Metalcloak or Savvy in salt environment?

[jetties2003]

Im looking at getting either SAVVY or Metalcloak short control arms. My concern is I live in CT where the roads are salted during the winter. Any opinions out there on which control arm ends would hold up better in the salt? Metalcloaks duraflex joints seem like they would prevent entry of corrosive salt into the joint more than compared to the Savvy johnny joint style ends but the savvy joints are greaseable on the arm and bolt. Buuuuut, the savvy arms are aluminum with steel ends so there could be an issue there with dissimilar metals. Thoughts? Or are there other control arms that provide good flex that would work better in the salt?

https://metalcloak.com/tj-long-travel-short-arm-suspension-system-lift-kit.html

https://savvyoffroad.com/savvy-tj-lj-johnny-joint-aluminum-control-arm-set-8-pieces/

 

[The4bangertj]

Im looking at getting either SAVVY or Metalcloak short control arms. My concern is I live in CT where the roads are salted during the winter. Any opinions out there on which control arm ends would hold up better in the salt? Metalcloaks duraflex joints seem like they would prevent entry of corrosive salt into the joint more than compared to the Savvy johnny joint style ends but the savvy joints are greaseable on the arm and bolt. Buuuuut, the savvy arms are aluminum with steel ends so there could be an issue there with dissimilar metals. Thoughts? Or are there other control arms that provide good flex that would work better in the salt?

https://metalcloak.com/tj-long-travel-short-arm-suspension-system-lift-kit.html

https://savvyoffroad.com/savvy-tj-lj-johnny-joint-aluminum-control-arm-set-8-pieces/

I’ve seen a few guys here get tired of Johnny joints loosing the grease and squeak from mud and salt and move to the mc joint. That being said I have savvy rear uppers on my tj for 4 years and I’ve driven across the country 5 times with them and spent 4 winters in idaho with a lot of salt daily driving it everyday. I grease everything every spring and fall before and after winter and they’re still tight and don’t squeak for me. I try and avoid mud as much as possible tho for cleaning purposes but they get muddy every now and then. So I don’t think the Johnny joint is as bad as people say but I’m definitely not the right guy since I believe the mud is the biggest factor of sucking the grease out and not salt and I don’t see enough mud. If your concern is only salt tho I think you’re fine on either.

 

[tworley]

Go with Savvy.

MC's duroflex joint is a spherical ball bonded into a rubber bushing which relies on grease to allow the joint to move in the control arm barrel. If the grease dries out, then the joint begins to bind during rotation and will eventually tear itself apart. Even kevlar won't help. The johnny joint is the spherical ball sandwiched between two races.

Either arm is going to have to be dissembled to perform maintenance.

 

[jetties2003]

Go with Savvy.

MC's duroflex joint is a spherical ball bonded into a rubber bushing which relies on grease to allow the joint to move in the control arm barrel. If the grease dries out, then the joint begins to bind during rotation and will eventually tear itself apart. Even kevlar won't help. The johnny joint is the spherical ball sandwiched between two races.

Either arm is going to have to be dissembled to perform maintenance.

Thanks for the insight guys, appreciate it.

 

[Ir0nH3@d]

many salt filled years in chicago winters before mine became secondary vehicle. never had an issue with savvy aluminum arms or johnny joints. bought the rebuild kits and they are still on my shelf. squirt a tiny bit of grease in them every few years and they still work great.

 

[bluescapegoat]

My savvy short arms went ungreased on my daily driver in ohio and minnesota for probably 8 years and were still quiet and no play. Another forum member bought them as-is and successfully rebuilt them and put them back into service on the west coast.

I avoid mud, though. Mud destroys everything.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Go with Savvy which uses the very best flex joint, the Johnny Joint from Currie. MC's is nothing but a rubber bushing inside its housing. Metalcloak calls their bushing Duraflex but that's just their name for rubber. They certainly don't hold up like the Johnny Joint does. My Currie Johnny Joints have barely been touched maintenance-wise in the 15 years I've owned them.

 

[Superjay5]

I’d also recommend savvy, but if you are driving this jeep in the winter with salt on the ground it’s a battle you can’t win.

