its the new hotchkis with the collars. The old endlinks had no problems at all. I didn't notice anything the first few days. It was a couple days later when I began to hear all sorts of noises. Endlinks looked ok to me. I managed to rotate them. But I don't know if it binds at a certain limit.

 

I think all the spacers were put in ... were they necessary?

 

All of the hardware should be used. Maybe you can post up a picture of the install.

 

We included an extra pair of spacers for the front endlinks, you want to use the configuration of spacers to have the best alignment of the endlink with the adjustment hole you are using on the sway bar. Typically if you are using the middle (or middle two, for the 4-way adjustable bars) holes you should install the endlink as they are packaged, without the 2 extra spacers.

Here is how they should installed in most cases:

 

Some extra hardware is included to allow the customer to customize his endlink setup...

 

My bad, I guess since we installed mine at SPL I didn't see the normal packaging. Please disregard my comment above.

 

will attempt to have the endlinks reinstalled tomorrow. Hopefully they dont make noise and make the car sound like something in the suspension is going to break off...

 

put loctite on em, no more noise.

 

My TC Designs also come with those cone shaped spacers to prevent loss of motion. I've had mine on for multiple track days and canyon runs with no noise issues.

 

Any updates from Z1 on the solid end links? ZdayZ is just around the corner and it would be great to have a set of these by then, last time out I busted my fronts, don't want to make that mistake again!

 

we've put the project on hold for the time being, too much else going on to be honest

 

Check out the end links at www.powergridinc.com they have them for the Z.Ball joint links such as these have a larger range of motion than a heim joint like the Nismo ones do.

 

That is true for alot of heim joints, but there are heim joints available that have more articulation than ball joints. A typical 2-piece heim joint with misalignment spacers have ~35deg of articulation, and Powergrid rates their ball joints at about 50deg of articulation. The QA1 high misalignment ends we use in our endlinks are rated for 65deg of articulation.

 

Guys, I have problems with the rear endlinks. When installed are they supposed to be ummm don't really know how to describe it.... parallel to Z axis , z axis being the axis that points upwards.
I noticed when slowly making a right turn out of plazas with an inclination the end links make noise.

The pictures shown in the instructions were parallel to the Z axis but I don't othink they were installed that way on my car...

 

No noises here:

 

Hi,

If you can email us a picture of the endlink as installed on your car, we will be happy to check and go over it with you. Our email is sales@splparts.com

 

I called Hotchkis and asked why they don't put collars on their sway bars. The answer was that they believe there is no way the bar can move laterally because of the 90 degree bends at the ends of the bars.

 

Resurrecting an old thread but.. I finally installed my front SPL links and the bottom bolt does not protrude beyond the nut. In fact it does not even touch the blue plastic in the nut. I'll get new bolts, but need to know the specifics for a replacement. Also, the top bolts are dangerously close to the shock housing when completely drooped (wheel off, car on stands). Is this a problem?

 

The bolt is not an ordinary bolt, it is 1/2" on one end and 12mm on the threads, we had these bolts custom made, there are no off-the-shelf replacements for them. Please install the nuts on with loctite, we include a bottle with all the endlinks now but if you did not receive one email us and we can send out a packet to you.

Please also refer to our install instructions to make sure you need to install the extra supplied spacers:

http://www.splparts.com/doc/SPLFront...33/default.htm

If the bolts are too close to the shocks, check the following: make sure that the sway bar is properly centered on the chassis and that the sway bars are equipped with collars to prevent them from shifting. Also make sure the endlinks are fully shortened, the longer you try to set the endlinks the closer they get to the shock body. This is about how much clearance you will have:

 

What's the exact noise an endlink makes when they start going bad? I thought it would be an audible clunk over bumps, but I am getting a slight thudding over uneven roads in the rear. Not sure if its a coilover noise or endlink noise? Is there a way to check for a bad endlink without unbolting the endlink or sway bar?

Thanks in advance.