JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
Question for you Rick - have you had to disassemble any of the joints to lubricate or replace any worn bushings?
Metal cloak game changer arb edition - let's see pics!!
- Thread starter JArnold
- Start date
Question for you Rick - have you had to disassemble any of the joints to lubricate or replace any worn bushings?
2013rubirick
Hooked
Nope ive checked them a couple times and they look new still. I have wheeled it pretty hard to and it works very good
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I just installed a MC GCL(of sorts), but it is really too soon for me to comment on much. But here is what I can say so far...
During install:
*The directions state that the arms would be "preset" from them, but they weren't. (Not that big-a-deal but still annoying)
*Several of the clips that hold the bushing in the arms were not properly set and needed to be fixed. There is no excuse for this. To me it's a sign of quick and possibly shotty work.
Post install: (all road)
*The ride is more firm than my stock Rubi coils/shocks. This could be due to the Bilstein 5160 shocks I paired it with (I won them). To be honest, I don't really like it and hope it will change once the shocks wear in a bit.
*Handling seemed fine in the corners and if anything better, but the Jeep gets upset easier on dips or bumps in the road.
Other thoughts:
*I absolutely hate the looks of the Eifel tower of a rear track-bar bracket they have. It raises the bar 6" and while I haven't flex tested yet to check bump-stops, I'm pretty sure it is going to limit up-travel. I already have an EVO bracket to replace the monstrosity but didn't install it as it was too cold to paint and I want to weld it and add the EVO Rock Star Skids, which by the way can't be used with the MC track-bar bracket. (without modification anyway)
*Abstractly the quality seemed good on the arms and coils. But to my OCD eyes there are issues. For Example, the amount of thread showing on the front LCAs is off by 1/4" when they are set to the same length. (What the hell)
*Like RK, MC lengthens the rear by an inch. In general, I am not a fan of this. It causes a bunch more spring bow than necessary. My intentions are to set the rear back in a 1/2", cut and reweld the perches to correct this, but this too will require Winter to give up which seems unlikely :naw:
Now, I have been pretty critical, and as I mentioned I have OCD. I can be just as critical on just about every part I've put on the Jeep and every other one of my projects and this includes the stuff I made... But as I've said before I'm an open book. If I were to go at this again I would likely still use the MC arms as I like the joints for dealing with the salty winter roads, I don't know what I would do for the springs :idontknow:, I'm not happy with the shocks (Bilstein), and I would not use the MC track-bars and/or brackets.
Having said all this, the OP asked for pics, so here you go...
During install:
*The directions state that the arms would be "preset" from them, but they weren't. (Not that big-a-deal but still annoying)
*Several of the clips that hold the bushing in the arms were not properly set and needed to be fixed. There is no excuse for this. To me it's a sign of quick and possibly shotty work.
Post install: (all road)
*The ride is more firm than my stock Rubi coils/shocks. This could be due to the Bilstein 5160 shocks I paired it with (I won them). To be honest, I don't really like it and hope it will change once the shocks wear in a bit.
*Handling seemed fine in the corners and if anything better, but the Jeep gets upset easier on dips or bumps in the road.
Other thoughts:
*I absolutely hate the looks of the Eifel tower of a rear track-bar bracket they have. It raises the bar 6" and while I haven't flex tested yet to check bump-stops, I'm pretty sure it is going to limit up-travel. I already have an EVO bracket to replace the monstrosity but didn't install it as it was too cold to paint and I want to weld it and add the EVO Rock Star Skids, which by the way can't be used with the MC track-bar bracket. (without modification anyway)
*Abstractly the quality seemed good on the arms and coils. But to my OCD eyes there are issues. For Example, the amount of thread showing on the front LCAs is off by 1/4" when they are set to the same length. (What the hell)
*Like RK, MC lengthens the rear by an inch. In general, I am not a fan of this. It causes a bunch more spring bow than necessary. My intentions are to set the rear back in a 1/2", cut and reweld the perches to correct this, but this too will require Winter to give up which seems unlikely :naw:
Now, I have been pretty critical, and as I mentioned I have OCD. I can be just as critical on just about every part I've put on the Jeep and every other one of my projects and this includes the stuff I made... But as I've said before I'm an open book. If I were to go at this again I would likely still use the MC arms as I like the joints for dealing with the salty winter roads, I don't know what I would do for the springs :idontknow:, I'm not happy with the shocks (Bilstein), and I would not use the MC track-bars and/or brackets.
Having said all this, the OP asked for pics, so here you go...
