Heim joint reliability/maintenance??

[F-16Guy]

How are heim joints on a-arms? I live in AZ, so only occasional mud and water, but I ride in sand and fine dust a lot. Do heims bind up or wear out quickly when exposed to sand? What about durability? They look like a wear point to me. Does anyone make boots for them? I think I saw some boots on the Derisi website, but I think they're just for the spindle side. Some insight would help.

[TBD]

Originally posted by F-16Guy
How are heim joints on a-arms? I live in AZ, so only occasional mud and water, but I ride in sand and fine dust a lot. Do heims bind up or wear out quickly when exposed to sand? What about durability? They look like a wear point to me. Does anyone make boots for them? I think I saw some boots on the Derisi website, but I think they're just for the spindle side. Some insight would help.
The only place I use hiems is on the upper at the frame mount for caster adjustability. I myself would only use ball joints at the spindles. Much more durable and they have plenty of misalignment for the travel used in most frontends. Depending on the brand of hiem that you use will effect the durability. I myself use QA-1 hiems. One suggestion if you use hiems is never grease or lubricate them. Most quality hiems have self lubricating liners so there is no need for additional lube. Lube will only attract more dirt, sand and mud which will then get into the spherical ball and liner and prematurely wear it out.