Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

MDB Quick-Disconnect Swaybar Links...

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by bartonmd » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:17 pm

I take my end links on and off all the time... No big deal... Instead of 2 wrenches, I have 1 wrench and an allen wrench...

I suppose it could be a lock washer on each of the "always on" nuts, which may let you take it off without the second wrench... I can do them like that for people who want them, but for me, if I've got to use a tool to remove them, I might as well keep the stock ones and save my money... I've had the stock ones off and on several times, and GM actually used a big enough allen key to be usable and not easily strip... After a while in the salt and sand, even if you do get all the play out of the bolt connection, you'll still have a little bit of play in the actual heim, itself...

Mike
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by janesy86 » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:22 pm

:Iagree: Exactly. I want quick discos to be quick. Not about the same as I have now...
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:48 pm

If you want to use tools...keep the stock ones. They are simple to take off. A ratcheting wrench and a allen key is gonna be cheaper then these. I wanted something like this for having on for longer trips to get to wheel where some road manners are nice for twisty sections and once there I want a pin to pull and done. Thanks for trying to help out mike. Seems others may want something completly different in function and design.
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by Gordinho80 » Wed Jan 12, 2011 12:59 pm

No one is demanding a different product be produced. JD simply offered an opinion on a remedy for the noise, I felt it was a valid option to consider. Neither of us are pushing for Mike to change this design. Calm down, sparky :poke:
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:10 pm

The remedy is to have him build a stock style setup...seems to be a waste. The quick goes out the window. Some sacrifices must be made. A little noise for the quick....done in my book.

Seems that no one is satisfied with trying something. Maybe next time it will be better to wait til things are finalized and it can be a take it or leave it. Mike is amazingly patient with everyone re-engineering or changing his designs. But I don't see how. Seems it would burn me out.

I for one am really impressed with how these came together and how quickly given I bought the hiems recently and I know mike has been busy and is busy. Thanks.
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by Gordinho80 » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:36 pm

No one is re-engineering or changing his design. No one is saying "I'm not going to buy this because it is like this and not like that." Mike has made some quality products for our platform and we all appreciate it. Look at how many of us are proudly running his stuff.

I assume that Mike posted this thread with the expectation of getting feedback and not simply to fish for comments like "WOW, thats awesome." or "I want a set!" If I'm wrong, then I'll eat my words.

Back on topic, Mike, they appear to be another quality MTA product. I've been running with my sway bar disconnected for some time, but like I said, if these pan out, I might consider reconnecting it. :cheers:
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by janesy86 » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:48 pm

Well either way, this is exactly what I've been waiting for, so I'll be buying a set as soon as they are on the market!

I can deal with the noise for the ease of quick disco. Hell my stockers are clunking like crazy right now, but I wanted the extra stability for the winter on road driving.
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by bartonmd » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:06 pm

Thanks, Kyle

The "I might buy one some day, but I want it to be compatible with ____" does start to burn one out when there are 30 people wanting it to be compatible with 30 different things. That's why the rad skid prototype sat in my garage for 6 months before you contacted me about it and got the project going again. At some point, it just is what it is...

Having said that, there is a difference betwen design problem solving and ideas, and the above. At some point, I just have to say "that gets too far away from what I'm trying to accomplish," but unless people are pushy about "it MUST incorporate ___ or it's shit," it's just part of the process of bringing a good, well round produt to market. The more eyes the better, to a point...

And I do thank you guys for the help... I could tell Mario that I posted for the bling factor and watch him eat his words, then be like "AHHHHHH!!!" *wink and gun* and watch him throw them back up... but I'm not sure I could handle that much fun...

Thanks,
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by fishsticks » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:05 pm

Your end links must print money, or they are shit.


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by bartonmd » Wed Jan 12, 2011 3:09 pm

fishsticks wrote:Your end links must print money, or they are shit.


:mrgreen:


LOL :finger:
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by Zero » Wed Jan 12, 2011 9:19 pm

Could I cover the crap out of the heims with grease to remove noise and protect against weathering?

My stockers are clunking, I already have you making me a bumper and a rad skid, depending on price and if they are ready when my stuff is ready we may be adding this to the list, and send ya another few hundred dollars to clear up hahahaha :poke:

My spider sense is telling me Barton should make us upper control arms next hahahaha....oooo to dream :camping:
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by bartonmd » Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:36 am

Zero wrote:Could I cover the crap out of the heims with grease to remove noise and protect against weathering?


Kinda doubt it... There are greasable heims, and you can get them Teflon lined, but they go from $7 each to... I haven't been able to find 1/2" greasable ones just yet (in like 10 minutes of searching)... I know Teflon ones are $12, so you're adding $40 in cost by just going to a Teflon lined joint (which might be and answer, anyway)...

About the noise, it's more of a "hey, do you hear that?" noise, rather than a "WTF is wrong?! Pull over and check it out!!" noise...

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by Zero » Thu Jan 13, 2011 9:53 am

Thanx for the quick reply mike. Please let us know when you have more time to search and find out if you can get greas fittings or Teflon lined hiems in 1/2"......I think thats the way I will have to go when the time comes to protect the parts from the salt use up here.

Thank you for explaining the type of noise as well. I am sure it isnt that loud. I just have a lot of high profile people from work in my truck, and want it to be a quiet comfy ride. I am sure anything I put on would be better than my noisy stockers! hahaha plus Id like to get the sway bars back to the proper height, the stock end links are small and tilting the bars up.
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by Trail X » Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:05 am

Mcmaster - $7.05
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Or...

$9.33
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:work:
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by Zero » Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:14 am

JD you rock! And McMasterCar is every special FX technicians best friend!!! Love that place, but man is their catalogue huuuuuuuuuge.
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by bartonmd » Thu Jan 13, 2011 10:35 am

Gah, yeah, I hadn't gotten to MaCaster, yet... I was just looking on Summit and google...


I know work gets a pretty good discount on McMaster stuff...

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by Regulator1175 » Fri Jan 14, 2011 3:58 am

Just as an FYI for asking for a nut on each side, get a set of Moog end links. My Moog's don't use the Allen key.
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by bartonmd » Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:19 am

Regulator1175 wrote:Just as an FYI for asking for a nut on each side, get a set of Moog end links. My Moog's don't use the Allen key.


Exactly. The moogs are a nut on top and a nut on bottom, and since they aren't a ball-style joint, you don't have to hold the bolt to stop it from spinning.

i.e. putting a nut on these would make them moot, because they would be functionally very similar to the Moogs.

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by bartonmd » Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:18 pm

FYI, I drove with these for ~60 miles this evening, and didn't hear them at all on dry pavement... Must have just been the snow making everything REALLY quiet that allowed me to hear them...

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by janesy86 » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:06 am

How have these been holding up over the last few days Mike? Any complaints for the wife?
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