my 3 link long arm gets built & installed next week. the shop / builder suggests ruff stuff 7/8 heims both ends of all 3 arms ? it seems more popular that one end, usually the axle end gets a poly bushing. it cuts down on the road vibrations to the frame, handles mud/ water better. i have even heard some say heims both ends can promote DW / shimmy ? i dont know what to think or do, never had a heim in anything before ? any input from you all ? thx.

 

my 3 link long arm gets built & installed next week. the shop / builder suggests ruff stuff 7/8 heims both ends of all 3 arms ? it seems more popular that one end, usually the axle end gets a poly bushing. it cuts down on the road vibrations to the frame, handles mud/ water better. i have even heard some say heims both ends can promote DW / shimmy ? i dont know what to think or do, never had a heim in anything before ? any input from you all ? thx.

 

I would only run 1.25" on the lowers just for the overkill factor and for wear and tear. A 7/8 heim will clap out sooner especially if you run it at both ends. You are right, for a street driver you will probably want a bushing at one end to reduce vibration. If you wish to run heims at both ends I suggest 1.25" which I ran on the street for a couple years with zero issue. 7/8 heims are for steering and track bar IMO

 

Don't run heims unless you want to replace them every 6 months. I have yet to have a heim last longer than that on my jeep. I used ruff stuff 7/8th heims on my over axle track bar. They lasted 4 months. That was my 3rd bad experience I will never use heims again.

Best but most expensive option Johnny joint on one end duroflex bushing on the other.



However you do it go with a bushing on one end and rebuildable joint on the other.

 

johnny joints for the win
if you're picky about knocks or vibrations, use a bushing on axle end and johnny on the frame end.
i have bushings on both ends of my radius arm uppers.

 

Heims are just way too expensive and way to rigid in my opinion. Johnny joints are waaaay cheaper, won't rip your arm mounts off and are less noisy. That's the way I'd go if I were building a kit.

 

if you're blowing through 7/8x7/8 steering heims consistently I'd blame the system binding somewhere, not the heim. How much are you spending on JJ's and how much do the rebuild kits cost? Something to consider. If you buy a 1.25 heim, you only have to buy it once and they're only $125 a pair

Yeah, JJ's for the win huh... There is no right or wrong choice. It's all preference

 

well i decided to go w/ the 1.25 heim on the frame side of the lowers & a poly bushing on the axle end, if the polys dont last after some hard wheelin , the tube is long enough to cut the poly bushing sleeve of & convert to a 1.25 heim in the future. still undecided what to put on the upper 3rd link, probably a heim on frame end w/ a poly on the axle.