Icon UCA Uniball Binding/Grinding

[Jono.ful]

You should a least look at the JBA UCA's. They have as good or better articulation than a uniball, easy to lube via zerks, easy and inexpensive to replace ball if needed and come in two styles with an HD version if you rock crawl your rig. Oh, and did I mention they are only $450. I have had mine now for 10,000 miles and not a sound, shake or shimmy. Just a happy customer and not affiliated with JBA.

I've seen these in person, they do look sharp, but I have to wonder about the strength of the ball joint compared to a uniball. Can't find any specific numbers for the ball joints, but a 1" stainless uniball is rated to 104,000lbs radially and 19,000lbs axially. So breaking a uniball on the trail is not even something that crosses my mind. Additionally, I know that personally at maximum droop I'm getting close to having my CV's bind, if those jba arms are supposed to allow extra droop, suddenly cv angles become a concern.

 

[nb rob]

I followed jono.ful's witeup posted above and went with the same wssx16t from summit on my dirtking uppers. It's a really good read for anyone with uniball uppers, because you're going to have to replace them, and it's very straightforward. Bushings and other spherical bearings too.

 

[honda250xtitan]

I followed jono.ful's witeup posted above and went with the same wssx16t from summit on my dirtking uppers. It's a really good read for anyone with uniball uppers, because you're going to have to replace them, and it's very straightforward. Bushings and other spherical bearings too.

I would go creep on titantalk if i wasn't banned, but your username sure looks familiar lol.

 

[nb rob]

I would go creep on titantalk if i wasn't banned, but your username sure looks familiar lol.

I was on titantalk since the beginning. My user name was just "rob"

2.5 years later my driveway still has the oil stains from the Titan. Over time it spells out "Nissan"

Holy hell that truck was fast though

 

[Nightglow]

I've seen these in person, they do look sharp, but I have to wonder about the strength of the ball joint compared to a uniball. Can't find any specific numbers for the ball joints, but a 1" stainless uniball is rated to 104,000lbs radially and 19,000lbs axially. So breaking a uniball on the trail is not even something that crosses my mind. Additionally, I know that personally at maximum droop I'm getting close to having my CV's bind, if those jba arms are supposed to allow extra droop, suddenly cv angles become a concern.

I would give Marlin a call or email. ([email protected]) He is the owner and has been building these UCA's for years so I am sure he can discuss the strength and reliability of the ball joints.

 

[Xtremluck]

Gave it 500 more miles and the sound isn't going away. Called Icon up and they will warranty the UCA. I captured the sound on video just in case anyone runs into this again: https://youtu.be/wprqeNVJLFk

Maybe @TE! Can confirm it's what he heard too?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[shrub1]

Gave it 500 more miles and the sound isn't going away. Called Icon up and they will warranty the UCA. I captured the sound on video just in case anyone runs into this again: https://youtu.be/wprqeNVJLFk

Maybe @TE! Can confirm it's what he heard too?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had the same experience with Icon tubular UCA. Also gave up and ended up with SPC UCA and love them. Ghost quiet and killer adjustability.

 

[TE!]

Gave it 500 more miles and the sound isn't going away. Called Icon up and they will warranty the UCA. I captured the sound on video just in case anyone runs into this again: https://youtu.be/wprqeNVJLFk

Maybe @TE! Can confirm it's what he heard too?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mine is more of a high pitch metal on metal squeal. I am having my new springs and UCA's installed on Thursday at a reputable off-road vendor. I am going to have him take a look at it and see if he can diagnose what exactly it is. From my research it seems like people have been having issues with the factory LCA bushings going bad very early.

 

[EddieV4runnin]

Delta Joints by Icon you won't regret it. Buy once cry once.

 

[iwishiwasbigger]

I had the same experience with Icon tubular UCA. Also gave up and ended up with SPC UCA and love them. Ghost quiet and killer adjustability.

Yeah man!!! Just installed mine last weekend. Back in factory specs for camber and caster. No rub adjustability for 33’s, and the truck at 4 inches of lift still Handles great. Love them, 40* or ball joint travel in any direction gained me the ability to droop all the way to the extent of the icon ext co and still clear the coil with the arm. Love em note to add here, we let the front end droop all the way and check the cv rotation through out the range NO Bind and Buck

 

[iwishiwasbigger]

Delta Joints by Icon you won't regret it. Buy once cry once.

How long you been running them?

 

[EddieV4runnin]

How long you been running them?

Hey it's you again what's good cousin :usa2:. I've been running them for close to 10k I take long road trips. They did great in Calico and Pismo, maintenance is super easy, bought them because I read all the complaints people had against uniball UCA and I hate squeaks. I love them so far. Though I think uniballs might be stronger. But it's not like I'm jumping over sands dunes in my little pavement princess.

