TLS RHA Dimension please.....possible new billet RHA

The advantage of the billet one is that the coupler is threaded right hand on the end to the aluminum yoke, and threaded left-handed on the heim joint end. That way it can be lengthened or shortened without removal. The stamped units with a bolt welded on have to be disconnected at one end to adjust the length.

So to determine the threads to use, you start with the purchased turnbuckle coupler, making sure the steel heim end has the smaller tap size; the weak point is the aluminum threads, so make sure they are large; bigger than the original ones would not be silly. I have one that's got the aluminum threads broken out where the locknut against the adjuster stresses the threads. Warn people that over-tightening will destroy the soft aluminum threads, and warn people that not tightening the locknut will also destroy the threads if it is loose enough to rattle...the rattle will just get worse & worse until it fails. Don't use a really soft grade of aluminum either.

There's really no reason to even use a heim eyeball joint; but if you make an aluminum bearing holder more like stock, make sure you make the threaded aluminum adjuster larger than the steel heim's threaded portion. The heim does accommodate any misalignment, but there shouldn't be any. The stock bearings probably have less friction and longer life IF they are maintained, but they do need maintenaince.

The heims come in different sizes, strengths, and lengths. Make sure it's threaded backward (left-hand). Get a really strong one, not one with a plastic insert bearing surface around the chrome eyeball; go for something metal, like bronze at least. This thing REALLY has a lot of force on it!

The turnbuckle adjuster sleeve comes in different lengths. A longer adjuster is preferable to a too-long heim shaft.

Some of the previous runs would only lengthen, or would only shorten. If you make it too long people can grind down the threaded end of the heim andmake it work shorter; if you make it too short the guy who wants to raise the bike is screwed.

If you made the aluminum threads a bit stronger somehow, that would be a valuable improvement in safety. A stronger grade of aluminum would help. Since it's a common right-hand thread, I would just use a steel stud into the aluminum clevis and into the adjuster. That way some dumb user can't strip out all of the aluminum threads by overtightening the locknuts, tightening down too far against the yoke, or tightening down the end of the aluminum stub so it bottoms against the end of the heim shaft inside the adjuster. Then the weak point becomes the steel stud into the clevis; you should consider a very large helicoil in the clevis.

The locknuts come in different thicknesses, from a skinny jam nut to a full-size nut. Use a really thin jam nut on the steel end, so that it doesn't waste shaft length. But don't use too skinny a locknut on the aluminum end or some dumb user will surely overtighten it and strip off all the aluminum threads at that end.

If you keep the aluminum threaded stub in the design, make sure you warn people not to tighten down too hard on the aluminum threads! If it were me, I'd get rid of the aluminum threads completely.