Teraflex Flex Joints - Movement?

G

Gun

New member
Hello:

I bought a used set of Teraflex Control Arms for my JK.

The front lower flex joint chrome ball has a very slight amount of side by side play. I would guess less than 7 thousands of an inch (less than width of a hair). The chrome ball is fairly easy to move with my fingers, but tight. In your opinions, is this one fine?

The rubber clevite bushings are torn up and the hole in the rolled metal shaft in the center is not circular anymore so I will be pressing in new clevite bushings in the lower fronts.

The upper front arms and the rear have some flex joints that are shot, they are very loose and the chrome ball easily flops around. I know they need to be rebuild.

Has anyone else had issues with the teraflex control arm joints? I know the guy I bought them from went with Rock Krawler arms. I am a little nervous to install them and want to get some real world experience.

Thanks,
Gun
 
OverlanderJK

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
Gun said:
Hello:

I bought a used set of Teraflex Control Arms for my JK.

The front lower flex joint chrome ball has a very slight amount of side by side play. I would guess less than 7 thousands of an inch (less than width of a hair). The chrome ball is fairly easy to move with my fingers, but tight. In your opinions, is this one fine?

The rubber clevite bushings are torn up and the hole in the rolled metal shaft in the center is not circular anymore so I will be pressing in new clevite bushings in the lower fronts.

The upper front arms and the rear have some flex joints that are shot, they are very loose and the chrome ball easily flops around. I know they need to be rebuild.

Has anyone else had issues with the teraflex control arm joints? I know the guy I bought them from went with Rock Krawler arms. I am a little nervous to install them and want to get some real world experience.

Thanks,
Gun
Click to expand...

Yup I've rebuilt my joints a couple times. You'll get used to it quick.
 
rinkishjk

rinkishjk

New member
I have rebuilt my tf arms 3 times I think now. If u call tf they should send u flex joint rebuild kits for free, just pay postage. There are a few different kits depending on the length and location of the arms. I haven't replaced any of the bushings yet, but I'm sure there on there way out. If I had to do it again I would have gone with another company such as Clayton, rk, or Evo which use flex joints on both ends and use better materials. If this snap Ring is not seated fully it will pop out. Mine did 400 miles from home.. I know Eddie has fixed these before on the trail and is not fond of em.
 

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G

Gun

New member
Thanks for the responses. I am curious if I need/should rebuild the front lower flex joint that just has a little side to side movement in the ball? The chrome ball is fairly easy to move with my fingers, but tight. Does it need to be rebuilt?

Thanks!
 
rinkishjk

rinkishjk

New member
Gun said:
Thanks for the responses. I am curious if I need/should rebuild the front lower flex joint that just has a little side to side movement in the ball? The chrome ball is fairly easy to move with my fingers, but tight. Does it need to be rebuilt?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I would. New joints should be tight. I needed a screwdriver to move the chrome ball around on mine when new. When worn out I could move it by hand with very little resistance. If it was me I would before I put them on.
 
highoctane

highoctane

Caught the Bug
Do yourself a favor and replace them, ie get rid of them, in favor for some johnny joints like Evo uses in their control arms. I never used johnny joints on my JKU but I did on my TJ. The Teraflex joints are the lowest quality flex joint I have ever used in a control arm. I rebuilt the ones on my 3" LCG longarm kit 4 times in about 45k miles. That's barely 10k miles. I was driving about 18-20k miles per year. Basically when it was time to replace my air filter. It was also time to rebuild my flex joints.

If replacing them with a better joint isn't an option, then make sure to have a spare rebuild kit, one for each size joint(upper arm/lower arm). I was left limping my jk home in a flat bed when one failed in Table Mesa.
 
OverlanderJK

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
You can still drive with a blown joint. Hell you can drive with the whole control arm out. Not sure why you would need to limp home.
 
LoPo

LoPo

Caught the Bug
anyone have a PN# to swap in johnny joints or are the johnny joints universal?

