Heim Joint Failures on SKINZ Concept A-Arms

[detz1000]

Just went down and opened my kit that I got last week and the top Heims are 1/2'',bottoms are 5/8'' must already be updating new ones,great that they listened to a problem and fixed it.Great companys to deal with(SKINZ AND OFT RACING)

 

[towerrigger]

Just went down and opened my kit that I got last week and the top Heims are 1/2'',bottoms are 5/8'' must already be updating new ones,great that they listened to a problem and fixed it.Great companys to deal with(SKINZ AND OFT RACING)

Do you have some pics to post?

 

[christopher]

Just went down and opened my kit that I got last week and the top Heims are 1/2'',bottoms are 5/8'' must already be updating new ones, great that they listened to a problem and fixed it.Great companys to deal with(SKINZ AND OFT RACING)

Just want to make sure we got this straight.

You just got a brand new set of Concept A-Arms from SKINZ/OFT and the lower arms are now 5/8ths??

 

[detz1000]

On your pics top and bottoms look like the same size 1/2'' is that correct?

 

[christopher]

On your pics top and bottoms look like the same size 1/2'' is that correct?

Correct.
My set is the same Top and Bottom.

 

[detz1000]

Mine measure 1/2'' top and 5/8'' bottom just double checked must be fixing from factory.Sweet now I don't have to send back.

 

[christopher]

Mine measure 1/2'' top and 5/8'' bottom just double checked must be fixing from factory.Sweet now I don't have to send back.

EXCELLENT NEWS

That means the cat is now officially out of the bag.

SKINZ made the decision to upgrade all of their kits weeks ago almost as soon as the first problems were reported. They wanted to get ahead of the curve just as fast as they could if there was any chance that the 1/2" size was the real culprit behind the failures and not the specific Heim Joint they were using. But I didn't think they had already begun shipping the new ones!

This is what I was expecting Jeff to announce in their official statement in a day or two.

Looks like you got one of the very first new ones!!

 

[luckyjones]

i contacted skinz directly today and they are gonna be great to work with. i havent had a problem yet but wanted to be pro-active just in case something did happen. talked to jake for about 20 minutes and he was very personable. they know we dont want to loose any time on the snow. we worked out a solution for me so that i wont loose any time on the snow and will be able to update to the 5/8 rod ends when the snow melts.
if your even a bit concerned just call them. great people. after that conversation theyll get my business anytime i can order one of their products. top notch

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

Just want to make sure we got this straight.

You just got a brand new set of Concept A-Arms from SKINZ/OFT and the lower arms are now 5/8ths??

The production adjustment from 1/2" to 5/8" in size on the lower A-arm heim end happened about 2 weeks ago. This adjustment is being made to all kits supplied by Skinz not just on kits supplied to OFT.

 

[bigecb]

The production adjustment from 1/2" to 5/8" in size on the lower A-arm heim end happened about 2 weeks ago. This adjustment is being made to all kits supplied by Skinz not just on kits supplied to OFT.

Yep... got my kit last week (via Scott @ OFT)...

Lower is 5/8" now...

 

[TRUEBLUEMAX]

While I think that this is good for Skinz to step up and put bigger joints in these I really don't think it is the problem. If you look at the specs on the rod ends right off of the Aurora website there is only about a 1500 psi rating increase going to the 5/8 joint. I think it was just faulty parts they got. This is why I just scratch my head with all of these people saying it is the joint being too small, especially Allen at Timbersled.

I do think it admirable however for Skinz to want to put people at ease about this situation.

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

While I think that this is good for Skinz to step up and put bigger joints in these I really don't think it is the problem. If you look at the specs on the rod ends right off of the Aurora website there is only about a 1500 psi rating increase going to the 5/8 joint. I think it was just faulty parts they got. This is why I just scratch my head with all of these people saying it is the joint being too small, especially Allen at Timbersled.

I do think it admirable however for Skinz to want to put people at ease about this situation.

I think people will find out down the road the rational in changing the sizing has more to do with your last sentence than anything else.

 

[summitboy]

Here's what I think is going to happen but hey I've been wrong lots of times before. It will be determined that the 1/2" rod ends are too small and they will be upgraded to 5/8" which in fact is 56% larger, problem will be that the lower arms will also need to be rebuilt/replaced in order to accept the larger bore 5/8" end. I'm sorry but I don't believe for a second that it is a bad batch of rod ends, I mean think of the liability for the supplier company I am sure they are selling these things to a lot more companies than just Skinz.Bottom line, its a design flaw.

M5

I guess M5 nailed it on the head. 5/8" ends. Who would of thought.

 

[detz1000]

The arms will not need to be replace,just drilled and tapped for new joint.

 

[Trax 2 Treadz]

Just went down and opened my kit that I got last week and the top Heims are 1/2'',bottoms are 5/8'' must already be updating new ones,great that they listened to a problem and fixed it.Great companys to deal with(SKINZ AND OFT RACING)

Skinz and OFT are both exceptional companies to deal with in my own opinion.

We had good luck in being able to meet up with the brain trust behind OFT and well Scott
Just kidding, Scott

Scott and company are great people and again it was great to meet you guys.

 

[sledheadd]

The arms will not need to be replace,just drilled and tapped for new joint.

Why send them in when one could easily drill and tap it oneself. Just get a new 5/8 heim joint and be done with it.

 

[christopher]

Why send them in when one could easily drill and tap it oneself. Just get a new 5/8 heim joint and be done with it.

Would this be something that could be done by a local machine shop??

 

[Mountaintech]

Would this be something that could be done by a local machine shop??

Absolutely.

 

[sledheadd]

any machine shop should be able to tackle this.
In my understanding all you would be doing is enlarging an existing hole and tapping to 5/8 thread.
I would guess that one could probably get away with enlarging the hole on a drill press.

 

[detz1000]

Should be easy to drill and tap.We have to remember that some people don't even now how to use a screw driver.(I WILL BY ANYTHING I NEED FROM OFT AND SKINZ IF THEY MAKE IT)