Front sway bar end links - (Chris Alstons) - Problems and solutions?

DavidRam · Jul 16, 2015

I thought this conversation is worthy of it's own thread.

There are now 3 of us who have installed the Chris A 4.72 links and all of us have broken them in one way or another... All 3 have failed at on a different part of the end link.

What is the weakness? How do you we fix it? Are there better options? Can we (collectively) come up with better, stronger parts?

I found and installed excellent rear end links that are actually intended for a Powerwagon, but work perfectly on my 2/4 lowered, Hellwig rear. Also, I have pieced together my own panhard bar with the chromoly parts and that is working great, too. I have not been able to find parts to put together some front end links... Are there parts for other models or brands that we can retrofit to ours?

P.S. This thread is NOT at all meant to bash Chassisworks/Chris Alstons company or products... It is just a conversation.

R/T_Fire · Jul 16, 2015

I didnt know they produced something that would work, do you have a part number so I can get a engineering reference?
I have installed many of their parts/kits from full tubbed back half frames to 4 link kits to front end tube kits for chevy's they are always very good quality products.

DavidRam · Jul 16, 2015

R/T_Fire said:
I didnt know they produced something that would work, do you have a part number so I can get a engineering reference?
I have installed many of their parts/kits from full tubbed back half frames to 4 link kits to front end tube kits for chevy's they are always very good quality products.

https://www.cachassisworks.com/p-2817-endlink-inline-472-center-tra.aspx

more options
https://www.cachassisworks.com/c-1324-billet-endlinks.aspx

Before and After, lol!

R/T_Fire · Jul 17, 2015

Hmmm interesting... not to pick on that but I can see why it failed in that location, I bet if they weren't double articulated with the ball socket on each en it wouldn't fail, and the ball socket needs to have enough pivot in it to account for what movement of the swaybar on its axis. The A-arm and sway bar have differing axis of movement..

I have an idea in my head that is similar to what Sean Lorenz produces with heims for his HD sway bar links. but where the heim is it would connect to the A-arm with a U-bracket at the heim... I think this will solve the issue but I just have to check if the swaybar connection to A-arm location.
Here are the links.... I had these on my 07 cummins that regularly saw a high speed beating through rice fields and such offroad
https://lorenzindustries.com/products_links.html

DavidRam · Jul 18, 2015

R/T_Fire said:
Hmmm interesting... not to pick on that but I can see why it failed in that location, I bet if they weren't double articulated with the ball socket on each en it wouldn't fail, and the ball socket needs to have enough pivot in it to account for what movement of the swaybar on its axis. The A-arm and sway bar have differing axis of movement..

I have an idea in my head that is similar to what Sean Lorenz produces with heims for his HD sway bar links. but where the heim is it would connect to the A-arm with a U-bracket at the heim... I think this will solve the issue but I just have to check if the swaybar connection to A-arm location.
Here are the links.... I had these on my 07 cummins that regularly saw a high speed beating through rice fields and such offroad
https://lorenzindustries.com/products_links.html

Those are very nice... I am really trying to get away from any kind of bushings. Every front end link I have used with the Hellwig has ended up clunking a little. The Chris Alston's wouldn't because there is no movement between the sway bar and the end link... I just wish they were chromoly.

R/T_Fire · Jul 20, 2015

Chromoly would definitely be better, I still think its got to may joints...

I still have some ideas that eliminate the bushings... just haven't had much time to draft them up between the Baby stuff, work and the Fire Dept... maybe I'll get to it this weekend.

The problem I see with most I don't like all have single tab mount in single shear, makes for easy fab but a weak joing... I'm still thinking of making a u-tab bracket for A-arm and sway bar that connects with a heim'd bar similar to your track bar you built just on a smaller scale.

DavidRam · Jul 20, 2015

R/T_Fire said:
Chromoly would definitely be better, I still think its got to may joints...

I still have some ideas that eliminate the bushings... just haven't had much time to draft them up between the Baby stuff, work and the Fire Dept... maybe I'll get to it this weekend.

