Endlinks - Whiteline Standard vs. Heavy Duty

Apollyon12

Apollyon12

Active member
I don't know about anybody else, but I really have to wonder why whiteline makes a standard endlink and a heavy duty one while almost everyone else makes just one style. To me, this begs the question "When do I need the heavy duty ones?" So I shot off an email to the support guys at whiteline.

I was wondering about you endlinks and when do you recomend to move up to the heavy duty ones over the standard version.
I have a '04 Subaru WRX Wagon with STI Springs, KYB GR-2's, Whiteline 22MM adjustable rear sway bar, Whiteline non-adjustable wagon front sway bar and stock front and rear endlinks. I do AutoX and plan on doing some HPDE's, other than that this is my daily driver.

Is it really neccesary to have the heavy duty endlinks for this situation or are the standard ones only a suitable replacement for stock.
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Hi Matt,

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Thanks for the email.

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We are comfortable to say that your OE links will stand up for a considerable amount of time but probably not forever. We are currently working on a new HD Adj ball link which should be available in approx 4-6 weeks.

​




Regards

John Leighton

Redranger

NOLATHANE / WHITELINE

Ph 1300882355

Fax 02 43402466

www.nolathane.com.au

www.whiteline.com.au

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Whiteline - Front - Heavy Duty.jpgWhiteline - Front - Standard.jpgWhiteline - Rear - Heavy Duty.jpgWhiteline - Rear - Standard.jpg

While I appreciate the fact that they actually got back to me, this doesn't really answer my question.

So, does anybody have any ideas? Maybe our rally friends can shed some light on the subject.

At this point, I am going with the notion that I will probably want to upgrade to the heavy duty ones at some point, so why waste money one the standard version now.

 
What is the cost difference? IMO, it's probably more about the bushing material, which appears to be the same, than the design anyway. I don't think you'd break the normal duty ones under any reasonable circumstance.

 
ran the standard whiteline endlinks on the LDR rally car for a couple of seasons. despite our best efforts to bust em, no luck they are still working fine...the same links have been on the LDR GC Open class car, the GC N/A car, a street car and now have found a new home on the RezPunk RS rallyX monsteer
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so unless you are running a truly massive rear bar, go stdandard and save some bucks for other mods

 
ran the standard whiteline endlinks on the LDR rally car for a couple of seasons. despite our best efforts to bust em, no luck they are still working fine...
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That kind of info is what I wanted to hear.

I just wonder about flexing under load, especially the D shaped rears.

 
It looks like to me there would be significantly more flex in the bent wire looking ones.

Just get kartboy. You cant kill them. Joel has them in stock. And they are awesome!

 
There are two theories to every design.

Have you ever mounted up links on a Subaru. Even with factory links its not exactly a perfect fit. The dont line up some good. I believe the twisted coat hanger links are designed to twist as the stabilizer flexes, and flex a bit as the suspension goes up and down. Possibly better for Rally? I dunno. Made of chromoly? I dunno. They work.

The solid milled aluminum links are designed for immediate feed back as the suspension does it's thing in bounding and rebounding. Better for autocross or track? Probly. Bad for control arms during harsh impacts like yumps and ginomous chuck holes? I dunno, maybe. But in the mean time I believe they work also.

The only broke links I've ever seen are the plastic ones. Just get some links! I like my Kartboy's. Doing me ok.

 
It looks like to me there would be significantly more flex in the bent wire looking ones.!
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Serious question:

Is that before or after you bottom out the bushings in the links, the swaybar mount bushings, and/or the swaybar flex itself?

I just don't see it making a big enough difference to matter. Say it deflects 1/8", do you really think that's impactful, nevermind noticeable when cornering at 10/10ths?

I know you're far more educated than I, but I get these ideas, so I'm interested in your reply.

 
Personally, I feel that arguing over brand is kinda pointless, because in the end you are getting a chunk of metal doing the job of plastic OEM (except for Katnip's comment about Perrin).

The real question is whether the Heavy Duty (Whiteline, Kartboy, Cobb, whichever) are past the point of diminishing returns for the this type of driving. Unless someone has actually used both types for an DD/AutoX car and could say without a doubt that one type was head and shoulders better than the other, there will be no answer other than....."Buy some new endlinks, just not OEM."

Nigel, just curious. What endlinks are you running now? And why?

 
stock, cuz they came on the car and I haven't messed with suspension one iota

the sway with the whiteline links went onto rezpunks rallyx car, it provides more fun in that application

 
Thanks, but I tend to stay away from used parts with bushings. Unless if it can be rebuilt, then it gets done before it goes on.

 
kartboy bushings are only a phone call away.

and the urethanes aren't as susceptible to the salts as the rubber stock pieces.

 
I finally got the parts that I ordered and here are a couple pics that I took when I was installing the standard links. In person the look a lot more impressive, sitting next to the stock links they do look a little small.

In the end, I decided that twice the price for the heavy duty would not gain me twice the performance. The way I figure it, you might be making the "effective" diameter of your sway bar smaller, but that is why you get an adjustable one. I think the Whiteline literature that came with them said that these will react 20% quicker than the stockers. Now, how does that translate to the real world? Having an endlink that isn't going to break under hard cornering is kinda the first priority. No endlink, no anti-sway.

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Did they come with new bolts? Looks like you busted one.
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Some people noticed positive differences with just the links alone. I didn't notice any difference until the links were combined with a beefier rear sway bar. Guess I'm not in tune as others are.

 
Yep, all new SS hardware with nylon locking nuts. When I got the car in the air, the nuts on the stock rear links had loosened so much that I could take them off with my fingers. I don't know if that's from the movement of the bar or I just didn't tighten them down.

Also I would defintly use a set of ramps (if I had them). It's possible to do it on jack stands but it would be a hell of a lot easier with the suspension compressed.

 
Also I would defintly use a set of ramps (if I had them). It's possible to do it on jack stands but it would be a hell of a lot easier with the suspension compressed.
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I'm not sure how much truth there is to it, but I've always been told you should torque the endlinks down with the wheels on the ground (or on ramps).

Perhaps for proper torqueing and avoiding any weird preload on the suspension.

 
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