I need to do this with my TF arms.
 
highoctane

highoctane

Caught the Bug
OverlanderJK said:
You can still drive with a blown joint. Hell you can drive with the whole control arm out. Not sure why you would need to limp home.
Click to expand...

It ended up on a roll back, but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of trying. Anything over 45-50ish was down right scary with a completely blown and falling apart front lower control arm axle side joint. With a 75 mph speed limit and over 100 miles to drive, I gave up.
 
OverlanderJK

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
highoctane said:
It ended up on a roll back, but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of trying. Anything over 45-50ish was down right scary with a completely blown and falling apart front lower control arm axle side joint. With a 75 mph speed limit and over 100 miles to drive, I gave up.
Click to expand...

I just don't see how that's possible. I've driven with a lower control arm missing and blown and it was still fine. When I took it out if was flighty.
 
biggy

biggy

Member
OverlanderJK said:
I just don't see how that's possible. I've driven with a lower control arm missing and blown and it was still fine. When I took it out if was flighty.
Click to expand...

Was it a front arm? I can see how a rear arm would handle fine but a front might cause some problems at higher speeds.

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
ridg3runner

ridg3runner

-
biggy said:
Was it a front arm? I can see how a rear arm would handle fine but a front might cause some problems at higher speeds.

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using WAYALIFE mobile app
Click to expand...

I drove mine for about 4 months on a blown out front lower and there weren't any issues. Didn't change the bushings until I did my axle swaps.
 
highoctane

highoctane

Caught the Bug
OverlanderJK said:
I just don't see how that's possible. I've driven with a lower control arm missing and blown and it was still fine. When I took it out if was flighty.
Click to expand...

Don't know what to say other than it's definitely possible since I experienced it in my JK. Felt like I was driving a wet spaghetti noodle. Like I said it felt fine until the speed got much over 50-55ish. At that point it felt unsafe on a 75mph highway with curvy roads winding through steep mountains, the drive up I-17 from Phoenix to Prescott.
 
OverlanderJK

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
biggy said:
Was it a front arm? I can see how a rear arm would handle fine but a front might cause some problems at higher speeds.

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using WAYALIFE mobile app
Click to expand...

Front passenger side lower. It is flighty without that arm but not even close to not being able to drive it.
 
rinkishjk

rinkishjk

New member
I came home from work today and gave my tf arms a look over at the rubber bushings. They are all cracked and falling apart. U can see where they have pressure pushing them and distorting them due to the rubber failing. They are over 3 years old and have lots of wheeling trips on them. I'm done with them. I ordered Currie arms today from Northridge, and think this will be a great upgrade. :beer:
 
G

Gun

New member
Everyone thanks for the replies. I spoke to Teraflex and they also said if you can move them by hand you need to rebuild them. I guess I know why the old owner replaced them with another brand. :grayno:

I may look at some other joints for these control arms. It seems like Teraflex would have come up with a better solution by now. Does anyone know of any part numbers that will replace the large teraflex flex joints and the large clevite bushing? I have a full set of 8 short arms, but I am only looking to rebuild the lower front arm at this time.

Cheers!
 
Notajerryskid

Notajerryskid

-
Gun said:
Everyone thanks for the replies. I spoke to Teraflex and they also said if you can move them by hand you need to rebuild them. I guess I know why the old owner replaced them with another brand. :grayno:

I may look at some other joints for these control arms. It seems like Teraflex would have come up with a better solution by now. Does anyone know of any part numbers that will replace the large teraflex flex joints and the large clevite bushing? I have a full set of 8 short arms, but I am only looking to rebuild the lower front arm at this time.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

The lower can be changed out with the metal cloak duraflex joints. They cost less than the Teraflex and seemed to hold up better IMO.
the uppers you are stuck with. I rebuilt my joints on the teraflex kit I had about 6 times in 2 years. When I asked teraflex about it..... and I quote "you must be to hard on them"

Rebuild them. they don't cost that much. I tried to cross everything over to johnny joints and anything else I could think of. and no luck on the upper ones. I was going to buy a new thread bung for each arm and wield it in so I could switch out to the johnny joints. but I have changed my lift since then. :twocents:
 
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