SPL TC rods gone bad

[95se]

My SPL TC rods V.2 have rusted out around the bearings after about 3yrs of use. SPL replied saying I could replace the bearings for $20 or upgrade to V.3 rods for $121. What is my best option? Or should I go with another brand? The rods could have rust around the area of where the bearing is so even it the bearings are replaced that might not solve the problem. The new ones might not be that much better either. There is no guarantee that they will last longer than these. I thought these had sealed bearings so they were some of the better ones on the market but 3 years is disappointing.

[Om1kron]

upgrade. SPL pretty much is the best out there. Going any other route is going to cost you more money one way or another unless you downgrade to isis or similar.

[s13silvia123]

no shit its going to rust if you don't lube it even if it's self-lube because it eventually slowly runs out of teflon lube. as long as you take care of it, it wont rust. i still have my version 1's and they havent rust out yet and i make sure its well taken care of.

[PoorMans180SX]

If you replace the bearings you replace the whole end of the tension rod. it's not like you put a new bushing in the rod end. So that fixes your problem.

Just shoot them with a little WD40 when you think of it and they'll last a lot longer.

Also, 3 years is a long time. Everything wears out.

[Xplat]

Bearings are a wear item. Replace em and be done with it.

[Def]

Wear item, but I've got to wonder what you're doing with your car in TX to rust the rod ends badly.

[Hoffman5982]

I would think that such high quality parts would last a lot longer than three years, but hell, for 21 bucks just replace them and be done

[chiboy002]

Originally Posted by PoorMans180SX

Also, 3 years is a long time. Everything wears out.

This. I've read other companies bearings rusting out within 1 year

[singlecamslam]

Good bearings have a life of 2-4 years, 4 is really pushing it. Whats a good way to keep them going? WD40?

[T chop]

Originally Posted by singlecamslam

Good bearings have a life of 2-4 years, 4 is really pushing it. Whats a good way to keep them going? WD40?

From what I heard WD40 isn't very good because it will make dirt/debris stick.

[chris_240sx]

Can anyone elaborate on proper care for their arms? I haven't heard anything about it before.

[matts13vert]

^^ And it evaporates rather quickly. Its best to use grease.

What i do to maintain my heims


every 6 months i remove all my arms, and manually grease all the heims with bearing grease by packing the bearing groove with grease using my finger, after its packed i wipe off any excess to prevent dirt and contaminants from sticking to the joint.

[nisco]

Lithium Grease

[towlie]

Lol, WD40? Use special lithium grease. Like that^^^

[nisco]

It's also a wise decision to take apart new adjustable arms and spray the threads before installing them on the car.

[matts13vert]

i wouldnt unless its only on non-exposed part of the thread. ^^

[zombiewolf513]

Upgrade, SPL is one of the best on the market, and you can't beat that price for the trade up

[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?

[dudermagee]

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?

So you're saying they should have gotten it right the first time? right....

anyways, who uses these boots and seals for their SPL arms??
Rod End Seals, Weld In Adapters, Spacers And Reducers Rubber Boots Lock nut jam nuts
like in this thread
http://zilvia.net/f/archive-faqs/161...llow-ball.html

FYI I called SPL directly and he said don't bother, just when you are under your car (about every other oil change IIRC) you should clean them with WD40.

[wh0aitznic0]

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?

Well, pretty much ALL aftermarket tie rod ends that aren't OEM style have had counts of them fucking up. That's why I went with OEM with mine and TEIN on my last car. Never had a problem.

Also, to the OP, I've had my SPL V1 ruca's for like 4 years or some shit and now have the rest of SPL's arms. As long as you clean them out every couple of oil changes, you're good.

[Darren]

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?

Most products are engineered "top notch" from the start, but in the real world, problems arise, and a good, responsible company will recognize the design flaw and put out a revision to the product to take care of the flaw.

This is just good engineering.

[CrimsonRockett]

Buddy of mine recommended to grease all spherical arms and cover them with a bag (or wrap them in plastic). Pretty much protecting the bearings from the elements. While it may not look pretty, I can see why.

SPL parts are some of the best out there hands down.

