Metalcloak Control Arms, What makes them unique? Game changer 3.5 Jeep JL lift kit
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2020
- Control arms are such an important piece to every lift. You want flex? it starts with the control arms. There are so many videos on the internet how to replace them, so I wanted to make a video talking about what makes these different to everything else on the market. A lot of smarts and engineering went into these and Im so excited to have got a set. Iv been beating on my Jeep with mostly stock arms for awhile. I plan on doing a review on Metalcloaks system after I have some time to test it out.
Here are some great videos of Metalcloak doing a better job explaining why their joints are so unique!
Joint flex
• MetalCloak Duroflex Jo...
Vibration dampening
• MetalCloak's Duroflex ...
The duroflex joint
• Metalcloak's Duroflex ...
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Yo i swear I’ve been looking for a video like this for weeks to help me decide what lift to get for my Jeep, haven’t seen anything on the rock sport shocks and you sold me man thanks!
Iv been VERY happy with this lift. Metalcloak customer service is hands down the best service department Iv worked with in my time. It rides smooth and flexes great!
Paired with the rocksports 👌👌👌
Christmas this year was a Metal Cloak 4.5" Game Changer lift with the Teraflex 3.3 piggyback shocks. I love the new components the ride is night and day. We were driving yesterday off road in tall praire grass and the rocks were hiding until we found them. The hard and soft setting was definitely a big difference. LOVE MC.
I’m very pleased with their lift... I mean.. on road.... I’m 130 miles away from finishing my gear break in.... once Thts done u bet ur butt I’m going to go flex this thing out!
Sounds like u had an awesome day! I hear great things about them shocks!
Have a 4.5 Metalcloak long arm lift and Bilstein shocks in my 99 TJ. Thing is so smooth at 70mph on the Highway and serious on the trails. Love it
Thts great to hear.. I’m super excited to work this suspension... so far (just finished gear break in a few days ago) it’s handled on road great... off-roading... I’m assuming will also be great
Great informative video. Your upping your game getting graphics and cutting them in.... Great stuff brother.
Thanks my man... metalcloak has much better illustrations then I could draw 😂😂😂😂
Thanks for watching my friend! 🙌🙌🙌
I install these lift kits. Just finished a 4.5 inch long arm kit on a Tj. There is a jk I did about 5 years ago with over 60k miles now that I put a short arm kit on and has never serviced bushings. No problems yet
Metal Cloak makes some bad ass stuff. I just got a new Metal Cloak tie rod/drag link they look so damn nice the build quality is nice !!!
All that work to paint those now look how scratched up they are and they haven’t even been off road yet. I noticed you guys have matching windshields lol.great video you guys are awesome
Scratches don’t bother me one bit 😂 I can at least say I tried. Yea... I hear some heavy duty glass is suppose to be released soon... we tryna hold off until it’s available...
Thanks for watching brother! 😂🙌🙌🙌
Great video very informative. Nice side arm.
Thanks for watching brother... seems to be the ‘hot’ video right now... how to install control arms.. tried to keep it different 🙌🙌🙌
#pro2A 💪
That's a strange issue with the paint rubbing off the shock body. I've never seen that before. Thanks for the video and I appreciate the tips. Hope to lift the Jeep in a year or so and plan to do Metal Cloak as well.
I mean... I probably should run more bump stop... but I love having all the extra articulation... really helps me do the stupid things 😂🙌
My logic is I don’t really see my upper shocks taking hots from rocks.... so I don’t think it will be a problem...
Very happy with this lift so far... gear break in is almost done... I need to do some wheeling!
I’ll be doing a video on the the flex and comfort in a few months.. initial impressions...
Thanks for watching! Can’t wait for u to lift your jeep! 😂 always an exciting time!!!
Good stuff - happy with MC GC lift on my JL - Rocksport shocks are rough
Thts weird... my rocksports... both old set and new set... are unbelievably smooth... my fox shocks threw my back out 😂
I put 70k miles on johnny joint trackbars f/r in my powerwagon and only greased twice. Never made any noise and now at 98k. I just installed jj Currie Rock Jocks on my Jeep JL and couldn't be happier. The bind/flex and weird handling/steering is 100% solved.
