Uprated NYLON heim / rose / spherical rod ends for most Sevens; WCM a-arm repair

[Bruce K]

My vehicle is a 2004 WCM S2K. Three seasons ago, at the 9,000 mile mark, I installed a complete set of all-new and theoretically uprated teflon-lined heims. At the conclusion of the 2015 driving season, I suffered an off-road racetrack excursion which busted a front a-arm. Here's some important knowledge:

 

1) If you break a WCM a-arm, it's best to have a new one fabbed locally, per Loren the WCM constructor. Too many variables between a-arms down through the years. You'd have to ship Loren the old one and hope that it is not so heavily damaged as to be unidentifiable. I removed the unharmed a-arm from the opposite side (they are mirror image) and had a local shop build a new one.

 

2) I recommend AGAINST teflon-lined heims. After only 3 season, 6 of my front-end rod ends were at least a bit clearanced. I called Rod End Supply (800-284-2902 or 913768-1017) for a solution. They produce a patented line of heims incorporating oil and fiberglass-infused nylon lining. Talk to Dan for an extensive education, but all top 5 Baja competitors have switched to this product, including Brandon Walsh. According to Dan, every teflon-lined heim on Brandon's racecar was formerly replaced after each 250 mile event. At this time, there are 1,500 miles on Brandon's nylon-lined heims and counting. Dan says to expect about 8 times the service life from these nylon heims compared to teflon. The price was reasonable at $18.52 per heim in chrome-moly ($10.91 per heim in mild steel). Rod End also supplies Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart, among others.

 

Also, to obtain the latest edition of our "WCM S2K & Other Sevens Repair & Upgrade Manual", email Bruce at bruceakopitz@gmail.com. Cost is FREE.

 

Happy motoring!