[GI] Rigid Spherical Sway Bar End Links

[wytbishop]

I will be doing machine work tomorrow making the coupling nuts. The rod ends should arrive by the end of next week at which point I have to do a little more cutting. I anticipate shipping before the 17th of Oct.

[wytbishop]

I started making the nuts and was having trouble getting things really accurate. I have secured the use of a metal lathe. This will make the quality really nice and less work for me too.

[mx-3_4evr]

Cool! can't wait to get them!

[tehbrookzorz]

I'm very excite! Yes, high five!

[mx-3_4evr]

YES!..... I mean yeah I like sway bar linkages!

[mx-3_4evr]

So what's the status?

[wytbishop]

Getting time on the lathe has been a bit difficult. I have arranged some time tomorrow so I will hopefully be able to get the bulk of my fabrication done then. The rod ends have just arrived, but I will not be able to pick them up untill Friday as I will be working on the lathe tomorrow. I may be a few days later than I had hoped, but nothing major.

[fowljesse]

If it would be any easier, I wouldn't mind if they were square instead of hex.

[wytbishop]

Sorry, Hex it is.

[wytbishop]

I spent about 4 hours on the lathe this evening and got a good bit done. Still have a couple nights in the shop before everything's ready. Sorry for the delays. I am picking up the rod ends tomorrow and hopefully will have everything done in a few days.

[fowljesse]

Stone cold funky fresh dope!

On a fly tip.

[wytbishop]

I will be back at the lathe tomorrow morning to try to get our stuff finished. I'll take a few pictures for entertainment value.

I am not going to be able to deliver until sometime next week I'm afraid. I'm going full bore now. I hope you're all not too angry with me.

[tehbrookzorz]

The rage is consuming me...

[wytbishop]

So I was in the shop today for about 5 or 6 hours. I had started last week and gotten quite a bit done but I wasn't happy with the quality, so today I basically started over. Here's what you do...

You start with some 5/8" steel Hex bar stock and a band saw. Here I'm cutting 24, ~1" long pieces.



Then you move over to the lathe. First you face the work to make it square...



Then you center drill...



Then you drill...



Then you make them pretty...



Then you turn them around and face them to length and make the other end pretty and voila...you have a bunch of 3/4" long coupling nuts. Except that they're not threaded yet.





Tomorrow night I will be finishing threading and painting the coupling nuts and figuring out how to clamp the rod ends to cut them down to size.

Here's what $1000 worth of rod ends looks like in case you were wondering.



So there's my Sunday in a nutshell. I hope to be finished everything tomorrow. I'll let you all know.

[fowljesse]

Looking good!
I'm wondering:
Are you going to shorted the rod ends?
How much adjustability will there be?
Will they be opposite threaded on each end?