Originally Posted by s13silvia123

no shit its going to rust if you don't lube it even if it's self-lube because it eventually slowly runs out of teflon lube. as long as you take care of it, it wont rust. i still have my version 1's and they havent rust out yet and i make sure its well taken care of.

teflon is not a lubricant, its a powder. i believe teflon is used as the seal to keep shit out, and thats it. from what ive read over the years, companies touting the word teflon tend to use it because of marketing. i mean they coat pots, pans and wire with teflon because of its slippery characteristics and high temp capabilities. but when it comes to things like wax or self-lubricating ball joints, i think its all marketing.. smoke and mirrors.

Originally Posted by singlecamslam

Good bearings have a life of 2-4 years, 4 is really pushing it. Whats a good way to keep them going? WD40?

Originally Posted by PoorMans180SX

Just shoot them with a little WD40 when you think of it and they'll last a lot longer.

WD40 isnt designed for that purpose. its good for cleaning, working bolts loose and coating things with a thin protective barrier against humidity, but thats it. if you want to be smart about it, coat them with thick grease such as bearing grease. i put anti-seize on mine and various other parts of the car (axles, lugs bolts). i just like how anti-seize resists water and tends to adhere real well.

Originally Posted by Hoffman5982

I would think that such high quality parts would last a lot longer than three years, but hell, for 21 bucks just replace them and be done

this is what people dont understand. i personally chose to go with nismo bushings on almost all my car because of the OE durability. i believe that SPL, along with various other companies (ie cusco) offer a damn good adjustable solution for being aftermarket. but after doing my research, cars that do come stock with helm joints and bearings specifically state in the service manual that these parts are SERVICE PARTS that need need replacement every 10,000 miles. to me, thats a real high maintenance item.

Originally Posted by matts13vert

^^ And it evaporates rather quickly. Its best to use grease.
every 6 months i remove all my arms, and manually grease all the heims with bearing grease by packing the bearing groove with grease using my finger, after its packed i wipe off any excess to prevent dirt and contaminants from sticking to the joint.

^ words of wisdom

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?

thats nonsense. you're the type of customer who is very narrow minded. you believe a company makes a product, and have faith that the company name is the end-all say-all when it comes to reliability. this is why i dont bother reading car magazines, its always "brand this, part this" .. its practically a fucking shop cart for people to copy and apply to their "builds." no innovation or customization.

what people like you need to understand is, that a product is a product - and its as good as its limitations. you can take the best diff, and it can fail because you used the wrong oil or lack of it. you can take a great suspension piece, and fuck it up because you dont install it or maintain it properly.

i've seen a myriad of people do shit like this, installing parts incorrectly and then upset that they fail. maybe your friend did nothing but subject them to the elements and never maintain them. i dont know and cant answer for your friend. but the bottom line is, SPL is a proven company (states-side) that has a good reputation. while i chose not to rock their stuff, i wouldnt hesitate to run their stuff i wanted a product like theirs.

i mean, besides stock what else can you suggest? i dont want to hear ISIS or circuit sports, because i'll bitch slap you.

[hellion240sx]

Originally Posted by CrimsonRockett

Buddy of mine recommended to grease all spherical arms and cover them with a bag (or wrap them in plastic). Pretty much protecting the bearings from the elements. While it may not look pretty, I can see why.

SPL parts are some of the best out there hands down.

Lol. So many pitures came to mind.

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

[red240]

3 years on SPL tie rod ends driving everyday, no problems at all and customer service second to none!

[zombiewolf513]

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?

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

I installed my v5 ends myself, then immediately after had a shop properly adjust them. I drove over 1600 miles nonstop to another state, drifted and abused the hell out of them with no problems and that was about 9 months ago. I clean off the excess black crap that builds up every time I'm under the car. They work just fine.

You obviously have no idea how the engineering of parts works. Especially aftermarket parts. They don't magically pop out of a factory all perfect. It takes testing, thousands of miles of regerous real world proving. SPL does the research and they provide parts as durable as you are going to get when it comes to aftermarket. They aren't OEM Nissan factory parts.

You should upgrade to V3 for the $120, if you cant align them yourself, install them and have a shop do it. There's a sheet of instructions on how to adjust the ends properly in the box.

[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.

[dudermagee]

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.

just use the Lithium Grease spray every other oil change and you'll be good it seems, and if they do fail after 3 years or more then just buy new heims for like 20 a pop. Fuck you'd spend that much replacing the oem shit anyways.

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.