 

[iwishiwasbigger]

Hey it's you again what's good cousin :usa2:. I've been running them for close to 10k I take long road trips. They did great in Calico and Pismo, maintenance is super easy, bought them because I read all the complaints people had against uniball UCA and I hate squeaks. I love them so far. Though I think uniballs might be stronger. But it's not like I'm jumping over sands dunes in my little pavement princess.

Yah man, I think that’s why I stuck with standard BJnts. The struggle is real with my crawlin malls, full flexed out, drooped on those parking blocks lol. My rig will probabaly only see dirt roads and some mud maybe. Some guys got more money than me to break and fix stuff trailing. I’m just not there yet. :ballchain:

 

[JSparky]

I can't really tell what's going from that video, all I hear is tire. That's good Icon is standing behind their products though if you've all determined that's what's at fault.

I will say the icon tubular uca's have confused me from the beginning. First it was the lack of a ss-uniball, then it was unclear if they actually effected caster at all or if it was just for extended travel. They either changed the design or clarified that, but I'm not sure which or when. The whole time though they've charged a premium over Total Chaos who, as far as I know, was one of the originators and somewhat of an industry standard for long travel tubular uca's. I don't know it's just weird. I don't track pricing much but I know I paid less than $650 for both pairs of Totoal Chaos arms that I've bought, I do wait for sales though, but I also recall Icon's being in the $700+ range so maybe they've come down.

I get the desire for no noise. Dobinsons has their new tubular uca's out that use factory style Japanese made ball joints and rubber bushings with built in caster. It'd be nice if they could get a genuine Toyota ball joint in there though, be it off a land cruiser or whatnot cause I know they don't sell 5th gen upper bj's independent of the arms. Either way it's another option compared to the JBA/SPC/Camburg ball joint uca's. Wasn't Icon working on a proprietary high-angle ball joint?

 

[nb rob]

I might pick up a set of delta joints and put them in my DK uppers.....

I'll see what dirtking thinks of the application. The misalignment spacers DK uses for the uniballs stick up very high above the uniball, but I see the delta joint includes the taper.

They're pricey though! $262 for the pair

 

[DesertCanyons]

Uniball joints and Delta Joints

I might pick up a set of delta joints and put them in my DK uppers.....

I'll see what dirtking thinks of the application. The misalignment spacers DK uses for the uniballs stick up very high above the uniball, but I see the delta joint includes the taper.

They're pricey though! $262 for the pair

[MENTION=122813]nb rob[/MENTION] I'd be very interested to hear if DK can put the ICON Delta Joint into their UCA.

The Dirt King comes with an FK 1" stainless steel uniball (link to FK in a post above). Are they causing anyone problems?

Pardon my ignorance, but where are the misalignment spacers in the DK. Not sure which part they are.

For $100 more than the uniball joint you can get the ICON tubular UCA with a Delta Joint, for $839.

 

[nb rob]

[MENTION=122813]nb rob[/MENTION] I'd be very interested to hear if DK can put the ICON Delta Joint into their UCA.

The Dirt King comes with an FK 1" stainless steel uniball (link to FK in a post above). Are they causing anyone problems?

Pardon my ignorance, but where are the misalignment spacers in the DK. Not sure which part they are.

For $100 more than the uniball joint you can get the ICON tubular UCA with a Delta Joint, for $839.

Sorry, my mistake, they're just called spacers.

I wore through a pair of stainless wssx16t uniballs after one winter, and that was my best effort to keep them clean as often as possible. They weren't causing problems, but everything was making noise, and I replaced them right after I did other spherical bearings. Things tightened up noticeably when the uniballs were replaced though.

 

[Jono.ful]

Gave it 500 more miles and the sound isn't going away. Called Icon up and they will warranty the UCA. I captured the sound on video just in case anyone runs into this again: https://youtu.be/wprqeNVJLFk

Maybe @TE! Can confirm it's what he heard too?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly what mine sound like when they need to be replaced. Sounds like your teflon liner is completely shot. Split the UCA from the spindle and articulate the uniball around, I'm willing to bet it'll feel super loose. If that's the case they're definitely shot and need to be replaced

 

[Xtremluck]

Exactly what mine sound like when they need to be replaced. Sounds like your teflon liner is completely shot. Split the UCA from the spindle and articulate the uniball around, I'm willing to bet it'll feel super loose. If that's the case they're definitely shot and need to be replaced

Thanks for confirming. Funny how they only have just over 1,000 miles on them. :doh: Were you running the uniball covers? I decided not to out of concern for water getting in there and being trapped

 

[TE!]

Thanks for confirming. Funny how they only have just over 1,000 miles on them. :doh: Were you running the uniball covers? I decided not to out of concern for water getting in there and being trapped

I ran the covers first time around and then removed them when I had them rebuilt... still resulted in the same issue.