I am looking for feedback from user/installed experience for JKS Adjustable Control Arms. New to the Jeeping experience and having been bitten by the "see if I can do that", I am planning my JK Rubicon build. I have been unable to find much written on JKS Adj CAs. I assume because they are not available in a kit, so it will be a custom lift build if I go with them. Looking at the 3.5" lift range. As my JK only has 7,000 miles and I have already beaten the crap out of the underside at Rausch Creek, I need to go higher and need something that will last. Through my research I found the JKS CAs and think the engineering is unique. How do they last? Would you recommend them? My pros & cons.
PROS: Solid rubber bushing joints at each end for quiet ride and less stress on OEM mounts, shaft rotates for unrestricted movement, can upgrade to bigger lift later as they will accommodate a 0-6" lift.
CONS: Not a kit. If an arm gets dinged, will it still rotate? $$$$
Right now I am leaning towards the Rock Krawler 3.5" X Factor mid arm lift, as it has almost everything that I will need for a decent lift. I like how the RK LCAs are bent to allow greater clearance + made of solid steel. Might do a JKS & RK blend? All thoughts are welcome.

 

we have JKS control arms installed on our orange JK and they're really quite nice. as you have pointed out, they come with bonded rubber bushing on both ends so they offer a nice quite and comfortable ride and they have a rotating center section that allows them to flex quite nicely. if i had to do it again, i would.

 

Thanks for the reply. Which CAs have a better flex...JKS or RK? Two different approaches aiming for the same result.

 

honestly, they will both give you about the same.

 

Our RK arms have a total of +/- 32 degrees of misalignment available in them. We feature our rebuildable Krawler Joint (spherical joint) at the axle where a spherical joint is needed. We feature one massive bushing at the frame connection for vibration isolation and our arms feature a lifetime warranty.

JKS (Jim) makes nice quiet products, but his pivot in the center of the arm like the older ACME threaded arms, but better quality. JKS arms feature rubber bushings at both ends from what we have seen.

Good Luck with your build...

RK

 

I installed the JKS Front and Rear Upper and Lowers and I think the reason you don't find too much written about them is because of the price. I think realistically 9 out of 10 people when asked will say that the JKS Arms are either the best or tied with the best. Straightforward install with the exception of that @#&*&$ bolt on the passenger side upper arm.

On the trail, my driver side arm took a direct hit and slid on the rock and it made it out with simply scratches.

 

RK...thanks for your input. I am seriously considering your products as well. It is just that I am going back and forth between the 2. If I go w RK, I will have pretty much have a complete kit. A few questions I have though.
Your flex joints look thin, do spacers have to be installed w them to fit the mounts or do the mounts have to be bent to accommodate?
If I go with your 3.5" x factor mid arm kit, can I use the same arms & track bars if I install 5.5" coils later?
Out of curiosity, do you use the same joints on the mid arm and pro lines? How much weight difference is there between the two? This JK is already heavy, will I get much weight savings going w the PRO line?

 

NJKen...thanks for your input. You have given me some useful user experience. I think the flex concept of the JKS arms is great, I just don't want to spend that much pine bark and have to enter my "wish I didn't install that" entry in the forum. One thing I like about the JKS arms is that they will allow me to go BIGGER down the road without buying new arms (0 - 6" lift). My other concern is also for the threads moving all the time, do they hold up? I am assuming that the treads allow the two halves of the arms to rotate.

 

We have 50K miles on our JK with JKS arms and dont have any issues at all.

David

 

I have the JKS arms and am extremely happy with them. I also think that because of the price many do not go that route. They seem to have more flexibility because of the center twist design but the main reason I went with them is because there is no jam nut to worry about loosening. I also like the spring loaded seals to keep gunk out. I have rested the jeep on them several times and they show no signs of it. When you take them out of the box you will be impressed with their mass. The factory uses rubber bushings because they are quiet. In the JKS arms the bushings don't have to flex much because of the twisting arm so they can use them to make it ride quieter too.

I have heard of the jam nuts loosening and if unchecked the threads wear, stripping the arm out. If you flex much the jam nuts will loosen on a regular control arm.