Heim Joint Whoes
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 30,875
Likes: 32,915
From: King George, VA
Heim Joint Whoes
Well, it finally happened to me. I had ordered a custom shift linkage with new heim joints from Roadnames and he was in the middle of moving his shop so he couldn't fill my order right away. I new the heim joints on the RG were getting pretty loose, but I went on a trip across Virginia and back today anyway. I was on Rt 460 new Tazwell and went to down shift for a traffic light. First shift was as usual, but the second one, the toe shifter just stayed laying on my boot. I pulled off to the side of the road and checked it out. Yep, the rear linkage was apart. Now how to fix it. I had a tie strip in the tour pac for just such and occasion, but as I stood there looking at the linkage and trying to imagine how a single tie strip could hold it together, I just couldn't see how to do it with an 8" piece of plastic. I pulled my tool kit out and right away saw that the tie straps around it would certainly be long enough to wrap around the shift rod and the shifter extension coming from the tranny. Right about then, a guy in an old beater rolled to a stop on the shoulder of the road to see if I needed help. I went over to his car and told him my heim joint had fallen apart, but if he had some duct tape, that might work. He said he didn't have any in the car but he would go and get me a roll and off he went. I finished tyeing the likage back together and waited for the driver to return with the duct tape. About 15 minutes later, there he was with a roll of gorilla tape. He wouldn't take cash for the tape but was just glad he could help someone out.
Arrived home, 6 hours later making it a 780 mile round trip for today. Gotta get to the dealer tomorrow and see if he has a part on hand. Geez, where's my custom shift linkage?
Arrived home, 6 hours later making it a 780 mile round trip for today. Gotta get to the dealer tomorrow and see if he has a part on hand. Geez, where's my custom shift linkage?
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 782
Likes: 0
From: Central Oregon
I'm confused too...did you break your stock shift linkage or a heim joint linkage. I have never heard of someone breaking a heim joint, you would have to have about a million miles for one of those to wear out.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,698
Likes: 11
From: Longview, Washington
Heim joints don't break. It's the stock BALL joints that do. I replaced the stock rod and ball joints with stainless rod and heim joints.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,615
Likes: 50
From: Baton Rouge, LA
The original ball-and-socket joints on my '96 RK lasted about 100k, so the lifespan varies. As a precaution I changed the originals out on my '07 SG to heims as soon as I bought the bike.
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Joined: Sep 2008
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Great information being posted here in these forums! I've learned allot from many of you. On the day I picked up my new bike I also picked up a replacement stainless steel shift rod with heim joints on it from HD. Peace of mind for the $80 it cost me. (That was my first upgrade) and will be installed asap. I'll keept the stock one as a spare in my saddle bag in case I run into someone broke down who needs it.
And I do routinely use the heel shifter....
And I do routinely use the heel shifter....