failed.

I'm not saying they aren't responsible for the quality of their part, because they are. I'm saying that SPL can't be held responsible for improper installation causing failure due to stresses that it wasn't designed to handle.

Although I can't be 100% sure the part was installed wrong, I can only assume it was installed wrong because of SPL's outstanding track record, precision manufacturing processes, & quality assurance and quality control standards.
SPL is second to none in those regards, period.

[95se]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I guess I'll be upgrading SPL or just getting new heims (bearings) but don't know how hard it would be to change the ends out and whether or not they would be v2 or 3. Either way there is no guarantee that the v3 will last any longer because they haven't been out that long. I have to make decision soon. Tonight I hit a a groove in the highway and practically lost it.. I can here the front making noise every time I hit the brakes. I guess I thought since I read somewhere that the rods had sealed bearings that there would never be a problem so I was surprised when this happened.

Originally Posted by zombiewolf513

Because SPL parts are expensive. Expensive compared to many of the common brands offering the same kinds of parts.

and thats the point i am trying to make

expensive compared to what? common brands arent even on the same quality level, they're trash and not worth comparing to. its like the products i sell, try to find me something equivalent and then we can talk.

compare rappers for instance. tupac vs biggie. i mean, theres no question about it, biggie wasnt even on the same playing field.

[zombiewolf513]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

and thats the point i am trying to make

expensive compared to what? common brands arent even on the same quality level, they're trash and not worth comparing to. its like the products i sell, try to find me something equivalent and then we can talk.

compare rappers for instance. tupac vs biggie. i mean, theres no question about it, biggie wasnt even on the same playing field.

No kidding, the parts aren't on the same level. But compare cars for instance, you can hardly compare the over all of a 240sx to an R35. But it doesn't change that people have different budgets. Because, not only are you paying more for the rod ends, but they'll only fit on the Z32 or z33 inners you now need to buy. That's about $140 over, and double the cost of, circuit sports ends.

Which brings me back to my original stance on OP's subject, $120 to upgrade to the V5 ends is a hell of a deal. You should go with option "SPL trade-up."

[word sux]

Originally Posted by zombiewolf513

No kidding, the parts aren't on the same level. But compare cars for instance, you can hardly compare the over all of a 240sx to an R35. But it doesn't change that people have different budgets. Because, not only are you paying more for the rod ends, but they'll only fit on the Z32 or z33 inners you now need to buy. That's about $140 over, and double the cost of, circuit sports ends.

Which brings me back to my original stance on OP's subject, $120 to upgrade to the V5 ends is a hell of a deal. You should go with option "SPL trade-up."

yea I love that spl does that when a new version comes out!

and I have heard some horror stories of the pillow balls on the megan rod ends dropping right out. I would rather spend the extra coin and be safe, plus your money with spl is staying in america not going to sweat shops in taiwan

Originally Posted by zombiewolf513

No kidding, the parts aren't on the same level. But compare cars for instance, you can hardly compare the over all of a 240sx to an R35. But it doesn't change that people have different budgets. Because, not only are you paying more for the rod ends, but they'll only fit on the Z32 or z33 inners you now need to buy. That's about $140 over, and double the cost of, circuit sports ends.

it this case, budget does not apply. if you want to "keep on budget" do what this idiot does, and what numerous of us old-schoolers have been doing for decades now: take your OE arms and slot them. i didnt feel like spending money on adjustable arms because i personally dont think they're important or necessary. as long as your bushings are good and you can get the proper alignment settings you need, that's all that matters. too many people lower their car to get some crazy unrealistic non-performing geometry. generally speaking, most if not all street cars just need a bit of camber adjustment in the rear and the front.. camber plates.

imo, you're better off stock than wasting time with circuit sports or megan.

[zombiewolf513]

ifxfi: imo, you're better off stock than wasting time with circuit sports or megan.

word sux: I would rather spend the extra coin and be safe, plus your money with spl is staying in america not going to sweat shops in taiwan

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[duffman1278]

Originally Posted by ixfxi

it this case, budget does not apply. if you want to "keep on budget" do what this idiot does, and what numerous of us old-schoolers have been doing for decades now: take your OE arms and slot them. i didnt feel like spending money on adjustable arms because i personally dont think they're important or necessary. as long as your bushings are good and you can get the proper alignment settings you need, that's all that matters. too many people lower their car to get some crazy unrealistic non-performing geometry. generally speaking, most if not all street cars just need a bit of camber adjustment in the rear and the front.. camber plates.

imo, you're better off stock than wasting time with circuit sports or megan.

Pretty spot on, plus a lot of the companies designing these control arms or manufacturing them are properly designing them in the first place.

Techincally speaking, heim joints shouldn't even be used for suspension arms they're designed for axial loads, not bending. Heim's are just the easy way of designing control arms that give quick and easy adjustment.

[PoorMans180SX]

Originally Posted by bbturbo87

the best?

my friend had spl parts, one day pulling out of his parking spot the spl outter tie rod broke, we threw them away and said screw this. how many versions of tie rods do they have? seems to me like they just throw shit out there, guessing, not enough engineering behind it if they have 20 gens of tie rods by now. gen 3 of arms? why not just making it top notch from the start?

I'm guessing you didn't read the instructions were it says you can't torque to top nut to more than 20ft/lbs or it will severely weaken the shank? You probably just wrenched the mess out of it, therefore they broke.

Just because you installed them wrong doesn't mean SPL doesn't make a great product.

They JUST came out with the v5's that can handle 40ft/lbs. I have them on my car and they're great. Had the v3's on my other car and they were great as well.

WD40 is what SPL recommends so that's what I use. I just spray them and wipe them with a rag whenever I wash my car.