Thts awesome... would love to throw tons under bromance some day.... just keep on waitin to see if the cards get dealt to us lol. I love Johnny joints.. such a great performance part design.
Installed all 8 on mine a few weeks ago too, nice upgrade brother! #metalcloak FTW
They are super nice on road... havent had the chance to go Offroad with em yet.. hoping to get this gear break in done.. hoping 1 more week
Right on man, they’re really flexy and ride really well. Look forward to seeing you putting them to good use off road soon.
Jared Monez u know it! 🙌🙌🙌😂 thanks for watching even thou u already have em done 🙌😂
Great info on the joints. Anti-seize is like maple syrup, you think you were carful , but next thing you know, it’s all over your arm!
These joints have made a huge difference... I strongly recommend u switch urs out... my rear arm mounts were in horrible shape... There just way to much binding in them oem joints. When articulating
big growth (on the jeep and channel)!!
It’s been one amazing year! Excited to see what 2020 has in store for us
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD thats what im saying!! cheers!
That’s what am getting for mine 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
These are on my list for sure , maybe in the summer i get all 8
Hoping to finish my break in tomorrow..... I want to flex this out!! It’s going to b a game changer for sure 😂😂😂
Got my control arms today… can you share the torque specs for the arms and jam nut?
Do you have a opinion on metal cloak vs rock krawler arms with the "ball joint", kinda the same idea just set up little different between the 2
Great video! Did you have to replace the driveshaft when you installed the MC control arms? I know their website says you have to, but I don’t wanna
HAVE to? No. Depending on the level of wheeling... will determine how long the stock shafts will last. Maybe I should do a video about tht. 🤔 my wife’s jeep still has stock shafts... I have after market in mine
Bromance had so much flex because you didn't have bumps.🙄🙄 The MC joint is from what I can tell, the same as Clayton's "GIIRO" joint. Should be purdy damn flexy. So many sarcastic comments to make on this vid, LOL!! Can't wait to hear the verdict. Great vid as usual, guys!! 👊🏻🤘🏻
I have bumps jerk lol... 😂😂😂 130 miles to go
Yooo finally got the relocation brackets!!! Them things are a legitimate game changer!
Can’t wait to take it offroad... another 130 miles left in the gear break in. 🙌🙌🙌 got a few other MC goodies I gotta install still also!
Thanks for watching brother!!
Get them 5.13 or 4.88?
Gio Lucero 5.13
Clutch! Looking forward to seeing it all in action, rock trac case and 5.13 is a great combo
Gio Lucero dude... can’t tell u how stoked I am... major changes have been done!!!
Great explanation of the different control arms. What's your daily carry, surprised that's the first time I noticed it.
Lol... it hangs out often when I’m doing videos 😂
Glock 43.... the single stack compact 9mm......... I need more money... I want to go buying more guns
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD NICE! I'm a baller on a budget, I have the Taurus G2S single stack, I like the slimmer design.
Rich Beach easy to conceal 🤷♂️
I have the 2 door with Metalcloak's 2.5" Game Changer and RockSports shocks. I say they are extremely comfortable for the 2 door, but I can imagine the longer 4 door being a couch. lol
I’m glad to hear tht... Since changing to these arms.. legit.. best damn feel my Jeep has had since.... ever... itching to finish this gear break in... 🙌 need to flex this out!
Appreciate you taking your time and watching our video! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD I look forward to seeing that, and hearing your thoughts on the system.
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD Love your content. Keep it up!
Thanks brother! The encouragement is much appreciated and keeps us motivated! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
Good choice 👍
I’m installing core 4x4 T3 arms this weekend. It was a coin toss between MC, alpines or cores.
Nice... I hear good things about core... haven’t used them thou.. 🙌 hope ur install goes smooth!
Metal Cloak is the Best of the Best ! 👍😃
definitely big difference from my last set up... 🙌 appreciate you watching!
Man would love a year review on this
I been meaning to get around to one
Sweet Bro !
