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Like Christmas morning, we opened boxes at Kelowna Transmission & Auto Repair and were left with this beautiful display of off-road goodness. Everything that comes out from the Currie Enterprises factory here is either powder coated or plated, just the way we like.
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With the rig back on the ground under its own weight, there are a few things to take care of. First is to torque any of the hardware touched to spec. The second is to grease all the tie rod ends and Johnny Joints.
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Third on the docket is to fill that beast of a differential and cover with oil. We were too excited and forgot to take a picture, but mark the oil dipstick at the same level as the bottom of the hole in the old cover. Just use a file to score a line for future reference.
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We would be the first to tell you to change one arm at a time, as do the directions, but with a complete axle swap happening we did it all in one fell swoop. Carefully adjust each arm to the same length as the old one.
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Install the arms in the factory locations using the factory hardware unless otherwise noted.
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The JK front axle has the upper arm bushing in the axle housing itself, ours had Johnny Joints installed in the housing from Currie and new bolts were sent along. We had to drill out the control arm and the frame to fit the new, larger hardware.
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Moving to the rear is more of the same; remove, measure, adjust, install. The tabs attaching to the nuts inside the frame can be a little tricky to get into position, ask us how we know!
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It was finally time to bolt in that beautiful Currectlync setup. The threaded ball joint used at every end is a great idea and the design lends itself to easy drag link flips if so desired.
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Like comparing apples to, well, rotten fruit.
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Using the same process as the control arms, adjust the new setup as closely as you can to the old one and bolt them in.
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After any suspension tinkering, it is always recommended to get a wheel alignment. Because of the new control arms, axle housing and steering setup, this was a MUST for this situation. Ivar spent some time tinkering with ours to get it ready to take to the alignment shop.
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Words and photos by Bryan Irons
If you caught the last issue of 4WDrive, we were half way though watching the crew at Kelowna Transmission & Auto Repair stuff a Currie Enterprises’ RockJock 44 housing into a 2011 Jeep Rubicon. It just didn’t make much sense to leave the factory control arms and steering setup in place with the new axle going in. We also sourced new, beefier replacements from Currie, including their renowned Currectlync steering setup and a full set of eight control arms with equally famous Johnny Joints attached to the ends.
The Currectlync tie rod and drag link dwarf the failure prone stock units and offer much more then just a tubing size increase. All four ends use an easily replaced ball joint that threads into the linkage ends. This means only one spare is needed should one ever bite the dust. Niceties like left and right hand threaded ends for easy adjustment, and machined flats for a wrench, let you know these were made for a serious wheeler. Even with the beefed up ends and larger tubing, the Currectlync goes right in place of the factory hardware, keeping the geometry of the Jeep the same as when it left mother Mopar.
After scoping out our dry and cracked rubber control arms bushings, we were glad we knocked on Currie’s door for a full set of loaded control arms. The term “Johnny Joint” is synonymous with off-roaders as a hard-core, long lasting, highly flexible, rebuildable suspension joint. Heavy wall tubing, precision bends and clean welds connect our arms with threaded adjustment points on each for accurate axle placement. We needed ours in the rear to center the wheel in the fender opening after the 4-in of lift previously installed.
The last piece of armour/jewelry needed was a diff cover. The flimsy stocker could be bent up roaming the local malls, let alone the trail. Made of thick ductile iron, like the RockJock centre section it bolts to, it comes complete with gaskets, mounting hardware and a dipstick for checking oil levels. The RockJock 44 cover can be bolted to any Dana 44 axle to give you peace of mind while driving by Braille.
So, follow us as we head back with Ivar and the crew at Kelowna Transmission & Auto Repair to complete the installation.
Currie Enterprises
Kelowna Transmission & Driveline