Budget control arm idea
- Thread starter mobile chernobyl
- Start date
I went with this set since I currently have stock arms with my OME lift. Needed rear adjustable arms for the semi-wallet-friendly Tummy Tuck project. JJ on one end to help with flex but price was reasonable ($160) with an 15% off eBay coupon.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/162695133236
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/162695133236
M35A2
TJ Enthusiast
I actually haven't worn a watch in years. Since I carry my phone with me wherever I go, a watch is completely pointless. Especially one worth $5800.
But good for you. Glad you're happy with your purchase.
Yeah, the housing is different from their tier 2 (core 4x4) to tier 3 (Currie) but yes, real JJ. They are stout control arms.
Bumping this thread.
Did we find out how much force it takes to misalign a DDB. How does that force compare to Clevite? Will a DDB tear off control arms?
Any information on the Rancho D2 bushings? Does Rancho make their own or are they also the Red Ranger bushings. I missed Red Ranger before in this thread and just came across them today on Claytons website.
So putting some pieces of the puzzle together I found that Red Ranger is in Austraila. On their webpage they show Whiteline as one of their brands. Whiteline makes a control arm for the Ford Mustang with a dual durometer bushing they call MAX-C. Old Man Emu makes a dual durometer control arm for the JK with a dual durometer bushing they also call Max C. If you search the web for pictures of the Synergy bushing, you will see some pictures of the bushing with an "R" and Patent Pending on the label. That R is clearly the same font that RedRanger uses. So almost certainly RedRanger makes the Synergy bushings, the Giiro Bushings, and the Old man Emu bushings. I think its quite plausible Red Ranger makes all the DDB bushings. Rancho might be the only company big enough to produce their own. The bigger question though might be if they are all the same or do different companies spec different durometers or other differences.
I expect that in the future DDB bushings will replace Clevite, except in cases where cheaper is better and Clevite meets the demand requirements. My question is, will all the DDB bushings be the same. I believe that Clevite comes in different densities. So could DDB bushings. Will knock off DDBs be of the same quality or will cheap knockoffs perform poorly. Just like JJ knockoffs don't perform as well as the real thing. Its something to consider and something to watch as they become more popular.
Rancho currently has a Spring rebate promotion going. So a set of 8 arms with D2 bushings is about $720+ tax after rebate. So I'm seriously considering purchasing the Rancho D2 arms. But I have concerns that the Rancho bushings might be inferior to the Synergy. Are my conerns valid or is Rancho reputable enough to use a quality DDB?
Did we find out how much force it takes to misalign a DDB. How does that force compare to Clevite? Will a DDB tear off control arms?
Any information on the Rancho D2 bushings? Does Rancho make their own or are they also the Red Ranger bushings. I missed Red Ranger before in this thread and just came across them today on Claytons website.
So putting some pieces of the puzzle together I found that Red Ranger is in Austraila. On their webpage they show Whiteline as one of their brands. Whiteline makes a control arm for the Ford Mustang with a dual durometer bushing they call MAX-C. Old Man Emu makes a dual durometer control arm for the JK with a dual durometer bushing they also call Max C. If you search the web for pictures of the Synergy bushing, you will see some pictures of the bushing with an "R" and Patent Pending on the label. That R is clearly the same font that RedRanger uses. So almost certainly RedRanger makes the Synergy bushings, the Giiro Bushings, and the Old man Emu bushings. I think its quite plausible Red Ranger makes all the DDB bushings. Rancho might be the only company big enough to produce their own. The bigger question though might be if they are all the same or do different companies spec different durometers or other differences.
I expect that in the future DDB bushings will replace Clevite, except in cases where cheaper is better and Clevite meets the demand requirements. My question is, will all the DDB bushings be the same. I believe that Clevite comes in different densities. So could DDB bushings. Will knock off DDBs be of the same quality or will cheap knockoffs perform poorly. Just like JJ knockoffs don't perform as well as the real thing. Its something to consider and something to watch as they become more popular.
Rancho currently has a Spring rebate promotion going. So a set of 8 arms with D2 bushings is about $720+ tax after rebate. So I'm seriously considering purchasing the Rancho D2 arms. But I have concerns that the Rancho bushings might be inferior to the Synergy. Are my conerns valid or is Rancho reputable enough to use a quality DDB?
