JKS COM rear track bar bearing / bushing

Are you trying anything new or different to eliminate the creaking/squeaking in your JJ’s on your control arms?

I recently removed and relubed my rear lowers that were creaking bad. When I get around to doing the rear uppers, I’m going to try something. I got a set of the upper bushings for my Savvy JJ’s from @JMT 2 or 3 years ago. I used my Dremel tool to cut some small grooves in the inner surface (like another member here did, but I can’t remember their name) where the ball rides. I’m going to see if it will make it possible to get some grease in there throught the zerks. If it works, I’ll end up doing the rest.

Haven't tried anything new with the JJs. Rear is creaking a lot more than front right now, I need to dig up that thread where I posted which grease I used in which arms. I know some right now have cv2 and others have superlube silicone w/ptfe. For the uppers I'm gonna go back with whatever I used in the front since it seems to have lasted longer.

I have a pair of the metalcloak duroflex bushings that go into the larger JJ housing, so I think I'm gonna try those in my rear LCA (which only have a JJ in the forged/frame end, while the axle end has already been replaced with synergy ddb).

Will be interesting to hear how you do with cutting the grooves. I've thought about it some but I'm terrible at freehanding that sort of thing.
 
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Haven't tried anything new with the JJs. Rear is creaking a lot more than front right now, I need to dig up that thread where I posted which grease I used in which arms. I know some right now have cv2 and others have superlube silicone w/ptfe. For the uppers I'm gonna go back with whatever I used in the front since it seems to have lasted longer.

I have a pair of the metalcloak duroflex bushings that go into the larger JJ housing, so I think I'm gonna try those in my rear LCA (which only have a JJ in the forged/frame end, while the axle end has already been replaced with synergy ddb).

Will be interesting to hear how you do with cutting the grooves. I've thought about it some but I'm terrible at freehanding that sort of thing.

It makes a mess of crumbly rubber or whatever they are made of.
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It makes a mess of crumbly rubber or whatever they are made of.View attachment 637292View attachment 637290

I was mistaken, the bushing I got from @JMT were for the lower control arms. I disassembled and re-lubed the front lowers this morning. While they were out I installed one grooved set and gave it a few shots on grease after it was reassembled dry, then took it back apart to look at it. This was on the workbench, not on the Jeep.

Seems like it took grease ok. Would it take it wit the weight of the Jeep on it or would it be enough to stop squeaking, I don’t know.

I didn’t leave them on the Jeep this time though. I recorded when I lubed the two lower arms so I’ll see how long they last.

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I was mistaken, the bushing I got from @JMT were for the lower control arms. I disassembled and re-lubed the front lowers this morning. While they were out I installed one grooved set and gave it a few shots on grease after it was reassembled dry, then took it back apart to look at it. This was on the workbench, not on the Jeep.

Seems like it took grease ok. Would it take it wit the weight of the Jeep on it or would it be enough to stop squeaking, I don’t know.

I didn’t leave them on the Jeep this time though. I recorded when I lubed the two lower arms so I’ll see how long they last.

View attachment 637943View attachment 637936View attachment 637937View attachment 637938View attachment 637939View attachment 637940View attachment 637941

My thoughts are that the grooves need to continue all the way to the edge so that the grease can escape, and when it cakes up you can flush it out with new grease. My concern with this is that it has no exit so it will still cake up and clog and require disassembly eventually, though with a larger reservoir to start with, maybe it will take longer before needing attention.
 
My thoughts are that the grooves need to continue all the way to the edge so that the grease can escape, and when it cakes up you can flush it out with new grease. My concern with this is that it has no exit so it will still cake up and clog and require disassembly eventually, though with a larger reservoir to start with, maybe it will take longer before needing attention.

That makes sense. If I ever decide to try them out, I’ll cut the ends out so it flushes.