Rk krawler joint
#31
The design of the joints are to provide the best flexibility in a low friction setup. They would work but like Dirtman stated they are a poor design. Unfortunately, Jeeps go through mud, sand, dirt and they all get in the joint and eat it away so yes I would believe a few thousand miles and they are shot. Just go back to a Johny Joint or similar.
#32
#33
I have had HEIM style suspension components on high po muscle cars and ended up changing them back to something that resembled stock. Even street use will chew them out quickly. the only way they survive is to seal the side areas where dirt can get in. Why do you think we have rubber cups on ball joints, tie rod ends and CV joints. If I had my way I would make a HEIM style joint legal only for offload and racing use.
The kits you buy, if setup correctly, work great in the initial timeframe but what I said above. Grease even attracts more dirt and grime.
The kits you buy, if setup correctly, work great in the initial timeframe but what I said above. Grease even attracts more dirt and grime.
#34
I have had HEIM style suspension components on high po muscle cars and ended up changing them back to something that resembled stock. Even street use will chew them out quickly. the only way they survive is to seal the side areas where dirt can get in. Why do you think we have rubber cups on ball joints, tie rod ends and CV joints. If I had my way I would make a HEIM style joint legal only for offload and racing use.
The kits you buy, if setup correctly, work great in the initial timeframe but what I said above. Grease even attracts more dirt and grime.
The kits you buy, if setup correctly, work great in the initial timeframe but what I said above. Grease even attracts more dirt and grime.
#35
Here is a simple video that was just uploaded not too long ago regarding the joint rebuild instructions. In this video you will see all the details of the Krawler Joints that have been added over the years. Yes, there are flats in the retainers to engage the set screws. This feature was added years ago. More recently the race ways were retooled. The new tooling features a next Gen thermoelastomer from BASF that includes friction modifiers and friction breaks. Also, you will see the grease grooves that have been added to allow for conventional grease as noted in the video for rebuilding, what to use for each location, how to determine which ones you have etc. These updates make the Krawler Joint much more consumer friendly.
Creep is a normal thing with joint races, wether it be a JJ, MC Joint or our joints. Race materials will undergo this. It is normal to see some deformation of the shoulder of pro flex bushings for the self aligning end on the outside as that should only adds support to the outer edges of the ball to self align or return the arm to its normal orientation. The only time a joint is bad is if there is radial play or on a self aligning joint the joint itself has radial play nor returns the arm to its standard orientation.
Creep is a normal thing with joint races, wether it be a JJ, MC Joint or our joints. Race materials will undergo this. It is normal to see some deformation of the shoulder of pro flex bushings for the self aligning end on the outside as that should only adds support to the outer edges of the ball to self align or return the arm to its normal orientation. The only time a joint is bad is if there is radial play or on a self aligning joint the joint itself has radial play nor returns the arm to its standard orientation.