Thanks 🙌🙌🙌
Is it common for the Rocksport shock boot to rub the red paint off? Couldn’t find anything about it on Google. And I plan on getting the 2.5” Game-Changers in the future.
Iv heard yes and no.... From what I’m figuring out... I think it really plays into how hard you wheel... rock guards on shocks ain’t common on aftermarket shocks either, and I think they look better without them on...🤷♂️😂
So I figure its easier taking them off now... rather then waiting for a problem and having to take all my shocks off again.
I haven’t gone offroad yet (gear break in) but this lift is night and day on road...
Iv seen plenty of JLs with this lift OFFROAD... and I’m not worried about how they are going to perform. U have made a solid choice 🙌🙌🙌
Good video. Thanks for the info. I have the same arms and painted them red to match the tow hooks. However I had issues getting the paint to adhere to the zinc properly. I could take my nail and scrape the paint and primer right off. Did you see any adherence issues? If not, what paint and primer did you use? I used duplicolor.
I don’t remember what I used... I primed it several layers before painting it... it didn’t hold up to scratches... but didn’t really expect it to... tht zinc coating is really important in preventing rust..
I’d recommend putting on a good clear coat after painting them to help prevent them scratches
Later if you need to adjust this Metal cloak control arms, do you need to take them out before you can adjust or you don't have to take them out on jeep while adjusting?
U will need to drop them to adjust... Teraflex and synergy are the only ones tht make an arm with a double adjuster sleeve to do tht.
cool video. did you just cut your exhaust? what shock skids plates do you have? Thanks
It’s a chop and an extra resonator welded in.. we have a video on it if you wanna check it out.
ua-cam.com/video/bxOZqVOMXYA/v-deo.html
Skid plates are metalcloak... have been serving me well
I put the pro flow twister...love the deep sound.
awesome ! appreciate your video , save me some money from buying useless mopar lift. so i need to change my driveshaft then enable to install the MC gamechanger 2.5 lift? i just checked my 2021 JLU it seems the front control bar is adjustable.
The stock shaft lasted me quite awhile on my 3.5 lift… I did change them,,, but the stock shaft didn’t fail, the slide boot did tear… and the cv joint boot was tearing… but the shaft was working… granted, those boots keep out dirt and debris, so it would of had problems down the line, but u can get away with stock shafts for a bit…. Even more so being an inch less
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD do you think if i go with the 2.5 lift, the stock driveshaft will last longer?
Thts what u said right?
I mean I wheel pretty hard… u can easily stretch the life span of the stock shafts for a few years
I have the mopar lift and would like to upgrade to the MetalCloak 3.5 game changer. What skids plates are you running?
Initial impressions.. u will not be disappointed... on road comfort... wow... want to go Off-roading soon... but I’m in the middle of a gear break in... I started with the mopar lift also... was not happy with tht one...
The skids are also metalcloak.... they been nothing short then great for me... 🙌🙌
What are your opinion and castor angles now for the front and back.?👍
If I recall, my front caster was around 6.8
Definitely some nice arms, great video, thanks.
Thank you! I appreciate the time and feedback! 🙌🙌 these arms have really smoothed out the on road driving! Off-roading.... still waiting to finish my gear break in!
What is the torque specs on the front lower control arms bolts to install?
www.jlwranglerforums.com/complete-torque-values-for-jeep-jl-wrangler/
My Rock Sports shocks are rusting because of the boot rubbing off the paint so I know exactly what you're talkin about
U should be able to give em a light sanding and paint over em again… tht should clear it up… but yea, them boots are so flimsy…. They do nothing
Did you ever have trouble with the shocks not using the outboard brackets?
Oddly, never…
Hello
How u like the arms fixing to order some love your videos please advise looking for check control arms and drag link and tie rod , track bars thinking to order everything from MC love u guys
I got zero complaints with these arms at the moment.. still using and abusing on the regular!
How do you like these after some time? Noticeable difference on and off-road?
