Stainless Steel Rod Ends
Profab Machine manufactures a full range of rod end bearings, including PTFE lined, greasable, metal-to-metal, two-piece, and three-piece designs in multiple stainless steel grades. Matching accessories and custom machining services are available to help simplify sourcing from a single supplier.
- ISO 9001 Certified
- Custom OEM Solutions
- Fast Global Shipping
- Technical Support
Profab mACHINE
Professional Stainless Steel Rod End Manufacturer
Profab Machine has manufactured stainless steel rod ends for OEM and industrial customers for more than 20 years. Every rod end is CNC machined in-house, in the grade and configuration your application requires.
Four series cover the main application requirements: loader-slot PTFE-lined (XM/XF), metal-to-metal two-piece (CM/CF), three-piece PTFE-lined (JMX/JFX), and three-piece greasable (SATK/SITK). Thread type, housing grade, and surface treatment are specified at order, not defaulted.
All dimensions, thread classes, and material grades are documented with full batch traceability. If your requirement falls outside the standard range, custom specifications are handled by the same manufacturing team.
Product Range
Types of Stainless Steel Rod End Bearings
XM / XF
| Design | Injection Molded |
| Thread | Male and Female, Left Hand and Right Hand |
| Race | Nylon and Glass Fiber Reinforced Material |
| 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 | Bronze Race |
| 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. Custom Grade like 2205 is available.
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.
Rod End Accessories
Build a Complete Rod End System
Build a complete rod end system with precision-machined accessories manufactured to the same quality standards as your rod ends. Every component below is available in matching 304 or 316L stainless.
Pre-assembled combinations of rod end, jam nut, and selected accessories. You give us the linkage specification. We ship a ready-to-install kit. Every part in the kit shares the same material and batch traceability. No hunting for matching hardware from three different suppliers.
Clevis Joints For Rod Ends
High Misalignment Rod End
Studded Rod Ends
Rod Ends With Jam Nuts
Rod Ends Bungs
Rod End Linkage Adjuster
Turnbuckle Hex Bar
Uniball Cups
Why Material Selection Matters in Rod End Performance
Unlike many mechanical components, rod ends combine moving contact surfaces, exposed threads, and constant articulation within a single assembly. This makes them especially vulnerable to corrosion, contamination, and surface wear over time. In many cases, rod end failures begin not with overload, but with environmental damage that increases friction, restricts movement, and accelerates bearing wear.
Stainless steel addresses these issues at the material level rather than relying on plated or coated surfaces for protection. The naturally formed passive layer on 304 and 316 stainless steel helps resist rust, moisture intrusion, and chemical attack even when the component experiences repeated movement or minor surface abrasion. As a result, stainless steel rod ends often maintain smoother articulation, lower maintenance requirements, and longer service intervals in demanding operating environments.
Why Profab
Precision Machined to Your Exact Specification
Precision Tolerances
Meet demanding assembly requirements. All rod end bearings 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 rod ends 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.
Direct-from-Manufacturer Advantage
Profab is the manufacturer, not a distributor. There is no reseller margin in the price. Tooling, machining, inspection, and certification are all done in-house. Reorder pricing is consistent because the parts are made to the same setup, not sourced from a secondary supplier each time.
Engineering Support and Fast Sampling
We work closely with your technical team to understand and respond to your unique part needs. Whether it’s a CAD file, material conversion or specific tolerances, we can quickly provide samples and provide expert feedback to accelerate your product development.
Volume Discounts for Scalable Business
Tiered pricing applies to volume orders. The thresholds and discount structure depend on part complexity and order frequency. Contact us with your annual volume estimate and we will provide a program quote alongside the sample order.
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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
How to Order
From Inquiry to Delivery
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Send Specs
Series, thread size, grade, hand, safety catch, quantity. DXF or drawing for custom items.
Respond Within 24 Hours
We will work on the best solution base on your request and send you a specific quote within 24 hours.
Production
7–15 days standard. Samples before full production run on new custom parts. QC report before shipment.
Delivery
Sea, air, or express courier. Material certs and inspection report inside every box. Tracking same day.
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, 17-4PH, 2205 duplex, 2507 super duplex, 410, and 430. 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.
Can you work from my drawings or CAD files?
Yes. Send DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, or PDF with dimensions. If you only have a sample part and no drawing, we can reverse-engineer it for an additional fee. We review all drawings for manufacturability before quoting.
What payment methods do you accept?
PayPal, Bank Transfer (T/T), and Alibaba platform.
Factory Direct
Ready to Source Stainless Parts?
If you already have the drawings, please send email to [email protected] directly for an instant quote.
Profab
Request a Quote