My Turn.....

[Firefly]

Had a Heim Joint break today.....

Ride doesn't really seem very different to be honest, of course I haven't done any twisties and have been riding pretty easy since I noticed it today.

Time for Ron's replacements....73093

[BajaRon]

Recently, during my Link Upgrade project, I removed my OEM links and found that the Heim ball was loose in the lower end of my right link. I could just barely feel it to move up and down with my hands. But I'm thinking, with the stress of the sway bar, it probably was moving a lot more. Once this starts happening, I'm sure the ball will hammer out more and more of the plastic until the link breaks as yours did. It is a wear part, after all.

I am glad to hear that when these break it isn't catestrophic. I have ridden my Spyder without a sway bar and, other than having to be careful taking corners, it is a livable situation. Not fun, but not dangerous if you take it easy.

[Chupaca]

mine are in and the old ones are now available...the washer assortment could have used an explanation..they are also much narrower and don't come as close to arms..:thumbup:

[ulflyer]

Has there been enough info so far to begin to see a pattern?
Such as, mileage, age of the Spyder, how it was ridden, etc?

Might be worth gathering some info to see what turns up.

[CruiseRT]

FireFly and Ron, were these the ones that matched the joints that Lamont said were from a bad batch from the factory?

[Bob Denman]

Hey Dan,
Would you like a spare OEM piece to hold things together until your RonLinks arrive?
*BING*

[BajaRon]

mine are in and the old ones are now available...the washer assortment could have used an explanation..they are also much narrower and don't come as close to arms..:thumbup:

Go to the link below and scroll down to post #119. I have been sending out the instructions by email and I'm thinking that customers are not getting them. They may be going to their junk mailbox because of the pictures attached. It is important that the assembly sequence be done correctly.

If anyone has my Link Kit and does not have the instructions please let me know.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?23928-New-sponsor-here-for-Filters-amp-Helmets/page5



Has there been enough info so far to begin to see a pattern?
Such as, mileage, age of the Spyder, how it was ridden, etc?

Might be worth gathering some info to see what turns up.

The biggest problem has been with the 'Bad Batch' links on SOME 2013 Spyders. A BRP supplier must have cut corners on the Composite Plastic mix. These have been identified and it is easy to determine if you have a bad one (2013's only as far as I know).

Beyond that these links are a wear item (anything that moves wears rule). I recently took mine off and 1 ball was getting loose and I suspect would have failed at some point (who knows how long). I've got about 35K on my Spyder, I've got a stiff sway bar and I ride hard every chance I get.

RT's are going to wear the fastest as they have the stiffest bar. But you have to factor in your riding style and loading. There is no 'Average Life Span' that I know of. The Composite Plastic OEM links are also subject to road debris damage. Not likely but some failures have occurred that way.

I don't think everyone needs to rush out and get the upgrade Link Kit as the OEM links have been pretty reliable. I just offer another option for those who do need or want to replace theirs.



FireFly and Ron, were these the ones that matched the joints that Lamont said were from a bad batch from the factory?

If I understand your question correctly then; Yes, I am making Chrome Moly Replacements for the Composite Plastic OEM links that are the 'Bad Batch' pieces.

[Magdave]

Did it have the number "4" without a white paint dot on it? I assume the white paint dot was a result of re inspection after they found the bad ones. Those were posted by Lamont as being suspect by BRP Take it to the dealer for a new one I am for spares but I bought Ron's with his bar and love driving my RT now. It was lacking and a little scary in curves before IMHO. The ones I took off were very loose in the socket after 300mi on them. I used to install them at a GM plant when I worked the line and that is not how those joints should be they should provide a little tension twisting them.

[Firefly]

I'll check mine when I replace with the Ron ones. My RT is a 2012, 12,000 miles. Running Ella's and Ron Bar. Really crappy pothole roads up here.
I wondered if the OEM ones are meant to break after a certain amount of stress in order to protect other parts? The weak link so to speak....lol Are these breaking on RT's that run the stock bar and shocks?

But wondering aside, I'm pretty sure it's just a cheap or defective part. Looking forward to running Ron's.

[Bob Denman]

I have also given thought to the "Shear Pin" theory...
I Dunno...:dontknow:

[Magdave]

I'll check mine when I replace with the Ron ones. My RT is a 2012, 12,000 miles. Running Ella's and Ron Bar. Really crappy pothole roads up here.
I wondered if the OEM ones are meant to break after a certain amount of stress in order to protect other parts? The weak link so to speak....lol Are these breaking on RT's that run the stock bar and shocks?

But wondering aside, I'm pretty sure it's just a cheap or defective part. Looking forward to running Ron's.

Defective with stock bars. The sway bar link function is not a "shear pin" type. All it does is even out the deflection so both sides go up and down together. Actually it is pretty independent of the bike its only function is between the "A" arms. Have you seen pictures of a stock Spyder RT coming around a corner at speed? What you will see is one tire(inside) flattened and rolled to one side and the other will look normal as if it was sitting still, actually it may look over inflated because the pressure is off of the outside wheel. What a stiffer bar does is even out the load between both tires one side goes up the other does too keeping the bike more stable by keeping more rubber patch on the road. Same as a Corvette cornering vs. a Cobalt. One has a much bigger stiffer bar. Only thing that should or could break a link is a foreign object hitting it and if that happens you got a lot more problems happening. Most of the reported breakage had nothing to do with anything hitting it just the stress of up and down motion. They swing the bar up and swing it down nothing more. Not only that but the bar is easy to swing by hand unlike some autos that have stiffer bushings holding it in place. The Spyder bars do not. If a brick hit it Ron's might bend but probably won't break. You can guess what BRP's will do. Absolute worst case scenario is breaking a bolt or the "A" arm mount with Ron's both very doubtful .

[Flanker]

How many miles at failure?

[quickster47]

Firefly, what is the model and year of your ryde that suffered the failure?

Carl

[bullant12]

Firefly, what is the model and year of your ryde that suffered the failure?

Carl

His signature says RT 2012.

[Firefly]

12,000 miles at failure. Never hot anything. Must be crappy OEM part.