Front wheel binding on UCA install?

[slimjj]

Installed my SPC UCAs this weekend. During the driver side install heard a popping sound after separating the upper ball joint. Front wheels spin, but there is a spot where I have to turn it to keep it going, so it doesn’t spin freely all the way around on both sides. Is this normal? Did I damage something? CV axle? Thanks for any insight.

Don’t want to drive it until I know so I don’t cause any more damage.


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[Runn4est]

I'm confused if you're saying that it's binding while the uca is disconnected or if it's all assembled again?

 

[Brownfaux]

So you spin the wheel and tire with it off the ground and it won’t spin freely? Not sure what the upper ball joint could have done to the hub, were you yanking on the hub assembly like crazy? When I did my UCAs I was pulling stuff like crazy to get it fit in.

Don’t think it will be the CV though.


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[slimjj]

I'm confused if you're saying that it's binding while the uca is disconnected or if it's all assembled again?

It’s all assembled, but still up on jacks. Don’t see anything leaking out of the front diff. Maybe the CV axle is just binding a little because of the lift or because it’s drooping on the jacks? I didn’t check the wheel spin prior, so I’m not sure if it’s normal or not.


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[slimjj]

So you spin the wheel and tire with it off the ground and it won’t spin freely? Not sure what the upper ball joint could have done to the hub, were you yanking on the hub assembly like crazy? When I did my UCAs I was pulling stuff like crazy to get it fit in.

Don’t think it will be the CV though.


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With the wheel on and jacked up, it spins about half way freely and then hits a spot where it is more difficult to turn. I can turn through the spot and it spins freely again.


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[slimjj]

With the wheel on and jacked up, it spins about half way freely and then hits a spot where it is more difficult to turn. I can turn through the spot and it spins freely again.


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[Inv4drZm]

Sounds to me the new UCA allows more droop than stock UCAs enough to cause your CVs to bind.

Jack the CV to a flatter angle and try spinning the tire.

 

[slimjj]

Sounds to me the new UCA allows more droop than stock UCAs enough to cause your CVs to bind.

Jack the CV to a flatter angle and try spinning the tire.

Sounds very plausible, I’ll give it a try.


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[Fern]

Sounds to me the new UCA allows more droop than stock UCAs enough to cause your CVs to bind.

Jack the CV to a flatter angle and try spinning the tire.

That is the first thing I thought of also.

 

[slimjj]

UPDATE:

Jacked up the lower control arm and was able to spin the tire with much less binding. Did it on both sides to be sure. Took it for a test drive around the block and all seems well other than needing an alignment, no noises or grinding.

Now off to get the alignment done. Thanks for the help everyone, I really appreciate the advice.


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[blackoutt]

This is because the 5100s are very long at full droop you may get CV binding issues. 5100s are longer than any of the coilover brands "extended travel" version of shock, Fox, Icon, King, Radflo, etc. This binding can be made worse by adding a top plate spacer to the 5100 so if you have any spacers or trim packers on top you could try removing them. CV's bind at certain spot in rotation (3 spots actually) due to the shape of the tulip - cup.

 

[Monkey Wrench]

Installed my SPC UCAs this weekend. During the driver side install heard a popping sound after separating the upper ball joint. Front wheels spin, but there is a spot where I have to turn it to keep it going, so it doesn’t spin freely all the way around on both sides. Is this normal? Did I damage something? CV axle? Thanks for any insight.

Don’t want to drive it until I know so I don’t cause any more damage.


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What brand of CV axles do you have? Any spacers on those 5100s?

Also, could you post your fender to center of hub measurements when the wheels are off the ground? It'd be interesting to see how far those struts extend.

Thanks!

 

[81runner]

This is because the 5100s are very long at full droop you may get CV binding issues. 5100s are longer than any of the coilover brands "extended travel" version of shock, Fox, Icon, King, Radflo, etc. This binding can be made worse by adding a top plate spacer to the 5100 so if you have any spacers or trim packers on top you could try removing them. CV's bind at certain spot in rotation (3 spots actually) due to the shape of the tulip - cup.

Ah haa! This is the information I was looking for. Just installed 5100s saturday with my fj coils, could not get it to work for the life of me, then I pulled the top spacers. I still can't get the level I want yet, but I feel like a diff drop will solve that issue.
That's funny though, why they are so much longer at full droop? Sitting next to oem, they appear the same physical length. The only difference I saw was the bottom spring perch location was about an inch higher than stock, but I figured that wouldn't affect droop length, just pre-load....right?

