Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

What is the absolute best 4 inch lift for a TJ?

At one time JKS made control arms with Clevite on both ends and a shaft that twisted in the middle. It was an admirable attempt to solve the problem of being maintenance free and yet providing full flex. But I don't see them on their website any more. So either due to lack of sales or issues with operation, it appears they don't offer them any more. Which just goes to show, that designing a maintenance free control arm that offers full flex is not a simple problem. Thats why (along with search for profit) we see so many different options in control arms.

I agree that Currie should not put zerks where they don't work. It's misleading. MrBlaine has openly acknowledge that issue. I don't know if he has any relationship with John Currie or not, but I suspect they have crossed paths at different events. I would be surprised if MrBlaine has never pointed out to John Currie that the zerks have issues. So really, the ball is in RockJocks court. If you really want to see something changed. Contact them directly. I think its good to warn people on the forum what the issues are. At least then people can then make an informed buying decision. But only the manfacaturer can make a change to the product.
 
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When I was running Currie arms I was able to get grease thru the zerk. Well, maybe too much? Oopsie!
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Fargo said:
At one time JKS made control arms with Clevite on both ends and a shaft that twisted in the middle. It was an admirable attempt to solve the problem of being maintenance free and yet providing full flex. But I don't see them on their website any more. So either due to lack of sales or issues with operation, it appears they don't offer them any more. Which just goes to show, that designing a maintenance free control arm that offers full flex is not a simple problem. Thats why (along with search for profit) we see so many different options in control arms.
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Jointed arms that threaded in the middle were nothing new. They were a gimmick when Tera did them and JKS didn't stop them from being a gimmick when they did them. The rotating mid section does nothing for you when there is as much lateral movement as there is twisting. That and threads like that have two issues. One is they wear badly no matter what you do and they seize up pretty easily.
Fargo said:
I agree that Currie should not put zerks where they don't work. It's misleading. MrBlaine has openly acknowledge that issue. I don't know if he has any relationship with John Currie or not, but I suspect they have crossed paths at different events. I would be surprised if MrBlaine has never pointed out to John Currie that the zerks have issues.
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Long relationship and I have discussed the issue. The problem is caused by the twats in the industry that knocked off the JJ and started selling cheaper. Well, not so much them but the customers who bought them who didn't do an accurate cost comparison. They would buy a shit joint without a greaseable bolt with preload adjusters and hard poly races for 1/2 the price. John was having to compete at an untenable price point so the bolts had to go optional and when they went optional, a fitting had to be put in the body to keep the bolts optional or it just became a pricing game. As in "you can't sell me a joint without a grease fitting and no greaseable bolt" type bullshit. So the fitting went in as useless as it is.
Fargo said:
So really, the ball is in RockJocks court. If you really want to see something changed. Contact them directly. I think its good to warn people on the forum what the issues are. At least then people can then make an informed buying decision. But only the manfacaturer can make a change to the product.
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That ball isn't going anywhere. Too many shit copies out there that look like a JJ that aren't.
 
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Thank you MrBlaine. Thats a very informative summary of why things are the way they are. So clearly its not the result of 'shit' engineering at all. But unfortunately, the result of staying competitive in an ignorant market. As sad as that is.
 
Fargo said:
Thank you MrBlaine. Thats a very informative summary of why things are the way they are. So clearly its not the result of 'shit' engineering at all. But unfortunately, the result of staying competitive in an ignorant market. As sad as that is.
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Sounds like it's the result of competitive marketing.
 
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Marketing and ability to sell definitely seem to be the answer to most of the engineering “why” questions we have. Which makes sense.
 
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mrblaine said:
If by competitive marketing, you mean trying to sell quality against cheap import knock-offs, then you'd be correct.
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I was getting more at the uninformed consumer who thinks the cheap import knock-off is better due to having a grease zerk even if non-functional.
 
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Apparition said:
I was getting more at the uninformed consumer who thinks the cheap import knock-off is better due to having a grease zerk even if non-functional.
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That customer doesn't give the tiniest of shits about the grease fitting. He only cares about the price. That and they are functional on some of the knock offs with hard plastic races.
 
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Chris said:
It does actually, it's called a MetalCloak lock-n-load long arm lift.
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But it doesnt have non greaseable greaseable zerk fittings. Sooo......
Chris said:
It does actually, it's called a MetalCloak lock-n-load long arm lift.
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So I should return my all my currie and savvy suspension stuff and get Metal Cloak lock n loaded? thats the morale of the story here.;)
 
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Fargo said:
Thank you MrBlaine. Thats a very informative summary of why things are the way they are. So clearly its not the result of 'shit' engineering at all. But unfortunately, the result of staying competitive in an ignorant market. As sad as that is.
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The person who decides to drop 3X the money on JJ arms likely has researched why they cost what they do and understand the value. To add the zerks as a marketing angle is about the lamest excuse I've heard so far. In fact they could lower the price by omitting the zerk and the required machining.

For those of you who don't give two shits about how I ended up with MC arms don't read further.

When researching a couple years ago, In fact I asked @mrblaine about the drilled bolts with zerks in conjunction with the housing zerks and he informed me that some JJ's don't have provisions to except grease from one of the locations and you really cant grease them thru the zerks. About that time @Chris had a NIB set of MC arms he listed very reasonable and I bought them.
Would I buy them again? For the price difference, definitely! If I had to compare new retail to retail, maybe not.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts
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