I have some RC control arms with the flex joints and they keep going out and will make a very annoying knocking sound when I drive so I'm gonna be replacing with Core 4x4 with the regular rubber bushing. I've been told by multiple people that when I switch to those control arms with the rubber bushings that it probably will ride a little smoother. So my question is would that be true about getting a smoother ride and if so why?

 

I dont think youl notice any difference.

are your flex joints just rolling back and forth clunking? heims do this when a heim is at both ends of the bar . Its more likeca clicking

 

You get what you pay for on flex joints Rough Country is notorious for having joints that fail. I have some with suspension grade nylon inserts I am anxious to try out

 

The play in the joint is from side to side and I've replaces the joint on the passenger side once but it last maybe 4 thousand miles and it's definitely not a clicking sound but more of a knocking. I can grab the joint by hand when it's parked and move it side to side and it will make a knocking sound just by hand.

 

Like play in the bolt or inside bolt bore?

 

RC stuff is straight garbage. Removing their product from my Jeep is the best thing I've ever done for it.

 

I was using the RC upper and lower adjustable control arms with flex joints. One of the lowers got the washer bent. That is the washer that threads in and holds the bushings in, Washer got bent then pulled out of the housing leaving the flex joint bushings to come free, the loosened lower control arm knocking around on a 50 mile drive home from the trail head.
I was able to rebuild that one by getting replacement part from RC and noticed the replacement washer was thicker than the one that got bent. Maybe they improved their product. Drove with the RC's another couple years till I went in to rebuild my uppers.
Went in to rebuild the RC upper control arm flex joints, removed one of the control arms and found that the screw in washer on that one had bent.. I was unable to rebuild it since the threading was now stripped in the housing so tightened it as much as possible reinstalled and drove it another few months until I replaced all RC control Arms with Rubicon Express.
You do get what you pay for. You can clearly see the higher quality in the RE vs the RC.at a higher cost.
I do enjoy the flex joints vs the solid bushings, Flex joints are smoother and should in theory last longer. Flex joints are serviceable and can be greased, It should also be easier to replace flex joint bushings vs replacing solid bushings.

 

I've been slowly doing the same thing.

 

In case most of you didn't know, the flex joints in the control arms from Rough Country are the same ones that RE, Teraflex and many others also use. They don't make their own joints, and source them just like pretty much everyone else does. So those that are saying that the RE's are better quality have been fooled. They are the same joints. I know that many people are just here to bash "Cheap Chinese Junk", and I fully support buying American whenever it warrants, but the truth is that most things are engineered in the US and outsourced for assembly in China, even if you think you are buying American. Hell, most of the steel that the expensive items that US based off-road companies use to build things in the US came from China in the first place, since we don't produce as much of our own steel anymore. Thank you NAFTA.

Joints are a wear item on these things. For a daily driver, they will last a lot longer than someone bashing rocks every weekend for sure. Even moderate trails put a significant amount of additional stress on wear items than highway driving does. Picture hitting a pothole every 20 feet in your daily commute and imagine what additional stresses you are going to put your suspension through.

I have bought both the expensive and cheap parts for my Jeep. Some are engineered better than others, but I have worn out the expensive brands just as fast as most cheaper brands when comparing apples to apples. Just because something costs twice as much, doesn't mean it is 2x better. And NO, You don't always get what you pay for.

 

those RC arms - especially the earlier design with the screw in washer are easily warrantied out. I bought my long arm kit second hand and like others popped the washer out while on the trail. An email and a phone call and off course a little time in between and they sent me 2 newer style upper flex joints FREE!

small side note for those unsure what to do with the early design - thread in washer can be welded in place and then the joints STILL serviced by removing the snap ring then washer from the other side - just like most other flex joints. I've retained both my early design uppers and rebuilt them with new bushings and pack them as spares

 

Im pretty sure to much keyboard typing has even worn out ****y joints as the old jeep rhinos say this and that and little sheep jeepers praise and do as they say.
does that make it true today heck I dunno but ill say so cause they did.

 

Not meaning to thread drift but I keep reading about so much of the aftermarket being "junk". And companies that used to be good quality product. I worked in the aftermarket for over a decade(TRW/Federal-Mogul) and the stuff I sold was pretty solid back then(I have been in OEM automotive for the last 13 years or so). TRW, Sealed Power, Moog, Wagner, Fel-Pro, McCord, Standard Ignition, BCA bearings, National Seals, I repped them all. Heck, though I sold new and competed against the remanned product out there, some of that was still pretty good. I hear Cardone is crap now? Wasn't always like that.

And while I will stand toe to toe with anyone to prove to me that aftermarket is "better" than OEM, in my past I found aftermarket to be perfectly serviceable if done right.

What about companies like Edelbrock, Accel, MSD, Carter, Holley? Are they in the crapper too?

Cuz if all the aftermarket companies have gone to **** and OEM parts are not available anymore, am I spinning my wheels thinking I can buy a Cherokee, return it to factory new condition and put another 200K miles on it?

Has China replaced all the great products that I sold in the 90's?

Or is some of this

 

Pretty much yes... Moog used to be the go to for mopar musclecar replacement parts at one time... Then the cheaper replacement parts started flowing under their name.. Same with timken bearings.. Most now sourced overseas and the lower quality came with the ride back over here to sell.. Holley sold out a few years ago but are still riding the name you need to check reviews on their products to see which slid down the quality hill... It's tough weeding through the sea of replacement parts for the quality pieces still out there... You want 200k from your Cherokee..Snag the NOS parts as they appear and stock up.. Don't expect to rattle the keyboard and order up all the stuff you'll need.. You'll be an expert at the search when you're done..lol...

The damage is done with Rough Country's parts from days gone by but as been suggested they've upped the game and the playing field isn't what it used to be...Guess who's joint this is...Looks nothing like the problem child of years gone by..

 

So if I buy a Cherokee with 200K miles on it, rebuild all the major wear areas; bearings, bushings, seals, engine, suspension I'll end up with a Jeep "made in China"?

 

Here's my bottom line...maybe RC improved their product, but guess what? I DGAF, and I'll still steer people away from them, because of my personal experience with their products and service. Wanna know why?

Because they built their company off of the wallets of hard working individuals with substandard products and materials, and what I consider predatory practices...hook em with low price and reel them in.

My .02, my bad experience with them is enough for me to steer anybody clear, because deep down, they are that company. Caveat Emptor.