Parker1938
Member
[MENTION=72341]NJshadow93[/MENTION], so you've decided to not use aftermarket LCA's and rebuild your OEM ones?
Lower Control Arm Replacements?
- Thread starter NJshadow93
- Start date
NJshadow93
New member
Haven't decided anything for sure yet. I don't have a press so I'd need to take them somewhere to have the press work done. The ball joints are $25 each for greasable Moog ones, then I'd also need new bushings and cam bolts. So I don't think I'd be saving any money. I'm just not sure I trust the quality of the cheaper units.
knightsfs4
New member
Do you have an update on what you ended up doing for your LCAs?
Curious also. I have frozen bolts also. Does replacing the bushing increase the chance of squeaking? Still trying to decide if i want to get LR UCA to add additional adjustment and leave the bottom ones alone. What do yall recommend?
dkyleb
New member
Aftermarket UCA will only provide you with additional caster.
Mike07SE
New member
Actually, caster and camber.
CHawks_12
New member
You could go borrow/rent a bearing press kit from an auto store it lots cheaper than paying someone else and pretty easy to do yourself. I just replaced my bushings on my LCA when I lifted my 4R. For the bushings I just used the bottle Jack and a little heat to finesse the bushings out. Once out they dropped right in and finish out with a lite tap to seat them. I used Moog bushings. That was about 5K ago now.
CHawks_12
New member
Cam bolt assembly I got from the dealership, think it was $35-40 total cause of course they don't sell them as a kit. I'll dig up the P/N and post them here if you want them.
How to use a bottle jack for that? I also bought some LCA bushings and cam bolts. And I got some LR UCA. Now deciding whether to do it myself or shop it.
dkyleb
New member
I guess you inherently gain the more camber adjustment because you have more caster to play with. Unless were talking about adjustable BJ UCAs?
Mike07SE
New member
This was referring to a few posts back when str3tlaw was writing about the LR UCA's. They have full adjustability of camber and caster.
But with any other UCA's, you're right that they only add caster that is lost in the lifts.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
dkyleb
New member
Ah right, so adjustable ball joints. So if you want uniball, you get no adjustment.
No idea what NJShadow did , but I'll tell you what I did. I replaced my worn out OEM LCAs with the ones from 1A auto for the following reasons.
1. They're a fraction of the cost of OEM's (I think I paid 180 for the PAIR)
2. I can replace them at least 2 times over for the cost of what OEM LCA's are going for currently.
3. They're cheap enough to justify also purchasing replacement bushings/ball joints so that my worn out OEM LCA's can be rebuilt for use as spares, should the 1A Auto LCAs ever crap out. So I end up with minimal down-time changing them out, and a set of spares for the same cost, (probably less actually) than what it'd cost to buy replacement OEM.
Frankly, with the look and feel of the 1A auto LCA's I'll be surprised if I ever even need the spares.
LR UCA $470, bushings are $20 each x4, bolts $75
dkyleb
New member
Did they actually feel solid? I just about pulled the trigger on these a couple weeks ago.
Laying them right beside the OEM's there's no immediately discernible difference between the two. Bushings and ball joint passed the "looks good feels good" test. Steel thickness and arm shape is nearly identical, with the only noticeable exception being part number identification stampings. Fitment into the frame mount points was good. Fitment of the lower coilover mounting was good. Holes for attaching LCA skids (if you're running them) were all present and in the correct locations. Had no issues getting the truck back into it's previous alignment spec.
At this point, I wouldn't hesitate to get them again. If for some unknown reason they shit out tomorrow then my opinion will change, but I have no reason to expect that to happen.