2013rubirick
Hooked
I have never had a problem either and mines been on the rubicon 3 times and a couple other harder trails
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using WAYALIFE mobile app
loonies
Member
Ha! I bought a set of Rock Krawler LCAs and they were the same way...I thought I was going nuts looking at them and remeasuring and remeasuring and remeasuring.... :lol:
I have to admit, second to AEV, no other company is as good at marketing than them.
To be clear, there isn't a question as to whether or not they will offer a good amount of rotation and angle but I after bench testing them out for myself and seeing how they would wear out/blow so quickly, I don't know if I could call them "good". Sure, they are rebuildable but in over 4 years and 100,000 miles of driving out to the trail, wheeling hard and then driving back home, I have yet to need to rebuild my JJ's and if needed, JJ's are a fraction of a cost to rebuild. Speaking of which, I run 14" of vertical travel with my EVO DTD and so far as I can tell, my JJ's haven't limited the amount of flex I have which begs the question, is another couple of degrees of joint movement really necessary especially when it comes at the cost of joint failure? Of course, that's just my opinion.
JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
Curious to know what type of test was being performed that you were able to see the joints blow out. Do you mind giving a little more info on this please?
I didn't mean to misquote you before, but I got the impression from your previous statement that they seemed to work during the test.
JK_Dave
Caught the Bug
You are correct about this. $29 for a 2.5" rebuild kit from MC and $14 for the same from Currie.
A similar bench test but, we used a beam style torque wrench to see how much load was needed to move the joint. Also, what you don't see in your video is how it feels when rotating it around.
You didn't misquote me, they did work on a bench test. I just wasn't convinced that they would last, wasn't convinced that they would really offer the kind of road absorption as factory as is claimed due to the fact that there is so little rubber between the ball and the joint housing and of course, I just haven't seen the need for the slight amount of increase of rotation. There's a reason why Ultra4 racers all still run JJ's or uniballs and not MC's.
Actually, IF the need ever arrises, you only need to replace the inner cartridges and they are like $5.
So, has anybody had a failure with the metalcloak arms? Just wondering if there is any first person testimony, or if all of this is just conjecture... I've installed these arms on three of my friends jeeps, and I'm getting ready to order a set for my TJ because I've been impressed with the quality...
Nobody has said the arms would fail.
Not sure why he deleted his post but the user olram30 had posted them up back on page 3. :idontknow:
You know, I suppose it's a good thing that MC came out with these joints for a coil lift and long travel shocks. After all, we all know how much tried and true Johnny Joints will limit your flex. I mean, just look at how my Johnny Joints are limiting my flex and please pay no attention to the limiting straps as they might confuse you as to what is holding things up.
Oh yeah, Johnny Joints have such limited rotation and angle movement that something better had to be made to satisfy the needs of people with standard coils and longer shocks. :thumb:
Oh yeah, Johnny Joints have such limited rotation and angle movement that something better had to be made to satisfy the needs of people with standard coils and longer shocks. :thumb:
JAGS
Hooked
You know, I suppose it's a good thing that MC came out with these joints for a coil lift and long travel shocks. After all, we all know how much tried and true Johnny Joints will limit your flex. I mean, just look at how my Johnny Joints are limiting my flex and please pay no attention to the limiting straps as they might confuse you as to what is holding things up.
Oh yeah, Johnny Joints have such limited rotation and angle movement that something better had to be made to satisfy the needs of people with standard coils and longer shocks. :thumb:
You clearly photoshopped those straps in.
- Jason
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
You know, I suppose it's a good thing that MC came out with these joints for a coil lift and long travel shocks. After all, we all know how much tried and true Johnny Joints will limit your flex. I mean, just look at how my Johnny Joints are limiting my flex and please pay no attention to the limiting straps as they might confuse you as to what is holding things up.
Oh yeah, Johnny Joints have such limited rotation and angle movement that something better had to be made to satisfy the needs of people with standard coils and longer shocks. :thumb:
what straps? i dont see no stinkin straps! :crazyeyes:
lol in all seriousness i didnt know you had straps up front as well. i only knew that they were in the rear. i see them now tho
:doh: Busted
I don't anymore now that I'm running a DTD setup as they are now what keep my axle from drooping more than the 14" of vertical travel they are designed for. This is back when we were running the original vertical single towers and 14" coil overs which provided too much droop and caused driveline bind. We would still have this issue in the rear and that's why we still have straps there. Of course, if my Johnny Joints would just do their job and limit my flex like MC has been marketing they would, I wouldn't need straps.
Bill S
New member
Don't you just love marketing people when they try to make a living!