The rod end joint consists of a bore head with an integral rod end that forms a rod end seat for a spherical plain bearing. Typically, rod ends have left or right female threads (internal) or male threads (external).
Rod ends are equipped with a threaded shank with right-hand thread. All rod ends except those with the designation suffix VZ019 have a left-hand thread. These bearings are identified by the designation prefix L.
Rod ends are also used in specific applications, for example where the rod ends need to be fixed to the end of a piston rod or to the base of a hydraulic cylinder. For these applications, rod ends are available with grooved shanks and compressible thread sections or with "weld shanks" (i.e. that can be welded to other components).
