Which tie rods are stronger?

[racerx573]

Ok, all you metal experts out there, which would be the stronger tie rod...billet aluminum ones or chromoly ones? I'm tryin to decide which would be better. I'll prolly be getting some CFM's they make both. What do you think? I've bent chromoly ones in the past...

[lil400exman]

i do not know about these but chromoly is 10x than billet.Billet is for dunes where its almost all show and dont need super strong and raicng equipment. when i am going o replace my tie-rods (i am still on oem honda) i am going with cfm std length cause i am racing xc.........................................but my trek bike frames a chromoly i dont see frames made outta billet lol that another factor................we need jnine to tell us though he can hook us all up........................:p

[Extremeracer167]

stick with aluminum. The houser aluminums are very nice. If u get a tie-rod that is too strong, then u could end up snapping a spindal. Which is not good. But chromoly i think is just too strong to be running with aluminum spindals

[lil400exman]

good point but the 250's spindle is much stronger than a aluminum 400ex one..........also the angle on them is much different that is wy i will stick to my r's spindle thank you..................................

[racerx573]

Yeah I use the R spindles. It seems billet would be hard to bend or even break.

[d-14 rider 27]

housers are chromoly guys, i would still stick with chromoly over aluminum, I know herrmanns are made of solid billt stainless, them are very strong, plus most of the chromoly ones arent a solid stick of it, its tubing with the threaded parts welded into the ends.

[racerx573]

So which chromoly would be better....billet or tubing??

[d-14 rider 27]

im not sure if anyone makes billit chromoly tie rods, i could be wrong, but i dont think ive seen them. tubing ones are strong enough, and they give, you be surprised how much give chromoly has, if you got a aftermarket stem, stand on your quad and i bet you can bend it side to side at least 5 degrees or more. so chromoly tubing will act almost as a spring maybe. all i know is if you wrecked stock tie rods, dont get aluminum ones. this is my theory.

[Scott]

Gorilla Bars. They're polished 316 stainless steel. Bulletproof. They're made by B&M Racing, if you want them, ProFab ATV carries them. I have stock lenght, you'd have to ask them about +2's, but I'm sure they'd have them.

I've used them for 3yrs now, no problems to report. No more spare stock tie rods up under the front plastic for an on the trail repair.

[racerx573]

I've got some solid billet +3 chromoly tie rods..I cannot use them because I have a +3 front end on a narrow frame..

[Extremeracer167]

my housers are not chromoly. Mine are Aluminum. I think Chromoly would rust would it?? I have mine polished and they have not rusted yet:confused:

[d-14 rider 27]

unless, you ordered them that way, i dont think their aluminum. i think houser chromes all his tie rods tho, that might be what got you mixed up, unless you got the arms used from someone and they put aluminum tie rods with it. all i know is my housers are chromoly,

[Extremeracer167]

i got mine deirect from Houser. Maybe he uses Aluminum for his LT setup. Cause i know ofr a fac that they are aluminum. lol oh well:p

[d-14 rider 27]

i got my long travels direct from houser too and mine are for sure chromoly.....scary chit happening here.:confused2 lol

[Mxbubs]

Chromoly is nothing but an alloy metal containing strong and durable metals, some of the harder, less pourous metals.

Billet can be anything. Billet is nothing but a block. You can have billet stainless. Most people refer to aluminum as billet because most factorys will sale it as a block, and aftermarket companies will machine a part out of it.

You have billet and cast. Cast is poured to shape it. Billet, is machined to shaped the part.

Get the chromoly tie rods, 10x than aluminum, billet or cast.
:D

[papaw]

remember guys when you buy these bullet proof tie rods if they don't bend something else might bend or break.spindles are far more expensive than a 6 dollar tie rod.especially if your xc racing....

[Scott]

I understand what you're getting at papaw, and granted I don't race XC, so I can't comment on that. All I can do is tell you what my experience has been. I (and the group that I ride with) used to always have a spare stock tie rod somewhere under the front of every quad, and we always had to stop and change/straighten at least one every ride. First I sleeved my stockers with sections of pipe. Very effective, no more bent tie rods every weekend. But they were not that cute either. The next step was the gorilla bars, same end result and they were polished stainless so they looked good and will never rust. I can think of 4 of us that I know all run these. I'm the only one that doesn't race, the other 3 race hare scrambles. None of the 4 of us have bent/broken anything in the last 3-4 yrs as a result of the tie rods. There have been 2 bent steering stems as a result of endo's, but they bent up near the bars and had nothing to do with the tie rods.

We ride Wayne Nat. Forest in Ohio and Livingston KY (which is about 90% rocks). That's just my experience. Maybe some of you guys are busting spindles. I'm just saying I wouldn't be afraid of running a stronger tie rod than stock.