K2500/K3500 Heim tie rod conversion? Kryptonite = Clowns

[KansasOBS]

Hey all

Was curious if anyone has any info, links, recommended parts, etc for converting the tie rods to heims on a K3500?

Since I am running NBS knuckles, I had built my own conversion tie rods, but really wanted something a little more solid. Plans were to buy the Kryptonite death grip tie rods, which I did...but that turned into a bunch of nonsense, and I never want to deal with them again.

Just thought I would throw this out there, and hope that someone might be able to point me in the right direction going to heims. I realize I'll have to buy boots for them, and stuff. I don't really know if I should worry about finding the tapered studs, or just drill for bolts. And all the other bits...I dunno. Frustrated.

 

[GoToGuy]

Just search " heim rod ends" . There's a lot to choose from. Material wise there's Teflon, bronze, brass. And application to consider. Type strength, much information.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

I didn’t have any issues with the Kryptonite tie rod kits on both my 2001 Yukon and my 2012 2500HD. Heck I even jumped my 12 on Wednesday, 45 mph off road adventure.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I'd put heims on a race car, but not on a daily driver. They're a wear item and need to be inspected regularly.

Be aware that some have nylon inserts between the steel. Avoid those like the plague. We were getting some squirrely handling on the race car one weekend, and we discovered one of the rear wheels had loose toe. I inspected the heims and discovered one side had an all-steel heim and the loose side had a nylon insert.

 

[KansasOBS]

Posted this, then found some more info around here, which escaped my first search. Though nothing really substantial. Due to the lack of quality tie rods, I would about suspect expensive quality heim joints, with boots to outlive most of this junk nowadays.

The problem with Kryptonite went as this:
I get sent the wrong inner OBS tie rod ends.
I email them, write a long email explaining the tapers on the inners are wrong. Sent some pictures.
They write me back, just saying all looks good. I got the right stuff.
I call them instead, and tell them the tapers are wrong, and ask if they think I'm over here picking my nose, and did they even read my email.
Their reply was all the tapers are the same through the years, and tell me most of their customers are picking their nose....literally said that.
I tell them I checked them with dial calipers, and that I wouldn't even need conversion rods, if they were all the same.
They then ask me to waste more of my time going to take pictures with the calipers on them.
I do so, they then say they are going to check with their R&D department, and basically ignore my phone call.
I get contacted by them the next day, they then say I did get the wrong ones, but their stock got mixed up, and they are out of them for like 4-8 weeks. Instead of asking if I wanted to wait. They offer to then sell me their center link for 50% off, or return them.

I don't have a lot of time to waste, or money, and this is important for reasons I'm not going to explain. Already wasted some of it trying to sort this out, while they assumed I was an idiot. Their products are stupid because its a heavy overbuilt pile of crap, still connected to a tiny inner tie rod. Then I lock myself into their ecosystem, if I ever need replacements. Which what...something breaks, and I might have to wait 8 weeks on a replacement.

F no to all of that. Buncha stupidity.

After looking around at parts last night, I'm just putting my home built crap back on, going to send it untill I can just do a solid axle swap. This junk aint worth the headache, even though Ive already dumped...time and money into the lift kit, pumpkin re-gear and swap, along with the knuckles.