Should I have replaced end links when ..

[Beamercub]

I did RSB upgrade almost 2 years ago? Is it just me, or do most suspension parts on the 6th gen seem to loosen up or give a numb feeling over 30k miles?

[paroxysym]

I did my RSB on my OB at 13k or so.. thought i tightened everything up when i installed it but shes making some noises around turns. she goes in for an oil change tomorrow so im going to have them torque the endlinks.

 

i wouldnt say loosen up, id say more like break in more.

[YeuEmMaiMai]

I did mine on my 14 at 20K 2.5 years old and I could not remove the nuts without breaking the end links so I replaced them

[awfulwaffle]

Not a 6th gen guy, but installed 22mm RSB and one of the factory end-links broke inside one of the sockets within a week. Clunked over every bump. Granted, the endlinks had 150k on them. Moog makes a beefy, cost-effective alternative that's greasable and has a booted ball socket to keep salt out. Was my choice this time around, after having to remove, clean out and regrease the Kartboy bushing-type endlinks on my WRX after every winter.

[ammcinnis]

... installed 22mm RSB and one of the factory end-links broke inside one of the sockets within a week.

Not all that surprising. A 22 mm RSB (assuming same lever arm length) more than triples (x3.57) the end link loads vs the OE 16 mm RSB.

[awfulwaffle]

Not all that surprising. A 22 mm RSB (assuming same lever arm length) more than triples (x3.57) the end link loads vs the OE 16 mm RSB.

 

Good ole' JG/L, huh? Wonder how the moment arm on the softest setting on the Perrin bar compares to stock. Either way, that'd be one hell of a design margin if the OE links were meant to hold up.

 

To the OP's point - drove the car in to work today, and my butt-o-meter tells me the car feels more solid on the MOOGs than it did during the time I had the OE links on the upgraded RSB, even before one of them gave up the ghost. The 'feel' could be in my head, though.

 

From a technical standpoint, I suppose you might be able to feel the deflection of the lower bushing or of the plastic insert that the ball joint sits in with the increased sway bar load, assuming the 6th gens also have the plastic bit. Beyond that, I've never heard of an OE link buckling with an upgraded bar but it's possible that you could feel some deflection of the rod between the two sockets as well. However, I'd think both the bushing and socket would be well and truly crushed by that point.

[JRu17]

I put my sti rear bar with Kartboy endlinks, highly recommend Kartboy!

[JRu17]

There are two kinds of Kartboy links, I went with the solid non adjustable

[Ovcoursitsilver]

A local suspension guy tells me that OEM end links are almost a consumable these days and are failing at relatively low mileage on most makes.