Planning my TJ Rubicon Build (Advice on Clayton Short Arm)
- Thread starter Kevin Q
- Start date
Springs have more free length, thus will offer more flex. Yes you might not realize it without more mods.
The JJ is shocking but judging from your location, salt a factor? They are rebuildable and on both ends. Easier on the mounts too.
Double adjustable are just that, more convenient. Aluminum is lighter too. For the same money, again, why give up features and function!
They were seized after 3 years and about 20k miles. Jeep never saw salt in the time the JJ's were on there. Just winter weather driving and occasional mud. Nothing out of the ordinary for a normal Jeep that goes off-road. The arms were rebuildable and were sent to a forum member that did just that.
I keep reading about how good JJ's are, but I haven't experienced it. We will see with my new set. I have no problems accepting that I may just have been unlucky.
My only caveat to people suggesting Currie DA arms - savvy is cheaper, lighter, and stronger.
They wouldn’t have seized if the ball had grease. Sometimes you have to take it apart and put grease on the ball if the zerk doesn’t take it. That’s weird all yours went bad.
Oh, but the forum says you only need to do that every 10 years. Why were mine different? I am aware you can't grease them through the zerks effectively. I don't believe a quality joint needs to be taken apart every 20k miles to be greased.
I rebuilt (it’s a kit) after 10 years. I clean and grease mine every year.
Who said you don’t have to maintain them? You are dealing with high misalignment joints that are built for performance, not rubber bushings like OEM, they are not set and forget.
If that is proper way that JJ's should be maintained, then it should be taken into account when buying JJ's.
There are plenty of posts claiming that nothing must be done for years on a JJ (IE I haven't taken my joints apart in 10 years). The one year maintenance cycle is not explained by Currie nor is it common to see on this forum on suspension discussions. The more common reply is "Currie/Savvy is best, get JJ's". I also don't think taking 14 joints apart every year is something that is common with a quality joint.
I'm running Currie arms, but I also have no reason to believe I would achieve any worse results with most of the other aftermarket arms on the market. And if it isn't clear, I'm just trying to challenge some of the echo chambers that rattle around this forum sometimes
I make no claims that my way is proper or needed, but I like to take care of my stuff. I clean and oil my tools after I use them, and I try to maintain my joints so they last long and work well. Unnecessary? Maybe.If that is proper way that JJ's should be maintained, then it should be taken into account when buying JJ's.
There are plenty of posts claiming that nothing must be done for years on a JJ (IE I haven't taken my joints apart in 10 years). The one year maintenance cycle is not explained by Currie nor is it common to see on this forum on suspension discussions. The more common reply is "Currie/Savvy is best, get JJ's". I also don't think taking 14 joints apart every year is something that is common with a quality joint.
I'm running Currie arms, but I also have no reason to believe I would achieve any worse results with most of the other aftermarket arms on the market. And if it isn't clear, I'm just trying to challenge some of the echo chambers that rattle around this forum sometimes
If that is proper way that JJ's should be maintained, then it should be taken into account when buying JJ's.
There are plenty of posts claiming that nothing must be done for years on a JJ (IE I haven't taken my joints apart in 10 years). The one year maintenance cycle is not explained by Currie nor is it common to see on this forum on suspension discussions. The more common reply is "Currie/Savvy is best, get JJ's". I also don't think taking 14 joints apart every year is something that is common with a quality joint.
I'm running Currie arms, but I also have no reason to believe I would achieve any worse results with most of the other aftermarket arms on the market. And if it isn't clear, I'm just trying to challenge some of the echo chambers that rattle around this forum sometimes
If that is proper way that JJ's should be maintained, then it should be taken into account when buying JJ's.
There are plenty of posts claiming that nothing must be done for years on a JJ (IE I haven't taken my joints apart in 10 years). The one year maintenance cycle is not explained by Currie nor is it common to see on this forum on suspension discussions. The more common reply is "Currie/Savvy is best, get JJ's". I also don't think taking 14 joints apart every year is something that is common with a quality joint.
I'm running Currie arms, but I also have no reason to believe I would achieve any worse results with most of the other aftermarket arms on the market. And if it isn't clear, I'm just trying to challenge some of the echo chambers that rattle around this forum sometimes
I don’t see that but I don’t read every post. They are recommended here a lot, but they work.
Name a better joint you don’t have to maintain and provides the same misalignment.
In your environment. Salt might not be a factor but if you hit water and mud often (as we do here in the PNW) you need to keep things greased. They are not sealed so I don’t know what you exactly expect from them.....
FYI, I don’t own Currie or Savvy arms. So not being an echo chamber but again,
The OP asked about a inferior kit for Savvy kit money, it’s not hard to see why people would push him towards Savvy/Currie.
Half the price for Clayton....which is what it should be....
....
I'm running Currie arms, but I also have no reason to believe I would achieve any worse results with most of the other aftermarket arms on the market. And if it isn't clear, I'm just trying to challenge some of the echo chambers that rattle around this forum sometimes
Since the original question was about Clayton, why does the Clayton kit linked here still use a rubber bushing on one end?
I don't drive my Jeep in the salt around here. My first Currie arms were driven in Wyoming, where nothing but sand is used. The first set of seized arms never saw salt. The last time my Jeep saw salt was 2012, when it was completely stock. When it comes to mud, I would expect an off-road joint to be a little more resistant. I'm not driving through bogs, simply down forest service roads.
If you don't have them, how do you know they work? Because people on a forum said they did?
Again, what makes the Currie kit so much better? Would I have seen a difference if I had installed Clayton 4 years ago instead of my Currie kit? Probably not.
Why not? Do you think they would have failed? Would a Jeep with stock shock mounts see a difference? It seems like only the lowers use rubber bushings on one end. Maybe they wouldn't have seized like my JJ's did.
Rofl, ok, just cause I don’t have them on my TJ doesn’t mean this is my first rodeo and I haven’t done things in the past. But thanks for assuming. AGAIN. I said that the Clayton kit for the same money is a rip off.
3 years, no maintenance. I would guess rubber bushings are more your speed. You obviously don’t like your Currie arms and the JJ’s. Maybe sell them and buy the Clayton arms.
Brianj5600
TJ Expert
The wrong grease turns into glue as it dries out. Ask me how I know. A good Moly grease is the key.
Brianj5600
TJ Expert
Do you still have the Currie arms? I am looking for some fixer upper control arms. If you are only doing forest roads all you need is a stock Jeep.
Brianj5600
TJ Expert
Savvy kits come with Currie bumpstops too. Currie and Savvy are the cream of the crop. Their products are not cheap and can be cost prohibitive, and not necessarily needed by most.
It does get a little too over the top hearing Savvy/Currie over everything else and I felt the same way not too long ago. That said, when I was shopping lifts, there isn’t anything that is as good for the money. Clayton is a great company with great lifts. I doubt the OP will have any great issue with their products. But like anything in this world, it’s hard to justify a product that is the same cost as another product that offers even just the slightest bit more advantage. The JJ will offer higher misalignment without the worry of tearing your control arm mounts as you’ll reach the limitations of other components first. Now, would OP see those disadvantages? We may never know. But why pay the same money for something when it can be avoided with another product?
OP
Thank you all for the feedback. If I reading this correctly the consensus is that Savvy/Currie offers a top of the line kit for the money. The Clayton may have some parts that aren't as good but they still charge the same amount. If the kit was 40% less and I was shooting for 95% onroad usage, then it would be ok. Am I getting this about right? If so, I think my best course of action is to keep researching on here, put together my kit wish list, then talk with the fab shop about what I want done. If they are willing to use my parts, great. If not, I either do it myself or take elsewhere.