BALL JOINT VS UNI BALL VS HEIM BEARING

[EF2.0]

Im shopping for a set of A Arms and one of the common differences that I am seeing is that some of the fabricators are using ball joints, uni balls, or heims can somebody explain the pros and cons of each.

 

Thanks

 

Much Appreciated

[VegasJeff]

Im shopping for a set of A Arms and one of the common differences that I am seeing is that some of the fabricators are using ball joints, uni balls, or heims can somebody explain the pros and cons of each.

 

Thanks

 

Much Appreciated

my heims wore out real quick and they sqeaked all the time.I switched to ball joints and they are quiet as a mouse.

Plus they come with zerk fittings.

[ClimbAnyHill]

Nothing wrong with the ball joint invention.

That greased sealed joint has never failed.

I wonder why they don't use Heims on cars and trucks????

Ever hear a sandrail at the dunes.. Squeeks galore!

 

Here's a good example what happens with worn out heims.

Lower a arm dropped while riding at the trails.

 

Unfortunately I can't find a ball joint to fit my A Arms so I'll just have to replace heims every couple of years.

 

[racer]

Climbanyhill is correct, BJ's require less maintenance, and are quieter.

 

However, this does not mean that they cannot fail like the above picture. The only way to prevent that would be to-

1) place the heim in double shear, capturing it.

2) using a safety washer over the head of the bolt.

 

The benefits of a heim over a BJ come in, to me, these three areas-

1) double shear possiblities

2) off the shelf replaceable, since you're just using a bolt there are no tapers to match

3) more articulation when used in combination with a hi-mis spacer

 

Uniballs are tougher heims. They, unlike the other two, require a welded-in cup, so no adjustments there. On the flip side, the cup is reusable, you only replace the bearing itself.