They are good control arms.. low maintenance... work great.. flex... smooth and steady on road... don’t regret them one bit
Thanks for this vlog … I am trying to figure out what lift I am going with … I am hearing that metal cloak control arm are hard on the mount point during miss alignment.. I have seen that problem happen .. so I am still researching this issue !! Please message me in Facebook if you do not want to discuss this here … but i would love to hear your opinion
Thanks for watching...my experience with these arms is limited to a gear break in and 1 wheeling trip...
Tht being said... no complaints on performance.... install was pretty easy compared to some other control arms I’m Iv done..
As far as being hard on the mounting points... Few things I would say...
1. U want to be flexy... ur gonna our bond in those mounting points.. regardless of the arms... Thts a lot of weight
2. Jeep used thin meta to make the mounting spots
3. U can always add bump stop to prevent over flexing 🤷♂️
Metalcloak lift has 68 degrees of misalignment... RK has 60... i lm waiting for someone to release thicker mounts... mine were all twisted to hell when I swapped these in...
JL LIFE OFFROAD I still have a little while before I upgrade suspension … so I will continue watching you and researching before I make decision !! I really am leaning towards metal cloak !! But we will see !!
Kevin Ellis Initial impressions.. thoughts?? I’m kinda liking this maintenance free joint idea... I hate dropping arms to grease em... they don’t always line back up easily. 😂 big question is how long will they last
Ratchet straps my friend. That is a suspension installers best friend. (except for Misty of course)
Yea... Thts what I used first time I installed mistys control arms... different tips to help in different situations. 🙌 misty is the muscle for the installs 😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for watching friend
If you are doing a 3.5 inch lift, should you upgrade the lower control arms or the upper control arms at the same time of doing the lift? Do you have to do front and rear or only front?
So... obviously the more adjustable control arms u have.. the better ur jeep will flex and allow for geometry correcting... however arms are pricey.. U can do a pair at a time... I’d start with front lowers.... (allow for caster correction) 2. Rear uppers (allow pinon angle correction) 3 rear lowers.. 4. Front uppers. I only had after market front lowers for awhile.. I was able to do a lot of stupid things...
JL LIFE OFFROAD awesome thanks! I’ll definitely do the front lowers first. I won’t be doing extreme off-roading but I just want to make sure the geometry is fine and it will run correctly once lifted. I do plan on doing them all but not right away. Do you think it’s good to do front and rear lowers first and then the rest?
Start with front lowers 🙌🙌🙌
Hey friend, can I run my sport JlU on 35s no regear for light trails and daily driving? I have a lift ordered
More then likely, long as it’s light trails... u should see little to no problems
You try to give the video more brightness it will be great if you do
Nice! What caster angle do you plan on running?
Currently it’s at 7 degrees... my dial it back some thou....
Pinon angle is looking on the ‘unhappy’ side 🤷♂️
I've had a 2.5" gamechanger lift on my JK for over 4 years now and the only complaint I have is how easily it ended up rusting. For a product that heavily markets itself on the zinc coating to resist corrosion, mine started fairly early and has gotten pretty bad ever since
Bare metal will rust... regardless how quality the steel is.... if their was a deficiency.... I’m almost certain metal cloak would have made it right... their customer service is the best Iv seen from a company.
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD Understood but I never bang up or do the kind of offroading that dings up my underbelly, so the corrosion I had on my metalcloak lift was purely just by daily driving it and getting the typical salt road season
Sounds like it was more of a defect... sorry to hear it... I’d have had issues with their stuff in the past... I called them and they took care of me no problems
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD I'm not discrediting you since you do like them and probably sponsor them for multiple reasons, but I wouldn't just say my situation was only a defect, figuring it happened uniformly across every zinc component in my kit. No lift kit will ever be perfect but next time, I'm just going to try a product with a different kind of coating to compare and hopefully get better results
Not sponsored... 👍👍👍
Thanks for the video. Didn’t get much life out of that first set of Rocksports. That’s a bit concerning. What was wrong with them other than the paint ?
Good question! So let me start off by saying my old Rocksport shocks were given to me by LiteBrite... So im sure they had a ton of miles and abuse. These ones were starting to get a tad rough on bumps offroad and really wanted to give them a straight and honest review from new compared to abused hand me downs
Thanks for the info. The good thing is they are not terribly expensive. Enjoying your channel.