I’m in Michigan, so I’m super familiar with salt and rust. Best thing I ever did was to buy another vehicle and store my jeep in the winter.

Sooner rather than later your jeep will fall apart and all that money and time you put into it will go out the window. It sucks, but it’s the hard truth!

 

[Paradiddle]

The JJ is the best.

 

[jjvw]

One thing I know from my experience is that is takes about 30k miles of neglect to wear out a Johnny Joint to the point that the poly race needs to be either squeezed tight with a shim or replaced. Several of mine have shims fresh grease and are as tight as new.

 

[jetties2003]

I’d also recommend savvy, but if you are driving this jeep in the winter with salt on the ground it’s a battle you can’t win.

I’m in Michigan, so I’m super familiar with salt and rust. Best thing I ever did was to buy another vehicle and store my jeep in the winter.

Sooner rather than later your jeep will fall apart and all that money and time you put into it will go out the window. It sucks, but it’s the hard truth!

Right

 

[jetties2003]

Thanks everyone for the input. One quick question. I put a Rubicon Express lift on my last LJ. The control arms, from what i can recall, were just standard rubber busing ends. It rode like a dream. Will the JJ ends ride stiffer / transfer bumps up into the jeep? Thanks again, just trying to make the right decision. I know this all depends on how much wheeling I will do, in CC Texas we wheeled every day. Ive been in CT now for about 8 years, wheeling seems limited. Im hoping if i build it they will come, meaning if i build a jeep somehow ill hook up with some folks that know where to wheel. So the jeep may end up not wheeling much, so cheaper arms may be the way to go, and if the JJs cause the bumps to jump into my seat it may make sense to stay away considering the salt. Maybe someone can tell me if JJ amplify the bumps, hopefully they dont and i can just grease them every 6 months and at least right before winters. Thanks again.

 

[jjvw]

Thanks everyone for the input. One quick question. I put a Rubicon Express lift on my last LJ. The control arms, from what i can recall, were just standard rubber busing ends. It rode like a dream. Will the JJ ends ride stiffer / transfer bumps up into the jeep? Thanks again, just trying to make the right decision. I know this all depends on how much wheeling I will do, in CC Texas we wheeled every day. Ive been in CT now for about 8 years, wheeling seems limited. Im hoping if i build it they will come, meaning if i build a jeep somehow ill hook up with some folks that know where to wheel. So the jeep may end up not wheeling much, so cheaper arms may be the way to go, and if the JJs cause the bumps to jump into my seat it may make sense to stay away considering the salt. Maybe someone can tell me if JJ amplify the bumps, hopefully they dont and i can just grease them every 6 months and at least right before winters. Thanks again.

Control arm joints do not have any perceivable affect on the ride quality.

 

[RINC]

I avoid mud, though. Mud destroys everything.

No Redneck Riviera for Jerry and you?

 

[MichaelGH]

This is in another thread going right now. Towards the bottom.

I garage my Jeep when there is salt on the road. So I have no issues with my JJs.

Food for thought though…

JJs after 3 New York Winters…

 

[Weasellee]

This is in another thread going right now. Towards the bottom.

I garage my Jeep when there is salt on the road. So I have no issues with my JJs.

Food for thought though…

JJs after 3 New York Winters…

Remember, like discussed recently. Not sure the road salt and winter is the issue. 3 years of running through mud also. Yes mud. Does anyone believe the MC joint will hold up longer in mud?

 

[Weasellee]

One thing I know from my experience is that is takes about 30k miles of neglect to wear out a Johnny Joint to the point that the poly race needs to be either squeezed tight with a shim or replaced. Several of mine have shims fresh grease and are as tight as new.

I remember the thread of it was you, where did you source the “shims”

 

[jjvw]

I remember the thread of it was you, where did you source the “shims”

Hardware store. Or cut them out of clear plastic packaging. It doesn't take much.

 

[Weasellee]

Hardware store. Or cut them out of clear plastic packaging. It doesn't take much.

We’re they metal or plastic

 

[jjvw]

We’re they metal or plastic

Doesn't matter which. Mine were these, if you can find them.

Thread 'How to Rejuvenate a Worn Out Johnny Joint' https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-rejuvenate-a-worn-out-johnny-joint.63740/