Johnny joints longevity (metaltech upper arms)

[cybrstar]

What's the longevity? I'm contemplating whether to go with the adjustable rear upper trailing arm from metal tech or the weld in bungs from slee. Mysteriously they are both the same price. For the metal tech I don't have to upgrade the OEM bushings for another $160.

Just wondering who's run them (metaltech) and would you recommend them over the rubber bushings? How long have you been running them?

 

[Douglas S]

Johnny Joints are widely used in applications that aren't 80-Series Land Cruisers. I've heard nothing but good things. The joints are also fully rebuild-able.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

Been running JJ's on the front 3-link for a few years and they're still holding up pretty decent. Only ruined 1 so far, it could be fixed with a vice. Long story made short, I had a bolt shear off and the housing got distorted/elongated. Not the joints fault, failed grade 8 bolts fault.

 

[scrowley]

I have upper and lower. The JJ has been good. The rubber side I have worn a few out. But they are cheap. Like under $10 each from metal tech.

 

[LINUS]

@cybrstar - I know it's more money, but if you're over OME heavy rears (2.75"+), you might want to look at the Wit's End longer lower arms.

I flat went right to Rick back forever ago & paid him for the math, then welded my LCA's per his #'s.

I'm a Slee 4" heavy progressives rear & to get back to no pinion harmonics took longer lowers, despite having welded in the adj upper pieces from Christo & spent time even tweaking the angle to try to fix it.

Between Rick's math & doing lowers, and plates up front that Joey vendors (Rick's goods), I'm as dead close to neutral as can get for a 4"+ lift - and I owned the stock 40th side -by- side so I had a easy benchmark to come back to.

Bonus you have heavy wall DOM over std lowers sidewall.

JJ's are known as the toughest way to go for aftermarket - that would be my choice save the longer lowers & standard rubber bushes.

 

[cybrstar]

Yup, I'm starting to feel the pain on just adding 1 more inch of lift. I recently upgraded from 305's to 315's and the 850j/863 just looked to small for the 35's.
-Had another set of 863j's that I threw back there and proportionally perfect, but with that extra inch a whole lot of gremlins formed.
-Had to get 20mm front spacer to level it out(hopefully no vibes in the front, didn't have any and still with the stock driveshaft hopefully don't need a cardan shaft)
-The rear J's pushed the axle too far off that now I need adjustable panhards.
-rear pinion angle needs to be addressed, maybe longer lcr's or top adjustable ucr's(or even both)

All to just have 1 more inch. It rode perfectly fine with the 850j/863 combo without any vibes.

But you know what they say, once you go big, you don't turn back.... or something like that.