Raider Nation yea... they are well priced... so if I smash em... I’m not to upset over it... eventually will try higher end shocks... but I’m totally good testing these out from start to finish.
Raider Nation and THANK YOU! glad to hear it! Hope we kept u entertained for years to come!
For sure ! and I don’t even own a JL , ‘17 2dr Recon here ! Keep up the good work and please no psychedelic yoga pants !
You recommend metalcloak over Rock Krawler ? I’m stuck between this decision. Help please !!!
If your looking for bomb proof…. Rock krawler…. If your looking for something more road friendly…. Metal cloak.
I prefer the rock krawler just based on the robust design of it all
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD I wouldn’t mind both I see you guys drive your jeep and also Kevin and Brittany driving theirs as well. Couldn’t be that bad on road with rock krawler. I’m driving a spacer lift now that feels like I’m in a blender . lol thanks for the input tho. I think I might go with Rock Krawler after all.
Ori Stx will blow your mind
I wheel with someone who runs ori... it performs amazing...
But I been very happy with my MC lift... smooth on road... performs off...
JL LIFE OFFROAD the six packs are really flexy. 💪 also been running them for 4 years .... time to upgrade to ori’s for sure.
If you were to start over would you have bought a kit for the lift. Coils and shocks and control arms?
Iv been nothing but happy with the mid arm kit that has been pieces together by MC. It gets things done offroad and handles great on road,
how long did it take you to put all 8 in? (complete install)
About 2hrs
I have my MC control arm set ordered, Did you install all 8 control arms with your Jeep on the ground?
I did, it can be a headache... but it’s doable.. Tips to help... only do one at a time...
Using a Jack to lift one side of the axle can also be beneficial getting holes to line up.
Didn't Metalcloak take their production to China at the end of 2018 instead of Rancho Cordova CA?
I don’t know about that, but metalcloak is a certified made in the USA company.
you should of done an install on how to remove and install control arms - torque numbers etc for the JL's theres a ton on JK not JL FYI
The principle is the same thou... one arm at a time... 2 bolts an arm... I can think of 1 jl channel and 2 JT channels tht recently done a video on how to install control arms...I figured educating was the better option... plus Iv done a video on RK x factor lift and installing LCA on the JL...
How do you like them ? On road quality and flex?
I think they are great... smooth onroad, does great offroad..
How are the metal cloak control arms holding up? Thinking mc or synergy… any advice on either?
Between those? I’d Stay away from synergy… just horrible customer service in my experience and is a common complaint I hear from others. I like the idea of adjusting while under the jeep, but I cannot get over how poorly they treat customers
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD thx for the response and feedback on the customer service... I agree it can make all the difference... how about in quality of product? In your video you had mentioned you wished the MC arms were a little thicker... are synergy any bigger?
Mc and synergy are the same thickness… use the same joints… but synergy uses the double adjuster which allows for adjusting under the jeep.
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD Awesome... thank you... you're the man! You seem to be one of the few that I actually believe when it comes to product knowledge! Thank you for your help my man!
Always happy to help 🙌🙌
What brand lowers did you remove here?
Cavfab
How bad was your caster with using the stock arms and 3.5" lift?
When it was stock front LCA? 4.... added the adjustable cavfab arms... moved it to 5.5.... it’s currently at 7..... but I don’t like the pinon angle... will likely pull it back again
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD 7!!??! Like a chopper!! Lol. I thought mine was bad. How did it steer at 4? Like ass??
JL's Jk complete ass lol
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD lol. I wondered. Mine did too before I used the geo brackets. Scary AF
JL's Jk I had hardcore DW at 4
So you went with synergy gray ? Lol looks like the color they use
Looks good tho !
Lmao... it was to more so match my Jeep.. 😂
I think u meant to say... synergy copied me 😂
JL LIFE OFFROAD lol I know ..