Ohh one other thing. Can any of the DDB bushings be pressed into the factory track bar? I'd like to try that.
I know that the DDB's are not the same as the Girro ones from Clayton, the DDB's bushing was snug and it had a sleeve showing the clayton was loose and no sleeve. I put the DDB's in my arms that I had core 4x4 custom build me. I still have a box of the clayton's that I didnt install. I was able to put a pin in the center of the bushing and rotate the arm to get the bolt through. Check out Core4x4, ask for Spence. They will build any length arm you want. Just press in the bushings you want. Tim
Yes, I bought those for the adjustable track bars that uses the clevite bushing when they wear out.
I remember seeing that thread somewhere. Were those bushings you compared for the same location?
Do you know the DDB part number for the bushing that would fit in the stock trackbar?
Lateral angle; arm & body force to reach near their limit. Twisting requires right-angle leverage with a large wrench. A complete stock control arm yields with similar leverage, but doesn't allow near the same range of articulation. I doubt a DDB in a Synergy arm would tear off a mounting bracket. Control arm DDBs allow greater range of motion than limitations imposed by typical shock, spring, or driveshaft.
They were both lower control arm bushings, I even weighted them. The synergy was slightly heavier. Track bar bushings:
I thought red ranger made all of the dual durometer bushings for the different suppliers, but after getting them, they are either spec'd out different or there is different manufacturers.
| PPM-4323-02 | JEEP TRACK BAR BUSHING | 8155-01, 8156 | 1.600" | 12MM | 4402-01 | 1.375" | 1.875" | 0.188" | 1.499" |
I thought red ranger made all of the dual durometer bushings for the different suppliers, but after getting them, they are either spec'd out different or there is different manufacturers.
Would you be interested in the Clayton Girro's I have sitting on the shelf? Full set for control arms except the axle.
I think you are correct. I would guess that they are just spec'd out different. Look at this Synergy 70001G-2 bushing found on Northridges website. Notice the letter "R" in the upper left hand corner? It looks identical to the RedRanger Logo. You can't tell me RedRanger isn't making that bushing for Synergy. Or at the very least Synergy is paying RedRanger patent fees to produce something very similar.
I sent an email to Rancho about their D2 bushings. He didn't know who made the Synergy DDB bushing, but he said there are not many companies making them. (From my research, I'm thinking there is only one making them.) He stated their D2 bushings are made to their specs.
Obviously, the Rancho guy didn't want to give too much away. I don't think he said anything we didn't already assume. But I think by saying they were made to Rancho specs, we can also assume that if it is RedRanger making the bushings for everyone, they can still be made to different specs. How those different specs will affect durability, flex, and other factors is anyones guess.
I don't think the Giiros would help me. I don't have any arms to put them in.
I think I am just going to purchase the Rancho arms. With the rebate they have going, its the cheapest option for a set of dual durometer arms. Its also nice to know that they offer replacement bushings along with a tool to make replacement easy. I also know that Rancho is going to be around a long time to offer those replacement parts. Unlike Synergy whos website now shows their TJ arms are discontinued and the axle mount bushing was gone a long time ago.
I love the Synergy stuff, but I don't trust that they will continue to offer replacement parts in the future. Even though they promise they will. I expect they will only offer replacement bushings that are being used in other current applications. Such as current JK and JL applications. I think they tried to use the same bushing in as many applications as they could. But you could still end up with a bushing you can't replace. I expect Rancho will sell more arms and will continue support them for much longer.
I don't think you could go wrong with the Rancho arms. Still leaves you wondering what to put in the front upper axle though.
Thanks for your thoughts on Rancho arms. There is very little information about Rancho stuff out there. Neither good nor bad. Apparently the Rancho fans don't visit forums.
Your right about that front upper bushing. I really don't know what to do up there. I might just put in new Clevites to bide my time. If the dual durometer bushings are as good as we are lead to believe, then I expect we will see a lot more companies going this route. At some point somebody will make one that presses into the stock mounts.
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