Johnny Joints: An Articulation Solution

The control arms come preassembled with the Johnny Joint bushings already in place and set to the stock length. Simply bolt the control arms to the proper brackets on the Cherokee chassis. After installation, apply a shot of grease to the bushings before you're ready to hit the trail.

Prepare the bumpstops on the Cherokee by sanding them down. Trim the upper bumpstop and use a rubber mallet to hammer the provided bumpstop cover onto the bumpstop mount. Meanwhile, trim, drill and tap a hole into the bumpstop on the axle. Secure the spacers and new bumpstop to the axle assembly. Reattach the axle to the chassis, install the coils and connect the upper and lower arms to the axle.

Comparing the stock steering linkage to Currie's kit is a no-brainer. The Currie kit features a high-strength 1-inch-diameter, 0.188-inch-wall tie rod. These are constructed of 4130 chrome-alloy steel with TRW rod-ends and have urethane dust boots.

Besides an obvious improvement in strength over stock parts, Currie's drag link corrects the geometry of the post-lift steering because the drag link connects to the pitman arm at proper ride height for a 4-inch lift. This reduces the load on the drag-link connector.

The Currie tailshaft conversion replaces the stock slip-yoke with a fixed yoke and CV joint or three universal joints. This allows for a longer rear driveshaft, thereby improving the driveshaft angle and reducing tension on the shaft. Although this kit can be installed with the transfer case still on the vehicle, it is recommended you remove the 'case for easier access.

The main ingredient in the tailshaft conversion is Currie's new mainshaft (top), which uses a double-row roller bearing (not shown) and bearing retainer that connects to a CV joint or three-joint driveshaft.