I'm considering using a rod end (heim joint) on the steering arm in place of a tie rod end (ball joint).

Is this use considered safe for "street use" by the brain trust on here ? Some "racing" mods are not streetworthy.

"Depends how big it is", obviously a bigger rod end would be stronger, say 3/4" thread on the shaft.

I'm seeing more stock/super stock racers using them but personally, for a street car and insurance purposes, I'd stick with the OEM set-up, just so the bottom feeders (insurance folks) don't feed on you, if you know what I mean?! Just my 2 cents...wb

The C-body rod ends are 11/16" and many reportedly use them on B and E-Bodies.

they are very susceptible to wear from dirt and debris

They do make protective rubber boots for Heim joints "Raceboots"?

Can't say if they're safe, but they have a limited range of misalignment in degrees.
You need to know what your suspension does at maximum travel, and make sure your bump stops are closer than the Heim limits.
As JK says, boots are a great idea, why make this mod visible to an insurance adjuster...

A hiem joint as a rod end uses a straight bolt, unlike a factory rod end that uses a tapered seat to secure it and make wobble impossible where it conects to the center link or steering arm. Even a slight bit of tolerance at this juncture is a place for ware to start, and leads to seviere slop eventually. If you choose to use a hiem joint with high angularity ( enough for full travel!) Then the bolt or shaft that goes through the rod end should have at least three times its diameter in support where it passes through the steering arm.
I discovered a serious wobble in my dart because i used a 1/2 inch bolt and only about one inch of support at the steering arm. The hole in the steering arm was seriously egg shaped from wear over the years . If you can find a pin with a 7 degree taper ( mopar factory taper) or similar, then use a reamer to produce the proper hole in the steering arm, with enough thickness for support It will be mutch better. Also the pin that would have the tapered end will also have a tighter fit in the rod end. Off the shelf bolts often have maybe an extra . 002 or .003 clearance, or reduced diameter, which is going to allow some movement that you don't want. Check out Speedway Motors hotrod suspension parts, thay may have parts to fit your app.

I used the Speedway 7 degree taper studs and their high misalignment rod ends (5/8"). A small amount of material (.060") needed to be removed from the lower side of the steering arm so the taper seated before the hex portion touched the steering arm. The joints have more than enough travel. I did replace the joints after 10 years. Only one of the ends had any movement which was minor. I split the stock tie rod sleeve and used a steel threaded tube (5/8"x18) for the outer portion. The QA1 kit I installed last year needed a 5 1/2" bolt to get the rod end even close for bump steer. Just installed a Hotchkiss kit for a friend. The ends didn't have enough travel and bound up.
Doug

I just installed the QA-1 k member, lower arms, Hotchkis heimed uppers and heimed tie rod ends on my Dart and they are awesome and if you buy the boots and grease kit, they will last damn near forever.....

Race car use? 1/2" rod ends. Auroras. Good ones, not the stamped 2 piece junk. Bore the arm and bush it to the correct size. Misalignment bushings/sleeves to correct geometry. Grade 8 hardware or better.

Everyday street use? Probably not.

i would agree with everything except maybe the 1/2" size. my preference would be for 5/8 or 3/4". that's just me.
and using the lined, high strength, precision ends can't be stressed enough. use them in ALL suspension locations, front or rear.

I don't use any Heim joints in my steering but I have them on my upper RMS arms and strut rods. They have been on there 12 years, have been all over the country on 8 drag weeks, and lots of just miscellaneous street use and drag racing. They are still super tight. They don't have any boots or anything on them.

The bump steer correction kits, that have been sold for decades, all use a rod end in place of the tie rod end. Lots of reputable companies sell them for road use ,so I think you'll be fine. Some kits include the drill/ream to make the bolt hole as well. You'll also get the bonus of fixing these old cars' inherently horrible bump steer.