The problem I see with most I don't like all have single tab mount in single shear, makes for easy fab but a weak joing... I'm still thinking of making a u-tab bracket for A-arm and sway bar that connects with a heim'd bar similar to your track bar you built just on a smaller scale.

^^^ I like this idea... I have spent some time looking into heims with clevis joints on both ends. If I don't get a workable solution to my broken Chris Alstons, I might play around with something along the lines of these funky-ass things below, lol!

DavidRam · Jul 20, 2015

It would actually be simple to piece together:
One male and one female heim, a jam nut, two clevis joints, four cone spacers, and the necessary nuts and bolts. All that times two ofcourse.

PassivAggressor · Jul 21, 2015

I don't know... Just looks like way too many nuts and bolts.

DavidRam · Jul 21, 2015

PassivAggressor said:
I don't know... Just looks like way too many nuts and bolts.

Definitely looks terrible, lol... Kinda looking for function over form on this one.

R/T_Fire · Jul 21, 2015

DavidRam said:
^^^ I like this idea... I have spent some time looking into heims with clevis joints on both ends. If I don't get a workable solution to my broken Chris Alstons, I might play around with something along the lines of these funky-ass things below, lol!

Exactly what I'm thinking. just trying to think how to make it clean and elegant while strong and performing... If I need to put it on the lath and make it myself I will.

I just really want to put it all into CAD before I get crazy so I can model/cycle the components and system and also easily figure out the differences for other suspension drops

DavidRam · Jul 25, 2015

Chris Alston was on vacation, but wanted to take a look at the end links himself. I should find out what they're going to do on Monday or Tuesday...

R/T_Fire · Jul 25, 2015

DavidRam said:
Chris Alston was on vacation, but wanted to take a look at the end links himself. I should find out what they're going to do on Monday or Tuesday...

Let us know, personally I'm not one for the design... Something about it just bugs me. Just a personal thing...

matty169 · Sep 18, 2015

So, to those with broken links.........did Alston tell you why they broke?
They told me that mine broke from binding............AND they want $150 to fix one end of 1 link.....after telling me they would be covered. They also took a couple months to contact me and said they had good and bad news. Good news......They would be covered.........bad news.....parts were back ordered and they weren't sure when they would see them............ Today they call and say they are fixed and it will cost $150....... It's a bad design.......at least for our application.

DavidRam · Sep 18, 2015

My response was almost identical... They are charging me $150 to repair the broken ends. Live and learn in my case.

R/T_Fire · Sep 18, 2015

That's disappointing to hear. I really need to get on the engineering/fab of what I have in mind.... just so busy between the fires and work at the office.. Oh and the baby... the GF is a little irritated cause I have been so busy lol....

PassivAggressor · Sep 19, 2015

DavidRam said:
My response was almost identical... They are charging me $150 to repair the broken ends. Live and learn in my case.

David! You are alive! Still getting Jeep fever or are you keeping the truck?

DavidRam · Sep 19, 2015

PassivAggressor said:
David! You are alive! Still getting Jeep fever or are you keeping the truck?

Haha! Yep, alive and thinking about a Jeep! I will probably sell the truck... but I am already having separation anxiety from the thought of it!

LoL!

DavidRam · Sep 19, 2015

R/T_Fire said:
That's disappointing to hear. I really need to get on the engineering/fab of what I have in mind.... just so busy between the fires and work at the office.. Oh and the baby... the GF is a little irritated cause I have been so busy lol....

Yeah, disappointing for sure... And it took me literally 20 emails to get an answer from them in two months.
That's ****** business in my book, regardless of who's fault it was...

DavidRam · Sep 29, 2015

Well, to add insult to injury. I just received my end links back from ChassisWorks... actually, I only received half of my end links. I sent them my entire end links and they charged me $175 and sent me back two halves...

******* ridiculous. I know who I will never do business with ever again, not to mention it took them over 2 months to get them back to me. I am not one to complain, but the Chris Alston service is horrible.

So I have now spent $420 on poor quality end links and I can't even put my truck back together so the guy who bought it can pick it up.

I demanded they overnight me the rest of the parts... We'll see if they step up and at least do that.

Front sway bar end links - (Chris Alstons) - Problems and solutions?

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