 

[slimjj]

What brand of CV axles do you have? Any spacers on those 5100s?



Also, could you post your fender to center of hub measurements when the wheels are off the ground? It'd be interesting to see how far those struts extend.



Thanks!

I have OEM CV axles, but will probably swap them for CVJ at some point. No spacers, just the 5100s at 1.75 and FJ OEM springs.

I will post measurements when I get the chance, it’s being aligned right now.


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[slimjj]

This is because the 5100s are very long at full droop you may get CV binding issues. 5100s are longer than any of the coilover brands "extended travel" version of shock, Fox, Icon, King, Radflo, etc. This binding can be made worse by adding a top plate spacer to the 5100 so if you have any spacers or trim packers on top you could try removing them. CV's bind at certain spot in rotation (3 spots actually) due to the shape of the tulip - cup.

Diff drop to ease the bidding then maybe. I’ve heard of issues with the diff drop making the inner skid plate hard to install. Anyone have experience with that?


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[blackoutt]

Ah haa! This is the information I was looking for. Just installed 5100s saturday with my fj coils, could not get it to work for the life of me, then I pulled the top spacers. I still can't get the level I want yet, but I feel like a diff drop will solve that issue.
That's funny though, why they are so much longer at full droop? Sitting next to oem, they appear the same physical length. The only difference I saw was the bottom spring perch location was about an inch higher than stock, but I figured that wouldn't affect droop length, just pre-load....right?

Okay you prompted me to go look up my previous research. This shows that the 5100 is on par with "extended travel" front shock options. It should require aftermarket upper control arms for full articulation so adding UCA's may allow it to full droop and increase binding.

Bilstein 5100 front shock part number 24-239370:
Extended length 22.56 in.
Collapsed length 17.03 in.
Stroke 5.53 in.

Fox 883-06-130 extended travel: (same for non reservoir and non DSC)
Extended length 22.38 in.
Collapsed length 17.09 in.
Stroke 5.29 in.

Fox 883-06-111 standard travel (same for non reservoir and non DSC)
Extended length 21.88 in.
Collapsed length 17.090 in.
Stroke 4.79 in.

Icon 58640 standard travel (same for remote res and CDCV)
Extended length 22.17 in.
Collapsed length 17.41 in.
Stroke 4.76 in.

Icon 58645 extended travel (same for remote res and CDCV)
Extended length 22.57 in.
Collapsed length 17.41 in.
Stroke 5.16 in.

Bilstein 6112 Part No. 46-227287:
Extended length 22.21 in.
Collapsed length 17.69 in.
Stroke 4.52 in.

 

[blackoutt]

Diff drop to ease the bidding then maybe. I’ve heard of issues with the diff drop making the inner skid plate hard to install. Anyone have experience with that?


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Yes a diff drop may help ever so slightly. Some people disagree. I run one because why not. There's little spacers included in the diff drop kit to lower the skid plate slightly, it's not too difficult with long skid plate bolts to line them up.

 

[slimjj]

Yes a diff drop may help ever so slightly. Some people disagree. I run one because why not. There's little spacers included in the diff drop kit to lower the skid plate slightly, it's not too difficult with long skid plate bolts to line them up.

Maybe I shouldn’t be too concerned as I don’t do much hard core off-roading and won’t push the travel that far. CV angle seems good with the wheels on the ground. Don’t have any leakage after the 5100 and UCA install.


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[81runner]

Diff drop to ease the bidding then maybe. I’ve heard of issues with the diff drop making the inner skid plate hard to install. Anyone have experience with that?


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That's what I'm waiting on right now. I've read about mounting issues, seems like the skids need spacers too.
I should have my kit in a couple days, I will let you know.

 

[Brownfaux]

For some reason I thought the cv didn’t spin out of 4WD but it obviously does.

I haven’t had any problems with my angle, and I’ve done some moderate off roading. I didn’t install the diff drop either. I remember a post from a guy who installed the diff drop and had a little notch in his skid plate to allow for the drop. He snagged a rock and destroyed his differential. Probably a freak occurrence but I think there are a lot of people running 3” without the diff drop.


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