Front Upper Johnny Joint Axle Bracket Options

XCRN

XCRN

TJ Enthusiast
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Getting stuff ready to build my front Dana 44, I was going to get the RockJock JJ bracket for it. After I saw in the instructions that it requires cutting a small section of the passenger side bracket to locate the RJ bracket, I realized I am in a pickle. The Dana 44 I have had the passenger side bracket cut off since the PO was going to run it 3-link front. So that left me with no good way to locate the new bracket I want to use. Are there other JJ passenger brackets on the market that do not require having the factory bracket still there to weld and locate?
 
Keep going with the 3 link. The little Johnny Joints in the housing kit are not big enough for that job. Three of the larger ones are preferable.
 
jjvw said:
Keep going with the 3 link. The little Johnny Joints in the housing kit are not big enough for that job. Three of the larger ones are preferable.
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This sees too much highway driving to go 3 link. I have driven a 3 link XJ and WJ and did not like its on road manners. How is it weaker compared to stock bushing that are the same diameter, or even the same JJ size on the frame end that I have been running for about a year now?
 
XCRN said:
This sees too much highway driving to go 3 link. I have driven a 3 link XJ and WJ and did not like its on road manners. ...
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Either those were poorly done 3 links or something else was affecting the handling.

Up until last year, mine was a daily driver with a 3 link for about 50k miles since about 2018. The road manners have always been very good. But the rest of the Jeep is also built to handle very nicely.
 
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XCRN said:
... How is it weaker compared to stock bushing that are the same diameter, or even the same JJ size on the frame end that I have been running for about a year now?
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Less stable. Not more weaker. Those are two different bushings/joints.

When you increase the size of the JJ, it's surface area vastly increases to where one big joint becomes more stable than two small cleavite bushings.
 
jjvw said:
Either those were poorly done 3 links or something else was affecting the handling.

Up until last year, mine was a daily driver with a 3 link for about 50k miles since about 2018. The road manners have always been very good. But the rest of the Jeep is also built to handle very nicely.
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Could have been. The XJ would not shock me if it was something else since it was kind of a “send it” rig. The WJ was built nicely with good components just from looking on the outside so no idea what could have been the issue on that one. I did not build or own both, just got to drive them.

What you say makes sense on the stability, but I am limited on driver side to the same size smaller bushing regardless. I am not working with much room and do not want to sacrifice any more uptravel. Hard to see in the pic, but the Core4x4 control arm with open fork arm barely misses the PS/Alt bracket, and did hit it when I still had stock arms.

But when you mention stability, in what way? I have been 100mph before with the stock bushings on the axle and JJ everywhere else and I thought it drove very smooth and stable, but I wonder if what stability we are shooting for is different.

IMG_8307.jpeg
 
XCRN said:
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But when you mention stability, in what way? I have been 100mph before with the stock bushings on the axle and JJ everywhere else and I thought it drove very smooth and stable, but I wonder if what stability we are shooting for is different.

View attachment 524872
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By stability, I mean how much wiggly wobbly is present in the control arms as they control the axle movement.
 
jjvw said:
By stability, I mean how much wiggly wobbly is present in the control arms as they control the axle movement.
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Ok I gotcha, it does seem like the stock rubber clevites have been working fine and fairly stable on the Dana 30 under it currently. But since I am JJ all around currently except the axle, to me it makes sense to add them to the Dana 44 being worked on off to the side since I have to do some welding on it anyways to fix some stuff. When a $500 set of Rubicon axles popup for sale, you do not ask questions, you just get them and work out the issues later
 
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XCRN said:
Ok I gotcha, it does seem like the stock rubber clevites have been working fine and fairly stable on the Dana 30 under it currently. But since I am JJ all around currently except the axle, to me it makes sense to add them to the Dana 44 being worked on off to the side since I have to do some welding on it anyways to fix some stuff. When a $500 set of Rubicon axles popup for sale, you do not ask questions, you just get them and work out the issues later
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I have a full set of Johnny joints arms and have been talked out of “upgrading” the upper axle side to JJ’s because of the tendency to develop death wobble. The cleavite bushings flex plenty well enough with a single JJ on one end to handle the 11 or so inches of suspension travel possible on short arms.
 
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Mike_H said:
I have a full set of Johnny joints arms and have been talked out of “upgrading” the upper axle side to JJ’s because of the tendency to develop death wobble. The cleavite bushings flex plenty well enough with a single JJ on one end to handle the 11 or so inches of suspension travel possible on short arms.
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Same here.

voodooridr said:
While we're on the subject of axle housing bushings, what are the best ones to use?
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I went with Mopar. They are not terribly expensive so why not.
 
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