New factory style (Clevite) bushing control arms.

[ironmanandy]

The newest release we are working on is the factory style injection mounded rubber joints for our indestructible control arms

These bushings should last for years and the ride quality should be second to none.

These arms do not currently have a bend in the arm because the offset of the front bushing shell should clear the brackets during flex.

The bushing inserts are pressed into a 2.75x.250 DOM shell that can take all the abuse you can throw at it. From my research I cannot find anyone that uses anything thicker than .120 wall tubing for these style bushings and that is too thin to smack a rock.

These will be available on our site soon. The cost of materials and labor is higher than poly so the cost will naturally be higher. We will offer these in several configurations later on but we feel that this may be the end all be all for a great riding super strong adjustable lower control arm for the on and off road market.

Here is an image of the bushings next ot the massive 2.75".250 wall shells

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr308/ibuildbigtoys/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20121127_170344.jpg

Here is a picture of the final product:

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr308/ibuildbigtoys/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20121203_142153.jpg

I will be running a limited discount on a few sets of these for folks to try out.
If you are interested PM me.
The retail on these bad boys will be around 249.00 a pair shipped.

Andy

[4.3LXJ]

Good move Andy, rubber is good

[ironmanandy]

Rubber is good... You are right.

I am selling 3 sets at 50.00 off.
200.00 shipped.

First set is gone.

Hit me up if you want em
ANdy

[Dredwolf]

:jumping0041:


;)

[ironmanandy]

1 set sold 2 sets left.

[4.3LXJ]

Rubber is good... You are right.

I am selling 3 sets at 50.00 off.
200.00 shipped.

First set is gone.

Hit me up if you want em
ANdy

Actually I might be more interested in the cans. I currently have a three link with some large tough bushings on DOM in that work well, but transmit a few vibes.

[Brasscatz]

Dammit Andy... If I were rich, I'd be buying all yer stuff! And now you keep coming out with more awesome stuff :P As long as you keep shooting stuff red for me, that is :D

[ironmanandy]

Actually I might be more interested in the cans. I currently have a three link with some large tough bushings on DOM in that work well, but transmit a few vibes.


I will sell them as a kit with the shells and the bushings. That 2.75x.250 has become super rare... I had to have my 40' made from the mill.... it carries a hefty price tag. It also takes one hell of a press to install them. If you think you are up to it let me know

the rubber inserts are 10.75 each and the shells are 14.25 each so its about 25.00 a joint.

[4.3LXJ]

OK Andy, thanks. I won't be doing any suspension stuff for awhile, but I will at some point when I link the rear.

[Carves]

....

[Dredwolf]

UPS dropped off my set tonight.....

:shocker: :gitrdun: :wow:

:notworthy:


I can't take pictures, my camera is scared of them.

[EZridaz]

I got a set ordered :D. Hopefully it will fix some issues I have. Can't wait to get them in and put on. Sadly it won't be untill after I unwrap them from the Christmas tree and not put on NOW...lol. I'll get some pictures when I get them on!

[Dredwolf]

Was planning the install today.....man, those factory upper arms look like aluminum cans compared to Andy's.

Guess I have to order the upper one's too.

[Dredwolf]

As mentioned above, the new lowers make the factory uppers look really pathetic.

So if I replace the uppers, should I go with poly, or johnny joint?

[EZridaz]

I plan on replacing my fixed RE uppers soon as well . When I do, I was planning on doing johnny at the drop brackets and clevite at the axle.

[Dredwolf]

...I was planning on doing johnny at the drop brackets and clevite at the axle.

Using like Andy's uppers?

[Carves]

As mentioned above, the new lowers make the factory uppers look really pathetic.

So if I replace the uppers, should I go with poly, or johnny joint?


Just IMHO ... What you use - really depends on what you're dong with the vehicle.


Everytime the front wheels get a jolt ... the shock is transmitted to the unibody, wafer thin, sheet metal mounting areas ... coz the front suspension, utilises whats really a trailing arm suspension system - which is mounted, back the front.

Dont get me wrong ... its not a bad design - and it allowed the continued fitting of a live axle, in a world requiring front end crumple rates for "safety" in passenger vehicles ... whereas most others went for IFS and CV joints and stuff...
It just has limitations requiring some forethought.


Obviously - how much of a shock depends on vehicle speed at the time and the increased angle of the control arms due to lift requirements.
Dropboxes or longarms are the best ways to overcome the issues of big lifts .. IMHO



Rubber is the best shock/vibration absorbing material, as long the rubber is good quality ... unlike a certain brand of leafspring bushes I fitted a while back .. :rolleyes:

Poly comes in various grades ... The yellow and red ones, from my experience ... tend to have all the shock absorbtion/flexing qualities of a piece of steel ...
..... altho the soft squishy blue ones Ive used in past vehicles arent bad ....... but I still wouldnt use em in an XJs front control arms.

PolyEthylene / PolyEurothane / whatever .. :D ... there some chemistry/compound issues to consider.

Havent tried johnny joints ... but no doubt they would be a great "flexing" add-on ... altho I suspect they don't do the control arm mounting welds or vehicle handling any favours over time ... in normal high speed driving scenarios.

[EZridaz]

Yea, I would definitely like to get his uppers he is working on to go with the new lowers we got. I'm sure my RE arms will look like chicken legs next to them. I'm hoping the lowers get here sometime this week. I saw that you got yours in about two days. Granted you are the next state away, but I am about a +/- 5hr drive from him so not to bad. So should be here right after he ships them anyway. I just re-read what I wrote earlier and said clevite on the uppers at the axle end...lol. I meant to say just johnny joints on the uppers and clevite on the lowers frame and axle end. The rubber will ride the best and last the longest. Johnny joints are the way to go really on the frame side for the uppers.


