Thread: Which bolts to use with heim joints

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I encounter this often on drag race chassis inspections. "Grip length" is the term used for the smooth, unthreaded portion of a bolt. The bolt chosen should have a grip length just slightly longer than the length of the bore in the Heim and steering arm, so that the threads don't start until you have cleared both.

Also, proper installation of a Heim dictates the use of safety washers such as the part number MCW8 shown here for 1/2" fasteners.....
http://www.midwestcontrol.com/catdis...ort.php?pg=552
Use a washer on each side of the Heim, with the small diameter of the cone resting on the ball of the Heim. This will give the Heim room to move without binding up and further, will catch the linkage in the event the Heim ball separates from the housing. That's why they're called safety washers. Use this arrangement regardless of whether the installation is in single shear or double shear and you'll have a bulletproof install. This became such a problem on Junior Dragster steering linkage that I purchased a bag of safety washers to give to the teams to fix their binding problems. Even professional chassis builders don't get it.