Basket's Build

[Wildman]

It does suck a little. I bought a rubber backed mat to lay on and it helps alot.

Yep, being insulated from the cold does really help.

Good ol' lefty tighty righty loosy

So left hand threads... DAMN. If it'd been right hand threads and the shank size was correct I could have helped you out with some brand new JJ's.

The mangled snap ring after being spit out twice:
View attachment 579474

So, what the heck is this thing inside the joint? I thought a Johnny Joint was a 2 piece urethane bushing, this is some 1 piece rubber bushing?
View attachment 579476
View attachment 579477

Looks to me like CORE builds theirs just a little different than a true JJ...

 

[lBasket]

Yep, being insulated from the cold does really help.



So left hand threads... DAMN. If it'd been right hand threads and the shank size was correct I could have helped you out with some brand new JJ's.




Looks to me like CORE builds theirs just a little different than a true JJ...

It SAYS its a real JJ and it lists the RockJock PN as a rebuild part... so idk wtf this is that I have in here. Does not look like a real johnny joint to me

 

[Wildman]

It SAYS its a real JJ and it lists the RockJock PN as a rebuild part... so idk wtf this is that I have in here. Does not look like a real johnny joint to me

Doesn't look like any JJ's I've pulled apart but then I've only played with a few so I'm by no means a expert. I'd suggest asking in the General area and see if anyone can help.

 

[gasiorv]

I believe that is the "narrow" joint.
https://www.claytonoffroad.com/product/narrow-2-1-2-johnny-joint®-bushing

 

[lBasket]

Yeah this is the "rebuild option" they list:
https://www.rockjock4x4.com/CE-9112NRK

Guess it is a thing. All the videos I was watching it was a 2-piece bushing.

 

[jjvw]

...

So, what the heck is this thing inside the joint? I thought a Johnny Joint was a 2 piece urethane bushing, this is some 1 piece rubber bushing?
View attachment 579476
View attachment 579477

Narrow Johnny Joint. Where exactly did this come out of?

 

[Rickyd]

Upper arm right? I think the smaller 2" joints have a single bushing. The jj's on my rear track bar are that way

 

[Mike_H]

That's a "true" johnny joint, but not the one they (RockJock) use in their upper control arm kit. Core might be making something work that they shouldn't be doing...

 

[lBasket]

What fresh new hell is this?

Apparently I ruined that seal inside the pumpkin, awesome. I think I do have at least 1 extra laying around at least. Another 20$ in diff fluid yay.

Too hard to get it high enough to droop the axle with the tires off the ground with the jack

Ready to cycle the suspension and see if there is something causing the JJ to spit out the snap ring.

I either need to rebuild the joint with the bent snapring or wait for my rebuild kits to get here to see if it is binding up somewhere. I guess that gives me time to replace that seal, woohoo.

 

[jjvw]

That's a "true" johnny joint, but not the one they (RockJock) use in their upper control arm kit. Core might be making something work that they shouldn't be doing...

I compared Core vs RockJock. Core is using the 2" narrow Johnny Joint with the single piece race on the upper frame side, where RockJock is using the regular and larger 2" with the two piece race.

The isn't a good discovery.

 

[lBasket]

I compared Core vs RockJock. Core is using the 2" narrow Johnny Joint with the single piece race on the upper frame side, where RockJock is using the regular and larger 2" with the two piece race.

The isn't a good discovery.

Is the joint just less strong or less applicable?

It doesn't look like RJ makes a regular 2" joint with the 1" shank:

I think RJ uses this joint for their arms, right?
https://www.rockjock4x4.com/CE-9112SP

It is a smaller shank but a larger joint? It is the 2-piece design style that I would've expected though

 

[Mike_H]

Is the joint just less strong or less applicable?

It doesn't look like RJ makes a regular 2" joint with the 1" shank:

View attachment 579697


I think RJ uses this joint for their arms, right?
https://www.rockjock4x4.com/CE-9112SP

It is a smaller shank but a larger joint? It is the 2-piece design style that I would've expected though

More bushing surface equals more load carrying ability. It’s already known that the front uppers at the axle side are barely adequate. Loosing bearing surface is not a good thing.

 

[lBasket]

More bushing surface equals more load carrying ability. It’s already known that the front uppers at the axle side are barely adequate. Loosing bearing surface is not a good thing.

Do you think the joints might be undersized to the point they can't handle the load in the application? Even without doing anything intense like rock crawling, yesterday was like 10mi on the highway and maybe 10mi of mild forest trails.

Idk I guess I'll see hopefully see son if there is anything interfering and causing it.

 

[Mike_H]

Do you think the joints might be undersized to the point they can't handle the load in the application? Even without doing anything intense like rock crawling, yesterday was like 10mi on the highway and maybe 10mi of mild forest trails.

Idk I guess I'll see hopefully see son if there is anything interfering and causing it.

We’ve seen issues of death wobble coming from the front joints. Not often, but enough to make me think that the joint has a safety factor of about 1.5. It’s good enough, until it’s not.

It may be fine in the rear, not having to deal with steering forces, but I don’t like seeing the narrow joint there.

 

[lBasket]

We’ve seen issues of death wobble coming from the front joints. Not often, but enough to make me think that the joint has a safety factor of about 1.5. It’s good enough, until it’s not.

It may be fine in the rear, not having to deal with steering forces, but I don’t like seeing the narrow joint there.

Bummer. Unfortunately it does not seem to be as easy as buying a different joint, since the only ones that are offered with a 1" shank are the narrow ones.

Already ordered the rebuild kits so I guess we'll see. It doesn't seem to take long to test if it'll come apart, at least...

 

[Wildman]

I've got the press for putting your new inner axle seal in with. I can ship it to you and then you can just bring it to Moab to give it back to me.

 

[lBasket]

I've got the press for putting your new inner axle seal in with. I can ship it to you and then you can just bring it to Moab to give it back to me.

I actually have one already! Thank you though.

I ruined like 5 seals with my DIY attempts before finally coughing out for one, thinking I'd never need it again...

 

[jjvw]

Do you think the joints might be undersized to the point they can't handle the load in the application? Even without doing anything intense like rock crawling, yesterday was like 10mi on the highway and maybe 10mi of mild forest trails.

Idk I guess I'll see hopefully see son if there is anything interfering and causing it.

All I know for certain is that Currie/RockJock does not use the narrow joint on the frame side. For some reason CORE decided to. The only places RockJock uses the 2" narrow is on the front axle housing kit (which we know is not large enough) and on the front track bar axle side which is still unknown if the previous Cleavite bushing was a better choice.

This is not necessarily why your joint is popping apart. Years ago, there was a batch of Johnny Joints with incorrectly cut grooves for the retainer rings that were replaced under warranty. Though, I do not know when this occurred.

 

[sab]

This is not necessarily why your joint is popping apart. Years ago, there was a batch of Johnny Joints with incorrectly cut grooves for the retainer rings that were replaced under warranty. Though, I do not know when this occurred.

That was quite some time ago (about a decade, I think). I read a thread on that issue on another forum at least three years ago, and it was old news then. As I recall, the cause was attributed to chipped tooling on the CNC machine that didn't get noticed. It resulted in the groove having a tapered lip, which should be easily visible, if that's the cause.

 

[gasiorv]

If you bought them in June and it has popped out twice, there is an issue that you need to find before just installing a new snap ring. I should have a set of Currie Front Upper Control Arms laying behind the shed somewhere I can send you if that UCA JJ keeps giving you problems. They are not the double adjustable arms, just the original single adjustable links.