I'm just looking at making my gear linkage , what size steel rods should I use and do I use ball joints or rod ends?

My first m10 rod sleevd with ball joints then changed to rose joints but cheap ones and gave some slack changes and missing gears.
Going to m8 rods sleeved on paddles with quality rose joints.
I have a cable but my opinion found it easier with rods.

I was thinking of using 8mm rods, with threaded ends for Rose joints, m8 threads do you think it will be heavy enough?

Sleeving mine with Ali tube to reduce bending under load

Sleeving mine with Ali tube to reduce bending under load

I tried 8mm ally rod but it had a lot of flex. Then tried steel rod which was better. Finally went with 8mm bore steel tube with studs inserted/welded and that was stiffer and lighter. Used rod ends on them. Having a left-hand thread on one end of one of the rods makes adjustment easy.

[URL=http://s189.photobucket.com/user/adrianthorp/media/fury069.jpg.html][/U RL]