Using like Andy's uppers?

[Dredwolf]

Just IMHO ... What you use - really depends on what you're dong with the vehicle.


Everytime the front wheels get a jolt ... the shock is transmitted to the unibody, wafer thin, sheet metal mounting areas ... coz the front suspension, utilises whats really a trailing arm suspension system - which is mounted, back the front.

Dont get me wrong ... its not a bad design - and it allowed the continued fitting of a live axle, in a world requiring front end crumple rates for "safety" in passenger vehicles ... whereas most others went for IFS and CV joints and stuff...
It just has limitations requiring some forethought.


Obviously - how much of a shock depends on vehicle speed at the time and the increased angle of the control arms due to lift requirements.
Dropboxes or longarms are the best ways to overcome the issues of big lifts .. IMHO



Rubber is the best shock/vibration absorbing material, as long the rubber is good quality ... unlike a certain brand of leafspring bushes I fitted a while back .. :rolleyes:

Poly comes in various grades ... The yellow and red ones, from my experience ... tend to have all the shock absorbtion/flexing qualities of a piece of steel ...
..... altho the soft squishy blue ones Ive used in past vehicles arent bad ....... but I still wouldnt use em in an XJs front control arms.

PolyEthylene / PolyEurothane / whatever .. :D ... there some chemistry/compound issues to consider.

Havent tried johnny joints ... but no doubt they would be a great "flexing" add-on ... altho I suspect they don't do the control arm mounting welds or vehicle handling any favours over time ... in normal high speed driving scenarios.

Right on all counts, but I am staying at 4.5-5" for 33's and 4.10/4.11 gearing for the first pass on this XJ, and sticking with short arms.

I have the same concerns (did poly on a lot of rigs, but you can get durometer specs these days) its why I jumped at the chance for the new lowers Andy introduced. If he does uppers, I will set my back pocket on fire ripping the wallet out.

I am probably going to pull this axle to box the passenger upper mount, build some lower arm skids, and rebuild the driver side shock mount.

[Carves]

..... its why I jumped at the chance for the new lowers Andy introduced. If he does uppers, I will set my back pocket on fire ripping the wallet out .....

:D:D


... personally ... I will hate the bloke if he does uppers with "stock" bushes ...

coz shipping to down here is a killer ;);) ... :D

[ironmanandy]

Just IMHO ... What you use - really depends on what you're dong with the vehicle.






Obviously - how much of a shock depends on vehicle speed at the time and the increased angle of the control arms due to lift requirements.
Dropboxes or longarms are the best ways to overcome the issues of big lifts .. IMHO



Rubber is the best shock/vibration absorbing material, as long the rubber is good quality ... unlike a certain brand of leafspring bushes I fitted a while back .. :rolleyes:

Poly comes in various grades ... The yellow and red ones, from my experience ... tend to have all the shock absorbtion/flexing qualities of a piece of steel ...
..... altho the soft squishy blue ones Ive used in past vehicles arent bad ....... but I still wouldnt use em in an XJs front control arms.

PolyEthylene / PolyEurothane / whatever .. :D ... there some chemistry/compound issues to consider.

Havent tried johnny joints ... but no doubt they would be a great "flexing" add-on ... altho I suspect they don't do the control arm mounting welds or vehicle handling any favours over time ... in normal high speed driving scenarios.



Polyurethane, when designed and used properly can actually outperform most other materials. Color is Irrelevant. That's like saying I eat blue icing because its better than red.... When it all came from a white batch and they added food coloring.

Poly comes in lots of rates of materials and Durometers. I use 88, tough 88, and 95 poly graphite.

when poly is not pre-loaded properly it will deform and can split. Most suspension companies that use poly do not put enough pre load on the poly because they want the customer to be able to slide the sleeve in place easily when installing. Its lazy in my opinion but you get what you pay for.

We actually pre load ours with 1/8" oversize tapered sleeves that stay tight and ride really well. They transfer torque and braking really crisply while having a nice ride.

The factory style rubber rides really nice. It absorbs poor alignment better and tends to be a good band aid for poorly assembled suspension.

This is one of the main reasons folks with wobble issues only get worse wobbles when they take out factory arms and replace them with even worse aftermarket cheap (incorrectly) poly bushed arms.

Factory style rubber is also really good to have when using radius arms (long arms) because of the bind created when the arms break the level plane. When one tire is at one height and the other at a lower or higher point they are resting at different points in the radius path. These different lengths create bind that can be absorbed by tough poly or good absorbent rubber.

I am sending out my first sets of long arms with rubber this week to see how it performs.

Andy

[Carves]

.......... Color is Irrelevant. That's like saying I eat blue icing because its better than red.... When it all came from a white batch and they added food coloring ............


LOL ... good point ... I probably should clarify that the colouring I was referring to - indicated the product brands Ive used.

[ironmanandy]

my jonhhy joint arms do use an upgraded 1/2" through bolt. I include the bolt. Its 170,000 psi grade 9, 12 point. just for poops and giggles.
Andy

[ironmanandy]

Those that got the rubber joint arms from me and have not yet received them... I special ordered a nifty device for installing the bushings better. It was due in..... whats today?..... yeah 2 days ago....Ill let you know when they ship.
Andy

[Carves]

Welllll ... it took most of the morning but after finally unwrapping 3squillion square feet of cling wrap and newspaper ....

I discovered a pair of rather over engineered, impressive, lower control arms had arrived .. :D


Just like to say thanks for the continued updates on delivery ... and the care in packaging .. :thumbsup:


Just one little issue tho ....

Are the decals meant to be applied as reinforcing on the lca unibody mounts ??

... coz I only got one decal .. :p .. :D

[Dredwolf]

Andy made me buy more stuff to get extra decals ;-)