Currie Johnny Joint Control Arms

Johnny Joint Control Arms by Currie

Common heim joints are able to give you movement up to 22 degrees.  This will be unrestricted movement and can be multi-directional.  That being said, the Johnny Joints that are brought to you by the minds at Currie will give you a full 30 degrees of unrestricted, multi-directional movement.  In the inner part of the rod ends on these Johnny Joints you will find an 88 urethane bushing.  This bushing is tough due to the high amount of density it has.  This is also the type of urethane that the inner ball is encased in.  Urethane of this type is incredibly durable and is also impervious to weather.

The ball has been made from steel and then heat treated so that it will have a strength that is unparalleled.  There are different models of these Johnny Joints.  The 2 and the 2 ½ inch versions have a cross drilled ball that allow for lubrication through the bolt.  The 3 inch version is lubricated through the zerk fitting that is located on the outer shell.  The shells for the balls are also made from a heat treated type of steel.

Speaking of the 3 inch joints, these also come with washers made from chrome moly 4340 that has been machined.  These washers are equipped with a safety in the form of a snap ring that has been integrated into them so that the snap ring will not be able to slip out.  The 3 inch versions can accept a ¾ inch bolt but they do not come with one. 

As far as the 2 inch joints go, they have a thru bolt that measures 7/16 of an inch and this bolt is able to be greased.  In addition, the joints that measure 2 inches can also be purchased with a ¾ inch RH stud that has been threaded and can be welded to the joint itself.

MJ/LJ/XJ/TJ Front End Housing Johnny Joint Conversion Kit

This Currie made kit is what will allow for the installation of the Johnny Joints that measure 2 inches on aftermarket or even stock housings as opposed to the typical bushings for the control arms that are usually mounted onto the housings.  This kits comes to you complete with the Johnny Joint installation tool – another Currie creation – as well as the insert for the Johnny Joint that is meant for use with the ear of the gear case.  There is also a steel upright that is a full inch in thickness and has been flame cut.  Installation does involve a bit of welding and cutting but for the person with the know-how, skills and tools, it is still an installation that can be simple.

Currie Johnny Joint Upper Control Arms

The Currie Johnny joint upper control arms are meant for use on the Jeep Unlimited and TJ with a model year falling between 1997 and 2006.  These control arms are totally adjustable which means that you will be able to adjust the angle of the pinion once a lift kit has been installed.  These Johnny joint upper control arms have been made from tubing measuring 1 inch by .156 wall.  They do come to you complete with the Johnny joint on either end of the control arms.

These are great for anyone who wants a set of adjustable arms in case you are planning a lift in the future. 

What is the purpose of having Johnny Joints in the Rear?

The control arms are in control of the rear and front axle movement while the trac bar is in control of the lateral movement of the axles.  Sway bars have the control of any upward sort of movement.  That said, how can the Johnny joint be beneficial?

When you are going over terrain that is rough, the suspension flexes even though the axles do not go straight up and straight back down.  It might be that one side is up while the other is still lower.  The control arms in your Jeep won’t be perpendicular when it comes to the mounts.  In order for the suspension to be able to flex, they will need to have a bit of give.  This is why your factory installed control are have been fashioned in the way that they have.  There is a channel located in the arms that has to have a bit of flex to it in order for it to be able to follow the suspension that was installed by the factory.

If you decide to add some beefy control arms to your rig and you do not give it some sort of way to move as it should then you could actually damage or even rip the control arm mounts off totally.  For this reason, most of the control arms found on the market today are sold either with a Johnny joint or some other type of flexible mount.

The Johnny joints on the Currie Johnny joint upper control arms are simply the best.  Johnny joints made by other manufacturers are known to squeak, rattle and even to come apart.

You will need to visualize what the suspension does in order to articulate as well as what it does when you hit the gas and even when you stand up on your brakes.  This will allow you to know why you need them. 

Again, when it comes to dealing with Johnny joints, Currie is the only name you need to know.