i bought my xj with a 6" kit that has johnny joints in the control arms. i was wondering what makes them different? i heard they could be rebuilt? also how do you tell if they need to be rebuilt?

 

Johnny Joints can be rebuilt. You should be able to get the replacement parts through whatever company makes the Control Arms you have. Johnny joints are different than regular bushings in that they a sort of ball joint that allows your control arms to move up and down and side to side much more freely.

 

is there a way to tell if they need to be rebuilt? the lower ones in my jeep look like they may need to be, the control arms look almost twisted. if you were to have an imaginary line through the middle of the joint is it supposed to be parrallel to the ground?

 

Well, my control arms only have johnny joints at the frame end....and mine have never sat parallel to the ground.

 

you'll have to unbolt the control arm at the frame end, and wiggle the joint around. if it moves easy enough with just your fingers, it needs rebuilt.

it should be real difficult to move that joint around by hand.
they're easy to rebuild, all it really needs is new nylon o-ring/bushings and clean up with new grease.