Commstock head steady rod end

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dero

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I am trying to source a replacement tie rod end for my head steady .
I can't contact Jim & Matt can't supply them .
NYC does not seem to list them on the web site.
The only one that seems to match is a Yamaha / FRAP part .
Anyone got a source for them ?
I may have to buy the Yamaha part & make it fit .
The last I heard Matt was replacing the worn ones he sold with an upgraded version .
Any info would be greatly appreciated .
 
dero said:
I am trying to source a replacement tie rod end for my head steady .
I can't contact Jim & Matt can't supply them .
NYC does not seem to list them on the web site.
The only one that seems to match is a Yamaha / FRAP part .
Anyone got a source for them ?
I may have to buy the Yamaha part & make it fit .
The last I heard Matt was replacing the worn ones he sold with an upgraded version .
Any info would be greatly appreciated .
Click to expand...
If you could post a picture of it I'm sure that folks on here could come up with suggestions.

[Edit] I think they are just simple tie rod ends, when I made mine I just bought some off eBay, so I'm sure you must be able to find equivalents.
 
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They are just tie rods and the upgrade is to a larger size, you can also add seals or dowty washers to keep the dirt out.
 
There are a few similar stores but I live in a rural area & was hoping to find useful specs on the internet , which is proving difficult .
Plenty of salesmen , but not a lot of info. There are some on ebay , but not sure of the quality .
The Yamaha dealer has them at $50 each , a bit steep I thought . I tried the bearing supplier but they only had the plain ball end type .
When I get some spare time I will phone around a bit more .
 
The DT head steady have a male & female rose joint screwed together to form the link rod... does the link rod you have come rose joints at each end??
 
I talked to Jim Comstock at the INOA rally in Lumby about his newly designed head steady. He had a few samples with him and was taking orders. I recall him saying that he went out of his way to use rose joints (heim joints) that had tighter tolerances and would deal better with the vibration/load cycles than the run of the mill units generally available.

Where he sourced them, and how you would spec something like that, I have no idea. I guess the main point is according to Jim, they are not all created equal.

I bought a head steady from him and last I checked everything seemed fine.
I should add that the distance between the heim joints on his head steady is adjustable, and it probably wouldn't hurt to check and see they are adjusted to a "neutral" position. If the isolastics rubbers have settled, or you have adjusted the isolastic clearances, then you could end up with the headsteady in a loaded situation and this would accelerate wear of the rose joints.
 
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Hi all,

Just wanted to chime in to let you know that the joint is not an item that can be bought off the shelf and installed. Yes, it’s a factory joint but Jim then machines them so that they will work in the upper and lower mounts.

Matt
 
Stephen Hill said:
Where he sourced them (close tolerance Heim joints), and how you would spec something like that, I have no idea. I guess the main point is according to Jim, they are not all created equal.
Click to expand...
No, they are not. Ace hardware and McMaster-Carr sell two totally different spec pieces that LOOK similar, and have the same dimensionality, but are NOT the same.
 
Does not look like anyone is going to reveal the trade secret on this .
They are both male but are handed left & right with a joiner in between .
My best guess at this point is that they may be 12mm machined down to 10mm with a taper to suit the lock nuts , just a guess.
I can't find anyone that has a good range to look at to compare the originals to .
I would gladly buy the part if they were available.
 
Time Warp said:
I doubt there is anything outside the USA with a stock list as large and diverse as McMaster Carr have.
Click to expand...
What is truly annoying about McMaster Carr is their no shipping outside of US policy, when you try to buy they use some nonsense about US export restrictions. Used them successfully for 3 years and then suddenly NO. Unless you have a US head office then its a no go.
 
kommando said:
What is truly annoying about McMaster Carr is their no shipping outside of US policy, when you try to buy they use some nonsense about US export restrictions. Used them successfully for 3 years and then suddenly NO. Unless you have a US head office then its a no go.
Click to expand...
Similar-ish for British Wiring - $75 in parts are now $80 shipping to Australia. Prohibitive!
 
Yes it is a pity we cannot avail ourselves of MMC vast stock and reasonable pricing. One of the top three things I miss not living in the USA.
 
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