forgive me...but what is getting greased? the rubber ?

 

hopfully the grease will work its way in the cracks of the bushingsand stuff. the hole is drilled all the way thru the metal sleeve as well to lube the inside of that. Does this work, i don't know for sure. I was having creaks, did this, reinstalled and greased, and no more creaks. Maybe a coincedence, i don't know. I know it can't hurt.

 

Not sure I understand.
Are you saying that you drill through the outside wall, the rubber, and the inside wall?

 

yes, all the way thru the metal sleeve that fits inside the rubber.

 

That makes sense.
Thanks for the info.

 

so it lubricates around the bolt that goes thru.....kewl! thanks.

 

Yup, i hope it works in the long run like i want, but it can't hurt anything.

 

Man I thought I was the only one having this problem.... 10k+ miles down the line on my FT ultimate kit and it creaks and groans like crazy. I've greased the zerks and dropped the track bar (due to some very loud clicking/banging) twice and applied lithium grease liberally. Each time it fixed it for 4-5k miles, but then it started up again.

I bought the kit due to recommendations on this forum, but I'm sort of regretting it.... seems like sponsorship had more to do with the recommendation than actual quality, not that anyone had good info on longevity when I installed it in the early spring.

It does seem like it would be possible to design joints that don't creak and groan -- Chrysler seems to be able to pull it off okay -- but I don't have any direct comparison to other lift kits, so I'm kind of curious about it.

 

Hey mmcurdy, long time no see. I've got a question for you, your engine needs an oil change about every 3,000 miles and if you don't, a lot worse can happen than it just creaking and groaning. How come you're not upset about having to do that.... or are you? Also, when you say you used "lithium grease liberally" twice, did you make sure to use white lithium grease? There is a difference you know.

Well, I'm sorry to hear you regret your decision to get this lift and I'm sorry you feel that our recommendation of it here was somehow insincere. However, I think you are confusing your annoyance of having to maintain (or lack thereof) high quality components on your Jeep with the actual quality and longevity of them.

Of course it's possible and certainly Chrysler does pull it off by using basic rubber bushings that have very limited flex capabilites. In order to achieve the crazy amount of flex that your Full Traction kit will yield you, you need to use joints like rod ends or assembly joints that will actually rotate in place significantly on the axle end of it and have a durable bushing on the frame end that can withstand the forces being applied to it and not rip itself apart. In the case of your Full Traction control arms and track bars, Vecton bushings are used to do the job and yes, without a high quality water resistant grease being applied to them on a regular basis, your joints will creak, squeak and maybe even groan as they dry out. Now, for someone like me who's JK is a daily driver but is also used to play hard on the trails and on a regular basis, I want all the flex I can get as being able to keep 4 on the floor is what will give you the stabilty and traction you need. And, if the benefit of having amazing flex, beefy components and a comfortable ride all at the same time (but may need a little grease from time to time as part of a regular maintenance routine) is something you don't want or aren't interested in..... well then, maybe you're right - maybe you bought yourself the wrong lift kit.

 

Thanks for making my point with your reply. But there was one kernel of insight in your response:

I'd be interested in hearing from other people who have kits with comparable flex from other manufacturers who are not necessarily sponsors of this forum. Is this a common thing? I'm willing to accept it if so, and frankly I'm stuck with it either way.