Motion & Linkage

Stainless Steel Rod Ends

Our stainless steel rod ends are precision and durable for harsh environments. With more than 20 years of experience in serving OEM and industrial brand customers, we support customization of size, thread, and models. All stainless steel heim joints are CNC machined, with high strength, corrosion resistance, and smooth rotation performance. Select from greasable rod end and PTFE- lined rod end in Profab.

What is Stainless Steel Rod Ends?

A stainless steel rod end (also called a rod-end bearing, heim joint, or spherical rod end) is a mechanical linkage component that contains a spherical bearing housed in a threaded body. One side is threaded (male or female) so it can be mounted into a rod or linkage; the spherical bearing allows angular misalignment and pivoting.

Product Range

Types of Stainless Steel Rod End Bearings

Profab offers multiple models of ss rod ends like XM/XF, CM/CF, JMX/JFX, SATK/SITK. Each model is designed with specific load capacities and thread types to meet diverse application needs.

We provide high-quality stainless steel rod ends and professional solutions to meet the diverse needs of various industries. Whether it’s standard parts or custom-made components, we offer trusted quality, quick response, and reliable delivery for clients worldwide.

XM / XF

Design	Loader Slot
Thread	Male and Female, Left Hand and Right Hand
Race	PTFE Liner
Material	304 Stainless Housing & 440C Ball (Optional 316 / 17-4PH)
Surface	Custom Finishing Available

CM / CF

Design	2-Piece Construction
Thread	Male and Female, Left Hand and Right Hand
Race	No Liner
Material	304 Stainless Housing & 440C Ball (Optional 316 / 17-4PH)
Surface	Custom Finishing Available

JMX / JFX

Design	3-Piece Construction
Thread	Male and Female, Left Hand and Right Hand
Race	PTFE Liner
Material	304 Stainless Housing & 440C Ball (Optional 316 / 17-4PH)
Surface	Custom Finishing Available

SATK / SITK

Design	3-Piece Construction
Thread	Male (SATK) and Female (SITK), Left & Right Thread
Race	PTFE Liner
Material	304/316 Stainless Body & 440C Ball
Surface	Custom Finishing Available

Material Specification

Choosing the Right Grade

The housing material is what you’re really specifying when you order. The ball is always 440C. Below is a quick reference — wrong grade is the most common reason rod ends fail prematurely in corrosive environments.

304 Stainless

General-purpose grade. Good resistance to humidity, mild chemicals, and food-safe cleaning agents. Use this for indoor machinery, agricultural equipment, and dry-run automation.

Food · Automation · Indoor

316 / 316L

Molybdenum addition gives 316L roughly 3× better chloride resistance than 304. Required for marine applications, salt-spray environments, offshore, and food-grade lines with CIP chemical cleaning.

Marine · Chemical · Pumps

17-4PH

Precipitation-hardened grade. After H900 heat treatment, tensile strength reaches ~1310 MPa — significantly stronger than 316. Used in motorsport, aerospace, and high-cycle fatigue applications where load ratings matter more than cost.

Aerospace · Motorsport · Hi-load

440C Stainless Ball — Standard on All Series

440C is a martensitic stainless with hardness up to HRC 58 after heat treatment. It is the industry standard for rod end balls because it combines adequate corrosion resistance with the hardness needed to withstand Hertzian contact stress in the socket. All Profab rod ends use 440C balls unless specifically requested otherwise.

Applications

Where Stainless Steel Rod Ends Are Used

Profab 304/316 stainless steel rose joints are ideally suited for use in automotive suspension connections, hydraulic cylinder, marine deck rigging, and other industries. Tight tolerances are maintained even under dynamic loads. Their durable construction and self-lubricating bearings reduce the need for equipment maintenance. Profab spherical joints are designed for high loads and harsh environments. They provide long-lasting durability and reliability in a variety of applications.

Exhaust Bypass Valve

Metering System Linkage & Section Control Linkage

Filling Nozzle Lifting Mechanism & Guide Rail Linkage

Belt Guide Linkage & Stopper & Indexing Arm

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems

Spherical Joint

Hydraulic Cylinder Rod Ends

Actuator Rod End

Stainless Rod Ends Built for Automotive Durability

The automotive industry demands the highest level of reliability from its components. Our XM/XF, JMX/JFX, SATK/SITK serious heim joints require no additional lubrication maintenance. They can operate for long periods of time in hot or contaminant-prone environments in engine compartments. Off-road and tuner cars are often driven in mud, rain, snow, salt water, and gravel. Profab stainless steel rod ends are made of 304/316 material. They are resistant to rust and corrosion even in harsh environments.

Why Profab

Your Reliable Heim Joints Supplier

Precision Tolerances

Meet demanding assembly requirements. All rod joints are manufactured to exacting critical dimensions, tolerances and thread types (left/right, metric/imperial). This ensures seamless, trouble-free integration into your high-performance system.

Multiple Stainless Steel Grades

Our stainless steel rose joints are designed for long-term reliable operation in extreme conditions. Premium stainless steel grades are available depending on the environment of your application (high humidity, chemical exposure or salt water.

OEM Project Support

Our team provides full-cycle support, from prototyping to mass production to shipping, we optimize every detail to improve performance, simplify manufacturing, and support standard and custom specifications.

Technical Reference

Thread Sizes & Dimensions

Thread (mm)	Bore (mm)	Thread (Inch)	Bore (Inch)
M5*0.8	5	10-32	0.1900
M6*1.0	6	1/4-28	0.1900
M8*1.25	8	1/4-28	0.2500
M10*1.5	10	5/16-24	0.2500
M10*1.25	10	5/16-24	0.3125
M12*1.75	12	3/8-24	0.3125
M12*1.25	12	3/8-24	0.3750
M12*1.5	12	7/16-20	0.3750
M14*2.0	14	7/16-20	0.4375
M14*1.5	14	1/20-20	0.4375
M16*2.0	16	1/20-20	0.5000
M16*1.5	16	5/8-18	0.5000
M18*1.5	18	3/4-16	0.5000
M20*1.5	20	5/8-18	0.6250
M22*1.5	22	5/8-18	12mm
M24*2.0	24	3/4-16	0.6250
M30*2.0	30	3/4-16	0.7500
M36*2.0	36	7/8-14	0.7500
M42*2.0	42	7/8-14	0.8750
M48*2.0	48	1 1/4-12	1.0000
Custom	Custom	1-14	1.0000
		1-12	1.0000
		1 1/4-12	1.2500
		1 1/2-12	1.2500
		1 1/2-12	1.5000
		1 3/4-12	1.5000
		1 3/4-12	1.7500
		2-12	2.0000
		Custom	Custom

FAQ

Common Questions

Not seeing your question? Email us at [email protected] and we typically reply same day.

What stainless steel grades do you offer? Can you provide Material Test Certificate (MTC)?

We routinely provide 304, 316, 316L, and other grades. We can provide Material Test Certificate (MTC) and proof of chemical composition upon request.

How to choose the right rod ends according to the load and working condition?

Please provide the maximum static/dynamic load, mounting geometry (swing angle), shaft diameter and frequency of use. We will recommend a model or give calibration suggestions based on the load table and fatigue data.

Are there low maintenance versions with self-lubricating or polymer bushings?

Yes. For applications requiring low friction or low maintenance, we offer variants with polymer bushings or self-lubricating liners to reduce the frequency of lubrication maintenance.