Why metal cloak arms over something like rock krawler arms from like an xfactor kit? Great content, keep up the amazing work 🙌🏽
We have the rock krawler X factor lift in mistys jeep... we try to keep our builds different.. allows us to give a wider opinion on products.. RK and MC are two of the larger company’s with popular lifts for the JL.. so after we get some time with both and people ask questions.. we are not just limited to 1 system u know what I mean? Lol I feel like I’m doing a poor job explaining this 😂😂😂
Greatly appreciate the feedback. 🙏🏽
Henry West and we appreciate your support and time! THANK YOU!
Have a question what lift do you like better overall onrode ride flex built better ? Misty's RK or your Metalcloak I really can't decide on a kit to be honest please help !!!
Honestly... I love the lack and ease of maintenance of MC... and their customer service is top notch...
The Mc lift is smooth on road and performs great off road...
Rk requires much more maintenance... greasing joints... replacing the joints are more tedious work... and the triple rated springs... sit lower the. Mc double rated.... We been abusing the hell out of both...
😂😂😂 "It's a pain in th' ass. I had Misty do it." LMBO!🤣
She was my hero... 😂😂😂 eff tht bolt 😂😂😂😂😂😂
You need a spud wrench bro
Mo! Your fly is open bro 🤣🤣🤦♂️
Wade Myers LMAO! SON OF A B****! 🤦♂️ Why you looking bro 😂😂😂😂😂😂 dammmmmmmit I cannot unsee this... when I was editing... I thought the zipper was just sitting funny
I would of painted them as well, but because I don't like shiny stuff😂🤙
lol the way I drive... the lowers won’t stay painted long 😂😂😂😂😂
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD 🤣🤣
Matthew Hatton gotta stay tactical lol nothing shiny
Jku Stockaphobia 😂😂
X-Y-Z...your tea baggin your control arms.
🤷♂️ eeeeeeeh 😂 letting them know who boss is 😂
now they look like synergy control arms lol
Lmao... they are suppose to match my Jeep paint job 😂😂😂😂
You mean that Synergy looks like them which would make sense since Synergy copied the joint design from Metalcloak.
@@sardog2049 i meant because he painted his 😉
F**kin Mint 😊👌🏼
My man! 🙌😂 thanks for watching brother!!! Appreciate ur strong support!
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD You got it brother 🤙🏼 I haven't had any problems with the Metalcloak and the flex is awesome 💪🏼
130 more miles!!! Uggggh
May be driving my ass out to Santa Fe this weekend
@@JLLIFEOFFROAD I would love to get out of the city, but work is a must if I want to get more Jeep parts for Mi Negrita 😁
Can we start a GoFundMe to Get you more power tools🤣
Lol 😂 what’s the matter... u don’t like seeing things done with man-power? 😂😂😂
I've been telling him that forever, LMAO!! More power is NEVER a bad thing. Plus it makes jobs like this easier AND faster.
I get money... I dump it into jeep stuff 😂😂😂😂
Too bad not on vehicle adjustments
Yea... on vehicle adjustments are nice... but once it’s set... u don’t really have to adjust it from there unless u making big changes.
"synthic" "inpregnated" grease 🤣🤣🤣
Ratchet steps. Use ratchet straps!
It is another option
Thats the thing...They're not special or unique. They haven't done anything innovative or that hasn't been done before. They basically took Synergy arms and zinc plated them gold. If anything they're the most overrated suspension there is. It's their marketing that sets them apart. They name their kits with some fancy buzzword which leads people to believe it's something more than what it is but in reality, it's as basic as it gets. 8 arms, coil springs, track bars with optional gimmick shocks...what's so "Game Chaning" about that? I commend them though, anyone that can market a "long arm" kit that doesn't have long arms, that's quite the achievement! "Locked n Loaded Compound Suspension" that's one fancy name for radius arms and drop brackets...on what's supposed to be their flagship suspension. People should be insulted... That's a glorified Rough Country caliber type suspension but I guess getting to hashtag #cloakedrepublic is cool and trendy.
Want to show me on the doll where Metalcloak touched you?
Thanks for the info, Einstein. Fucking tool.